Effects of Commercial Tempered Glass on Rifle Bullet Deflection

摘要

Since the inception of special weapons and emergency response teams into modern law enforcement units, marksman teams have been employed to provide selective firepower during contingency operations such as barricaded suspects and hostage situations. During these operations, police marksmen are frequently confronted with storefront commercial tempered glass, a significant obstacle that may deflect bullets in an unpredictable manner. This study was conducted in order to explore and quantify the deflection, stability, fragmentation, and lethality of the .308 caliber, full metal jacketed bullet. In a classic experimental design, the research determined the minimum stability distance of the round when fired through glass. This distance allows marksmen to know the closest distance they may fire a bullet through tempered glass without significant loss in accuracy. The experiment also quantified and plotted deflection at various distances and glass angles in order to create a table of deflection for when marksmen encounter tempered glass.