Bullet Proof vs Bullet Resistant Glass

A common misconception many people have is that bulletproof and bullet-resistant glass is the same thing when in reality they are different, at least in verbiage. The truth is, there are always going to be bigger weapons with bigger ammo that will be able to penetrate through even the thickest piece of glass, making bullet resistant the more accurate term rather than bulletproof. In order to achieve the highest level of protection and bullet-resistant glass is extremely expensive, and quite heavy, oftentimes pricing itself outside the realms of reality for many businesses seeking bullet-resistant commercial glass. In other words, most businesses that you’d think are using bulletproof glass are in fact only using bullet-resistant glass instead.  

What is Bullet Resistant Glass? 

Bullet-resistant glass is most commonly found in businesses where there is a need for greater safety and security for day-to-day operations, employees, and customers. These businesses will need to take into consideration the type of threats that are most likely to occur at their location, in order to know what level of protection will be required to keep everyone safe. 

Bullet-resistant glass is made by taking sheets of glass and using them to sandwich transparent polycarbonate between multiple pieces, then high-pressure heating everything up to seal everything together and harden it for greater strength. The more layers that are added on top of each other, make the glass, even more, stronger (and heavier). 

Levels of Protection 

A common misconception when it comes to bullet-resistant glass is that all bullet-resistant glass has the same strength and will stand up against the same weapons, this simply is not true. There are different levels of strength that will offer different levels of protection against different weapons. 

• Level 1: Designed to provide protection against small handguns, such as a 9mm, making it the ideal choice for gas stations, retail outlets, convenience stores, and pharmacies. 
• Level 2: Larger caliber handguns, such as a .357 magnum handgun, make it the preferred choice for banks, financial institutions, and high-end jewelry stores. 
• Level 3: Superpowered handguns, such as a .44 magnum handgun. A level 3 bullet-resistant glass is best used for high-risk, and high-occupancy public buildings, such as schools, government facilities, and police stations.
• Levels 4-8:  As imagined levels, 4-8 are intended to hold up against automatic weapons and assault rifles. This type of bullet-resistant glass is typically found in military applications and vehicles, as well as embassies and high-level government buildings. 

As you can see, there are various different levels of bullet-resistant commercial glass intended to protect you, your business, and your employees. If you are interested in investing in some bullet-resistant glass, contact Gordon’s Glass today to find out what options are available to you.