In order to understand what bullet resistant glass is right for your building or structure, you first need to understand the different ballistic standards that are used to measure the level of protection each product provides. The UL 752 ratings offer a system for understanding ballistic protection in bullet resistant glass for a variety of use cases and products (ex. transaction security barriers). Here’s some more information to help you understand what the UL 752 levels mean.
UL 752 Requires Absolute Protection
There is no such thing as a “low spall” UL 752 product.
All products that have been tested and certified to meet the standards of a particular level must offer absolute protection from that type of ballistic threat. So if there is any spall created by an impact, that particular product would not qualify for UL 752 standards at that level.
Not All UL 752 Ratings Are Linear
When you think of a ratings system, you normally assume that the numbers correspond to the level of protection or benefit that is offered. Level 1 would be the lowest, level 2 would be the next in line, and so on. But that’s not the case for all UL 752 ratings.
In this specific instance, only levels 1 through 3 are lineal. So if something is tested to UL level 3, it would automatically meet the standards set for UL levels 1 and 2; however, once you get to level 4 the standards vary. For example, if something is tested for level 8 that doesn’t mean that it automatically meets the standards for level 7.
So rather than being an ordered ranking system, each level is meant to describe a particular product so that you can more easily find the type of ballistic protection that is most relevant to your needs.
UL 752 Levels 1-8 Explained
Each level requires the material to withstand impact from a specific type of ballistic impact. Here are the testing requirements for each level.
| LEVEL | REQUIREMENTS |
|---|---|
| UL 752 Level 1 | Provides protection against three shots of a 124-grain 9mm full metal copper jacket with lead core at an fps between1175 and 1293 |
| UL 752 Level 2 | Provides protection against three shots of a 158-grain .357 magnum jacketed lead soft point at an fps between 1250 and 1375 |
| UL 752 Level 3 | Provides protection against three shots of a 240-grain 44 Magnum Lead Semi-Wadcutter Gas Checked at an fps between 1350 and 1485 |
| UL 752 Level 4 | Provides protection against one shot of a 180-grain .30 caliber rifle lead core soft point at an fps between 2540 and 2794 |
| UL 752 Level 5 | Provides protection against one shot of a 150-grain 7.62mm rifle lead core full metal copper jacket military ball (.308 caliber) at an fps between 2750 and 3025 |
| UL 752 Level 6 | Provides protection against five shots of a 124-grain 9mm full metal copper jacket with lead core at an fps between 1400 and 1540 |
| UL 752 Level 7 | Provides protection against five shots of a 55-grain 5.56mm rifle full metal copper jacket with lead core (.223 caliber) at an fps between 3080 and 3383 |
| UL 752 Level 8 | Provides protection against five shots of a 150-grain 7.62mm rifle lead core full metal copper jacket military ball (.308 caliber) at an fps between 2750 and 3025 |
| Shotgun | Provides protection against three shots of a 12-gauge rifled lead slug at an fps between 1585 and 1744 and three shots of a 12-gauge 00 buckshot (12 pellets) at an fps between 1200 and 1320 |
But there are other practical considerations that may impact which bullet-resistant glass products you purchase. In order to find the UL 752 ballistic standards that most closely meet with your needs, contact Insulgard today. Our team of bullet resistant glass experts can help you understand more about the options available so you can get the most effective level of protection for your building.
