Poly vs 5.56mm and 9 mm rounds.

**Wes** · 07-08-2012, 11:39 AM

before:2012-07-08_10-09-48_84.jpg

after:2012-07-08_11-28-55_579.jpg

All rounds went right through, but the poly didnt break or crack.

**chip anderson** · 07-08-2012, 05:55 PM

Gee that's comforting. Probably anything more than a 22 short at 50 yards will penetrate it.

Chip

**Wes** · 07-08-2012, 06:10 PM

These were semi-finished pucks. The two thicker ones were 18mm at their thickest point.

**obxeyeguy** · 07-09-2012, 09:47 AM

I'm curious Wes, what was the distance?

**Wes** · 07-09-2012, 10:15 AM

7-10 meters with the 9mm, 20 meters prone with the AR. Time to sight in the scope...

**Jacqui** · 07-09-2012, 10:28 AM

Try it with Trivex

**Jacqui** · 07-09-2012, 10:34 AM

Way back when..... Gentex used 2 mm ploy planos at about 20 ft. as targets, 45's would bounce right off. I don't think today's poly is as good.

Another thought: Could this be the bullets burning their way through rather than punching a hole??

**Wes** · 07-09-2012, 12:10 PM

I seriously doubt 45s would bounce off a 2mm thick lens. MAYBE a 2mm steel plate. Probably a 2mm titanium plate.
These lenses were 18mm thick at their thickest. 9mm NATO ball punched through. It wasn't melted, but visibly torn. The 5.56mm M855 penetrator holes did look more like a hot knife through butter, and the spiral effect from the rifling was obvious from the channel.
As for trivex, military lab here, no trivex. If you want to mail me a couple pucks, I'll be happy to punch em full of holes.

**chip anderson** · 07-09-2012, 12:23 PM

Actually I have seen video's on "bullet proof glass". Bullet proof glass needs to be a couple of inches thick with lots of poly and glass sandwiched. Even then it won't hold up to much more than a 30 cal. It doesn't even deflect a 50 cal.

If you get shot in the face with anything more than falling bird shot, you gonna git hurt with or without even the most efficent eye protection. Poly will probaby protect you from BB's, Paint balls, and spit-balls, and the occasional piece of steel off a grinding wheel. Try not to get shot.

Chip

Chip

**Wes** · 07-09-2012, 12:36 PM

I'll try bird-and buck-shot on it next weekend. It might stand up to the buckshot and it should laugh off
birdshot. I think I'll try a few. 380 rounds and some 9mm hollow points. I'm curious about the hollowpoints.
FWIW, 9mm NATO ball has as much penetration on barriers as a .44 magnum ball.

**chip anderson** · 07-09-2012, 01:03 PM

Steel or Lead shot? Suspect it can stand a 25 auto cal. round from pretty close. Once read an article that said it wouldn't go all the way through an apple at 15'. Also had a patient take 8 rounds (no vest or any protective gear) of 25 auto on Friday and he seemed fine on Monday.

Chip

**EyeManFla** · 07-09-2012, 02:36 PM

I actually had a young man ask me while I was working in DC if a poly lens would stpo a bullet. I believe my response was "The first one"!

**J.P.** · 07-09-2012, 02:48 PM

Sounds like we just need to get a bunch of blanks and go shooting..... I'm game!!!!!

I wonder how Poly lenses would hold up to being shot by an Arrow..... I need to order some blanks, and buy extra arrows, lol

**Kara** · 07-09-2012, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by Jacqui

Try it with Trivex

I'm making that a request too!!! I'm very interested in those results!

**GAgal** · 07-09-2012, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by kmarshall

I'm making that a request too!!! I'm very interested in those results!

Me too!

**JRS** · 07-09-2012, 08:20 PM

A .45 has a lower velocity than a 9mil. Not to sure on the 5.56mm

**Wes** · 07-09-2012, 10:57 PM

5.56 NATO has over twice the velocity of any 9mm round. While .45 ACP is slower, the bullet tends to be nearly twice as massive. It doesn't penetrate as well as a 9mm or a .44 magnum, but is considered a one-shot manstopper due to it's transference of more energy onto the target. I doubt a 17mm poly blank would stand up to it.

**Jacqui** · 07-10-2012, 07:03 AM

Actually Wes, the man who pulled the trigger on the 45 is or was a member of OB, his wife was a founder of Gentex. It's funny that no one else here seen it done in person. As I remember the bullets would dent the poly, but none went through. These could have been reduced loads, I'm not sure.

PM me a shipping address and I'll send a pair of semi-finished Trivex for you to try.

**Wes** · 07-10-2012, 07:19 AM

Had to be a stunt. I just asked a friend to let me borrow a .45ACP that used to be mine this weekend. Ill put that theory to the test.
pm sent

**EyeManFla** · 07-10-2012, 12:30 PM

My 1911 still rules!

**Wes** · 07-15-2012, 12:22 PM

IMG_7306.jpg

.44 magnum flat ball punched through the lenses in a similar manner as the 5.56 and 9mm. .380 bounced off the thicker pucks, and shattered a -6 stock poly. The .45 ball shattered everything it hit.
Ballistics are interesting.

**Wes** · 12-25-2012, 04:10 PM

IMG_20121225_150707_048.jpg IMG_20121225_160123_032.jpg
So thanks to Mike Aurelius, we know that Trivex is tougher than poly. These pucks were appx 15 mm thick. 380 made even smaller dents in Trivex than in poly, bounced off, and one landed next to my shoe. You can see it in the photo. 9mm still went through, but seemed to cut it's way partially through and broke through via a crack that resealed itself after exit. 5.56 still tore right through, and the exit hole nearly sealed itself. 10mm auto blew apart everything it hit. I didn't have the shotgun with me, and didn't have the range to hit them with the 308 without removing the scope.

**fjpod** · 12-26-2012, 06:28 AM

But one of the Trivex shattered? Seems more dangerous to me. Interesting to see the results, though.

anyway, chances of someone getting shot in the lens are miniscule.

In my 35 years of practice, the worst injuries I have ever seen were people who have fallen with their glasses on, and the frame and lens was pushed into their face, resulting in a black and blue around their eye in the shape of a lens, sometimes with a small surface laceration. Never a broken lens. I think eye injuries have more to do with how a frame is constructed and how well it holds a lens.

In industrial settings, where things can fly up and hit you, things might be different, but I have never seen a case of this. Is it that safety eyewear is better constructed and more prevalent, or is it because we hardly manufacture anything anymore?

**Wes** · 12-26-2012, 07:06 AM

All of the Trivex lenses shattered when hit with 10mm after being shot multiple times with lesser calibers. All of the poly lenses shattered after being hit multiple times as well.
When judging how the lenses reacted to 380, 9mm,and 5.56 (the calibers used on both), the Trivex, while 3 mm thinner, held up better than poly. I wouldn't worry too much that they shattered after being hit with a 165grain bullet traveling at 1500fsp. If that hits you in the face, you have a lot more things to worrry about than your glasses.