Glaser Safety Slug?

[burchesss]

Has anyone tryed the glaser "safety slug" ammo? They clam to offer more stoping power, and less chance of over penetration. Can a bullet stop a BG, and NOT shoot through interior walls if you miss? It almost sounds Sci Fi to me but they have been around like 30 years or so any one tryed them?

[2beararms]

All the tests that I've seen show they transfer a large amount of kinetic energy very quickly but lack penetration even into flesh. The wound channel is extensive however and should produce mass bleeding.

I read that to say they may knock the BG on his butt and give you time to run but may not do enough viseral damage to stop his actions such as shooting back. It is possible that a BG could block a lot of the impact damage simply with his arms.

That said, however, it depends on the reason for their usage. When my weapon is in the bedroom and people in the next room, my preference when the fan is hit is to be able to pump enough shots to end the attack while lowering the risk to of injury to my loved ones as much as possible. For that reason, I do generally keep the auto in my bedroom loaded with 18 rounds of glasser (or magsafe).

However, for carry, I prefer good old fashioned hollowpoints.

To answer your question, however, NO, I've never heard any real life stories on their effectiveness in actual use, something that I too would love to know.

[toreskha]

Never heard of one being used but I'd think it would be like getting hit by only part of an underpowered birdshot pattern. Something like that might be ok for bringing down terrorists in an airplane, where they're unlikely to have a firearm of their own. Or, you might be able to use it effective in a tropical climate where no one wears thick clothing.

If you shoot someone with partially effective Glasers, and the other guy has Wally World special, who do you think is going to be in worse shape? That's a bad position to be in. Most BGs do use cheap ammo too, so there's going to be some serious overpenetration when you have FMJs flying around.

Just get some high-quality HPs or use a 4/10 with good shot that won't overpenetrate. If you're worried about flying bullets, put steel plate or thick wood in the walls of important rooms and then you'll have a measure of protection. It won't look bad with wallpaper over it.

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by toreskha

Never heard of one being used but I'd think it would be like getting hit by only part of an underpowered birdshot pattern. Something like that might be ok for bringing down terrorists in an airplane, where they're unlikely to have a firearm of their own. Or, you might be able to use it effective in a tropical climate where no one wears thick clothing.

If you shoot someone with partially effective Glasers, and the other guy has Wally World special, who do you think is going to be in worse shape? That's a bad position to be in. Most BGs do use cheap ammo too, so there's going to be some serious overpenetration when you have FMJs flying around.

Just get some high-quality HPs or use a 4/10 with good shot that won't overpenetrate. If you're worried about flying bullets, put steel plate or thick wood in the walls of important rooms and then you'll have a measure of protection. It won't look bad with wallpaper over it.

I'm a big fan of good quality HP ammo. My ammo of choice is Speer Gold Dot. I've done my own "range research" and I'm pleased with the performance. I train with the same ammo I carry. Surprisingly, OP isn't too bad dispite the single wall tounge and groove wood construction of my home. Took a few scrap boards to the range to test the performance.

A friend and I shot some Glaser rounds. I'm not confident that they will actually STOP a BG. They're expensive and seem to be highly under powered. I imagine that they will upset the BG more than stop the BG. Add to it a BG that's drugged up, you have a very bad situation.

Think about it, if the Glasser round were as good as it's chocked up to be, then wouldn't there be LE agencies that use them? I'm not aware of any LE agency that uses the round as "standard issue".



gf

[2beararms]

Originally Posted by toreskha

... I'd think it would be like getting hit by only part of an underpowered birdshot pattern...

That is the misconception of glassers. Because it is compressed beads we want to compare it to shot shells but in effect it is completely different.

In a shot shell the shot leaves the barrel as individual units hitting the target as individual units, each piece of shot carries it own energy and upon impact transfers that energy as it slows. The amount of impact is determined by the energy of each piece, the number of pieces that impact and the pattern of the impact ... hence the birdshot example.

A glasser slug is not a shotshell however. It is launched and travels as a single unit just as an FMJ or a hollowpoint. Upon impact with the target all three will carry the same energy based on the powder load and the overall projectile weight. Upon impact all three will have exactly the same energy to transfer but here is where it begins to vary.

An FMJ will cut itself a hole and penetrate deep losing energy as it slows but creating a long, deep, path.

A Hollowpoint will begin to expand just after impact widening and slowing it faster causing more of its impact energy to transfer to the target creating higher knockdown power and a larger wound but less penetration.

The glasser slug, just after impact dissolves into the plastic cap that acts as a mini FMJ, a base the acts like the back of a hollowpoint and the load of shot that expands instantly transferring nearly all of the kinetic energy into knockdown power.

It can be readily understood by thinking of diving in a pool. A normal dive with hands extended to a point is an FMJ, you effortlessly glide through the water.

Dive with your arms folded over your head and you will readily feel the energy transfer as more surface area hits the water. That is the equivalent of the hollowpoint.

The glasser is the equivialent of doing a belly flop. All of the energy is transferred nearly immediately.

In reality, the glasser likely has the most knockdown power of any of the loads and that is a major part of the stopping power of a shot and the reason a big slow slug like a .45 is initially so effective. The problem comes in the "kill" factor. Since most vital organs lie pretty deep and as noted very heavy clothing can impede the load, although its damage is likely the worst (doctors hate it), its kill factor seem to be a bit slower and unsure which is why most professionals go for the mid-line of the hollowpoint.

Think about it, if the Glasser round were as good as it's chocked up to be, then wouldn't there be LE agencies that use them? I'm not aware of any LE agency that uses the round as "standard issue".

They are made for a special purpose not general usage but are usually carried by US Air Marshalls as the standard round where lower penetration is desired.

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by 2beararms

They are made for a special purpose not general usage but are usually carried by US Air Marshalls as the standard round where lower penetration is desired.

My Air Marshall buddy told me he uses frangible ammunition. I'll see if I can check out his duty ammo the next time he's in town. The little blue ball at the tip of the projectile shuld be a dead giveaway. ;-)



gf

[tattedupboy]

I've heard of all kinds of new gimicky ammo in the past few years, and I'm not impressed by any of them, including this one. For a handgun, I'd just stick with JHPs and for a home defense shotgun, 00 Buckshot.

[2beararms]

Originally Posted by tattedupboy

I've heard of all kinds of new gimicky ammo in the past few years, and I'm not impressed by any of them, including this one. For a handgun, I'd just stick with JHPs and for a home defense shotgun, 00 Buckshot.

It was not that long ago that JHP was a "new gimicky ammo".

[toreskha]

Originally Posted by Glock Fan

My Air Marshall buddy told me he uses frangible ammunition. I'll see if I can check out his duty ammo the next time he's in town. The little blue ball at the tip of the projectile shuld be a dead giveaway. ;-)



gf

I heard they stopped using Glasers back in the 1990s. Maybe they finally got someone with one and it just didn't do the job.

The general concept sounds interesting. However, it's one of those things that's really super-specialized, and where OP would mean penetrating an extremely thin barrier. Airplanes don't have brick walls or anything, but assuming the bullet is taking a realistic course, it's first going to plow through a seat or two, and probably the bulkhead, but at a fairly shallow angle, so even if the air marshal totally misses the terrorist, that HP is going to encounter a lot of material before it makes it to the outside. The greatest benefit is really with conventional HP or JHP ammo, for accuracy and take-down power.

[tattedupboy]

Originally Posted by 2beararms

It was not that long ago that JHP was a "new gimicky ammo".

That may be true, but at least the concept behind JHPs is realistic and it impresses me. These glaser safety slugs don't.