testtest

Understanding FBI Ammo Testing Standards

Talyn

Talyn

SAINT
Founding Member
While many companies talk about how their ammo performs, few people understand what goes into it. It’s time to go down the rabbit hole to start understanding FBI ammo testing. The FBI set the standard when it comes to penetration testing protocol. Many shooters know it exists, but very few know what it is.

In 1988, the FBI Firearms Training Unit (FTU) first implemented its ammunition tests. This evolved after the infamous Miami shootout in 1986. The criteria for the FBI ammo tests were based on research from ballistic researchers and a variety of medical experts.

The FBI ammo tests consist of six separate tests that consist of shooting into 10-percent ballistic gelatin, simulating human flesh. Each round must penetrate from 12 to 18 inches of gelatin in each of the tests. The tests measure several factors: total penetration, maximum temporary cavity, and round expansion, amongst others. The tests include: (1) bare gelatin (2) heavy clothing (3) steel (4) wallboard (5) plywood and (6) automobile glass.

athlonoutdoors.com

Understanding FBI Ammo Testing Standards

A lot of factors go into winning a gunfight. One of the most important and least understood is the ammunition
athlonoutdoors.com athlonoutdoors.com

1752245661637.png

Understanding FBI Ammo Testing Standards​

 
First disclaimer. The FBI Agents did the best they could with tactics known at the time and what I am posting is no criticism of them. They did their best.

Ok, The funny thing with the whole blaming the 9mm in 1986 it wasn’t so much the 9mm as it was that specific bullet. A 124 Nato ball would have been a better performance on that same specific cross torso shot through the arm.

But the Win Silvertip did exactly what it was supposed to and that was expand.

There were a ton of Agency shootings with the same 115 Silvertip in 9mm that were effective however that was the days of flat range training and this case cause the inductee and agencies to start looking at tactical anatomy.

So basically penitrarion and shot placement are better than caliber and expansion to a point. That’s what the Hornady Critical Duty has been a solid stopper and every agency runnng it has had great results as it has a great balance. That said the current HST and Gold Dot is pretty good. Indianapolis PD has an effective track record with HST and they average a couple shootings week and NYPD with 124 plus p gold dot the same.

That said I talked to a retired Border Agent that lives close and he said the Border Pateil issued the Gold Dot G2 147 and is trying to get away it’s not been the best in 9mm. Apparently they ran the 40 version of G2 with great results 9mm not so much

However back whem the Border Oat was under the Dept of Treasury they had a seperat ballistic requirement and required more penetration than the FBI standard. This was due to the bulk of their shootings in the border (and I mean no disrespect) was their peeps wore Mexican suitcases aka several layers of clothing’s and or bags of dope. So they wanted more.

Where that is now not sure
 
A lot of folks will say that 12” is way more penetration than needed as a minimum…because in their head, this is what their assailant will look like:
IMG_5087.jpeg


Or, maybe this.

IMG_5089.jpeg

Note the nice, clean, unobstructed shot to the chest/center mass.

But, they fail to consider that there’s a very good chance it will look like this:
IMG_1278.jpeg
IMG_1856.jpeg


In the first, your instinctive center mass shot will likely need to go through an arm first, adding several inches to the depth to hit vitals; in the second, you’ll need to traverse the width of the chest cavity from right to left….and maybe go through part of an arm, too.

It’s a drawback of shooting 2D targets when life happens in 3D.
 
HansGruber said:
A lot of folks will say that 12” is way more penetration than needed as a minimum…because in their head, this is what their assailant will look like:View attachment 88243

Or, maybe this.

View attachment 88245
Note the nice, clean, unobstructed shot to the chest/center mass.

But, they fail to consider that there’s a very good chance it will look like this:View attachment 88247View attachment 88248

In the first, your instinctive center mass shot will likely need to go through an arm first, adding several inches to the depth to hit vitals; in the second, you’ll need to traverse the width of the chest cavity from right to left….and maybe go through part of an arm, too.

It’s a drawback of shooting 2D targets when life happens in 3D.
Click to expand...
I’ll add and I can’t emphasis it enough. Large size of B27 types aside the C ring is completely unrealistic and programs folks tk not hit what stops them.

That whole “center mass” is Mikitary BS for getting a hit at range LE and private citizens self defense uiu need to hit the upper thoracic box in a large grapefruit size group heart and aortic or a large orange area in the head for the brain stem. Only thing that shuts them down in a reasonable amount of time!

While some agencies have getting with the times sadly most have yet to change!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top