Ballistic glass as body armor?

doctorj77 · January 5, 2015, 01:56 PM

Just wanted to gather some people's thoughts, on what they think of using bullet proof glass as a means of body armor? I ran across a local person that is selling some 1in Lexan, from a convenience store, at $15 Sq ft. Being it's layered, it can be cut to shape. He is offering to rough cut the sizes I need, but I would have to finish it to the right sizes.

Months ago I received a plate carrier in a trade. I've grown to the desire of adding plates to it, the good ones, someday, but just don't have an extra $400-600 laying around at the moment. So when this offer on the glass came up, started thinking, what would/could that do? Is cheap enough I thought it might be worth a try. Bare least it would make some fun target practice.

So I will just state, I know enough to know, bullet proof glass is not the same a body plates/armor. Not even in the same league. BUT it offers some level of protection over nothing. Just trying to figure out the pros/cons of such am idea. Here is some thoughts I started with:

1. Thickness - the glass will be about 1in thick. Not knowing my plate technology very well, I'm assuming that plates are typically half this thickness? So the glass will be more bulky as result

2. Weight - never held either product in my hands. But guessing that the glass will be fairly heavy? With my mags loaded up and adding the glass plates, I'm sure this will jack the weight up considerably "60-80lbs" maybe? Maybe more?

3. Level of protection - surely not all bp glass is created equal. Are there similar ballistic ratings for this stuff like there are for plates? I'm sure most small arms is covered. But how resistant is it to most common rifle calibers?

Of course this is one of those "you get what you pay for" topics. But just curious about the practicality here. With the price, combined with all the other factors above, and probably some other stuff I don't know or thought about, just thought it might be worth a try. I would probably order some extra pieces for spares and target practice.

Thoughts?

skizzums · January 5, 2015, 02:26 PM

as cheap as it is, you should just buy a couple feet and try it out in the woods. see what it can handle, and if you are comfortable with the results. I personally don't have a situation in mind where I can see myself needing an armor plate vest, but I am all for it if you want it.

johnwilliamson062 · January 5, 2015, 02:41 PM

Any type of armor has trade offs compared to others.
Ballistic glass makes a lot of trade offs to be clear.
I think you will find it is thicker and heavier than other options and inside the vest you get no benefit from having clear panels. 1 inch thick may not even fit in your carrier.

T. O'Heir · January 5, 2015, 03:00 PM

Lexan isn't glass, it's a polycarbonate. Isn't bullet proof either. It's bullet resistant. Rifle bullets will go right through it. Certainly not bullet proof at $15 a foot.
http://www.eplastics.com/Lexan_Bulle...arbonate_Sheet

doctorj77 · January 5, 2015, 04:06 PM

Good point. It's bullet resistive, not proof. Plus I hadn't considered if it would fit in the vest either.

spacemanspiff · January 5, 2015, 04:30 PM

All you would need is two, possibly 3, layers of duct tape on the back of the ballistic glass. Should be good up to about 338wm by my calculations.
And you would probably be better off by putting the glass panels on the INSIDE, so the soft kevlar will absorb most of the impact.

musher · January 5, 2015, 05:52 PM

Spiff,

Nice to see someone remembers the classics.

hartcreek · January 5, 2015, 06:19 PM

It is obvious to me that you have not kept up on body armor. New plates can be had for $100 and you can even go with plates and soft body armor if you go with carbon fiber. Follow the link that I posted below if you are serious.

http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armo...ody-armor.html

Model12Win · January 5, 2015, 07:20 PM

Seems like it'd be heavy, but buy some and 'choot eem! as Troy Landry says.

doctorj77 · January 6, 2015, 09:49 AM

Thanks Hartcreek for the link. I probably should have clarified in my original post, I'd be looking for a full set. I recognize new plates, even soft armor, can be had for around $100 'a piece'. But when you need a front, back, and two sides, it ads up.

I'm sure my post may come off as being cheap. Its just, I came across that material for sale, and the price seemed reasonable enough to peek my curiosity. I was just wondering the practicality behind it is all

wogpotter · January 6, 2015, 11:22 AM

Don't forget that there are several considerations above & beyond "stopping the bullet".
There are specs for the amount of deformation to the material as well & even if the Lexan stops it the penetration before doing so may be dangerously excessive!

Spur0701 · January 6, 2015, 11:53 AM

I ran across a post somewhere a number of months ago (might have been at AR15.com) where someone was taking ceramic floor tiles or something like that, taping them together with duck tape with maybe something in the middle for mounting in a plate carrier......I think they characterized it as "poorman's" or "redneck" armor....I think they even had pics of a test. Might try a google on expedient body armor or something like that and see what you come up with.......

wogpotter · January 6, 2015, 04:22 PM

GREAT I really want to replace a bullet going into me with sharp ceramic shards!

johnwilliamson062 · January 6, 2015, 07:53 PM

The only DIY "ceramic" armor I have seen was porcelain and used on a vehicle. Also easily could be used for panels. I believe plywood used as a backer, rhino liner like coating to mount and cover. Tiles overlap 50% Cheap and effective for multiple shots according to the test I saw. Porcelain grinds up the bullet as it goes thru.
Not light.

hartcreek · January 7, 2015, 12:18 AM

You can purchase one carbon fiber insert at a time from the site I posted and if you feel like only a front or rear plate they have carriers to accomodate. Heck you can get one to fit your briefcase or childs backpack.

Strafer Gott · January 7, 2015, 12:56 PM

Don't screw around with homemade safety gear. The application is too critical.
I'd trade the heavy plates for fleetness of foot. If you must have something, and expense is a problem, get some used stuff online. Be advised, some of that gear may be past expiration date, and may have other problems that make it iffy as well. You need at least level II under plates, anyway.

January 5, 2015, 01:56 PM	#1
doctorj77 Member Join Date: June 5, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 46	Ballistic glass as body armor? Just wanted to gather some people's thoughts, on what they think of using bullet proof glass as a means of body armor? I ran across a local person that is selling some 1in Lexan, from a convenience store, at $15 Sq ft. Being it's layered, it can be cut to shape. He is offering to rough cut the sizes I need, but I would have to finish it to the right sizes. Months ago I received a plate carrier in a trade. I've grown to the desire of adding plates to it, the good ones, someday, but just don't have an extra $400-600 laying around at the moment. So when this offer on the glass came up, started thinking, what would/could that do? Is cheap enough I thought it might be worth a try. Bare least it would make some fun target practice. So I will just state, I know enough to know, bullet proof glass is not the same a body plates/armor. Not even in the same league. BUT it offers some level of protection over nothing. Just trying to figure out the pros/cons of such am idea. Here is some thoughts I started with: 1. Thickness - the glass will be about 1in thick. Not knowing my plate technology very well, I'm assuming that plates are typically half this thickness? So the glass will be more bulky as result 2. Weight - never held either product in my hands. But guessing that the glass will be fairly heavy? With my mags loaded up and adding the glass plates, I'm sure this will jack the weight up considerably "60-80lbs" maybe? Maybe more? 3. Level of protection - surely not all bp glass is created equal. Are there similar ballistic ratings for this stuff like there are for plates? I'm sure most small arms is covered. But how resistant is it to most common rifle calibers? Of course this is one of those "you get what you pay for" topics. But just curious about the practicality here. With the price, combined with all the other factors above, and probably some other stuff I don't know or thought about, just thought it might be worth a try. I would probably order some extra pieces for spares and target practice. Thoughts? Last edited by doctorj77; January 5, 2015 at 02:14 PM.

January 5, 2015, 02:26 PM	#2
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	as cheap as it is, you should just buy a couple feet and try it out in the woods. see what it can handle, and if you are comfortable with the results. I personally don't have a situation in mind where I can see myself needing an armor plate vest, but I am all for it if you want it. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

January 5, 2015, 03:00 PM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Lexan isn't glass, it's a polycarbonate. Isn't bullet proof either. It's bullet resistant. Rifle bullets will go right through it. Certainly not bullet proof at $15 a foot. http://www.eplastics.com/Lexan_Bulle...arbonate_Sheet __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

January 5, 2015, 04:30 PM	#6
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	All you would need is two, possibly 3, layers of duct tape on the back of the ballistic glass. Should be good up to about 338wm by my calculations. And you would probably be better off by putting the glass panels on the INSIDE, so the soft kevlar will absorb most of the impact. __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

January 6, 2015, 11:22 AM	#11
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Don't forget that there are several considerations above & beyond "stopping the bullet". There are specs for the amount of deformation to the material as well & even if the Lexan stops it the penetration before doing so may be dangerously excessive! __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

January 5, 2015, 02:41 PM	#3
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	Any type of armor has trade offs compared to others. Ballistic glass makes a lot of trade offs to be clear. I think you will find it is thicker and heavier than other options and inside the vest you get no benefit from having clear panels. 1 inch thick may not even fit in your carrier.

January 5, 2015, 04:06 PM	#5
doctorj77 Member Join Date: June 5, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 46	Good point. It's bullet resistive, not proof. Plus I hadn't considered if it would fit in the vest either.

January 5, 2015, 05:52 PM	#7
musher Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2005 Posts: 462	Spiff, Nice to see someone remembers the classics.

January 5, 2015, 06:19 PM	#8
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	It is obvious to me that you have not kept up on body armor. New plates can be had for $100 and you can even go with plates and soft body armor if you go with carbon fiber. Follow the link that I posted below if you are serious. http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armo...ody-armor.html

January 5, 2015, 07:20 PM	#9
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Seems like it'd be heavy, but buy some and 'choot eem! as Troy Landry says.

January 6, 2015, 09:49 AM	#10
doctorj77 Member Join Date: June 5, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 46	Thanks Hartcreek for the link. I probably should have clarified in my original post, I'd be looking for a full set. I recognize new plates, even soft armor, can be had for around $100 'a piece'. But when you need a front, back, and two sides, it ads up. I'm sure my post may come off as being cheap. Its just, I came across that material for sale, and the price seemed reasonable enough to peek my curiosity. I was just wondering the practicality behind it is all

January 6, 2015, 11:53 AM	#12
Spur0701 Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2005 Posts: 208	I ran across a post somewhere a number of months ago (might have been at AR15.com) where someone was taking ceramic floor tiles or something like that, taping them together with duck tape with maybe something in the middle for mounting in a plate carrier......I think they characterized it as "poorman's" or "redneck" armor....I think they even had pics of a test. Might try a google on expedient body armor or something like that and see what you come up with.......

January 6, 2015, 04:22 PM	#13
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	GREAT I really want to replace a bullet going into me with sharp ceramic shards! __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

January 6, 2015, 07:53 PM	#14
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	The only DIY "ceramic" armor I have seen was porcelain and used on a vehicle. Also easily could be used for panels. I believe plywood used as a backer, rhino liner like coating to mount and cover. Tiles overlap 50% Cheap and effective for multiple shots according to the test I saw. Porcelain grinds up the bullet as it goes thru. Not light.

January 7, 2015, 12:18 AM	#15
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	You can purchase one carbon fiber insert at a time from the site I posted and if you feel like only a front or rear plate they have carriers to accomodate. Heck you can get one to fit your briefcase or childs backpack.

January 7, 2015, 12:56 PM	#16
Strafer Gott Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,315	Don't screw around with homemade safety gear. The application is too critical. I'd trade the heavy plates for fleetness of foot. If you must have something, and expense is a problem, get some used stuff online. Be advised, some of that gear may be past expiration date, and may have other problems that make it iffy as well. You need at least level II under plates, anyway.