Firearms: Glass Penetration and Damage

Abstract

This article includes an examination of the effect various missiles have on various types of glass; the deflection from the missile's original path caused by glass and the identification of bullet calibre and type; and how to differentiate between the damage caused by various bullet types from that caused by other objects such as sharp stones. Case examples are given where appropriate.

Gunshots through laminated glass: expelled compounded fragments as a function of bullet type

“…In an experimental scenario, resembling a windshield angle of 15° being hit by a horizontally shot bullet round-shaped compounded glass fragment trajectory angles showed significant deviation from the expected right angle to the plane of the glass (Table 5; Fig. 6) [3][4][5][6]8]. Expelled glass fragment trajectories had a tendency towards the bore axis of the gun barrel or rather the trajectory of the projectile.…”

“…As an intermediate target in the line of fire, glass offers some features that may allow for reconstructing the spatial relation between the shooter and the victim at the moment a shot was fired [3,4]. Thus, the behaviour of bullets and expelled glass fragments during projectile penetration has been examined in the past [4][5][6][7][8]. Glass fragments expelled from the exit site of the penetrated glass in the course of bullet transition typically spread out in a conical pattern at right angles to the plane of the glass.…”