Glaser Safety Slug
Encyclopedia
Glaser Safety Slug is a frangible bullet made by Glaser Safety Slug, Inc., a small American ammunition
company based in Sturgis, South Dakota
(the same location as Cor-Bon
). The company was founded in 1975 by Armin Glaser the same year as the Glaser Safety Slug was developed by Jack Canon.
filled with No. 12 birdshot (0.05") with a flat polymer cap. To improve ballistic performance, a polymer-tipped round ball was introduced in 1987, and the current compressed core form was first sold in 1988. The formulation of the polymer was also changed in 1994 to improve fragmentation reliability.
to .45
for pistol
s and from .223
to .30-06
for rifle
s. Each caliber comes in two forms, "blue" and "silver", the latter having greater penetrating power due to the use of No. 6 birdshot rather than No. 12.
The projectile in the cartridge is of a much lighter weight than more conventional types of cartridges and so the projectiles exit the bore at significantly higher muzzle velocities. The current bullet
has a core of very tightly packed lead
pellets. On impact, the bullet fractures along manufactured stress lines in the jacket — imparting all the bullet's energy very quickly rather than over-penetrating a target or ricochet
ing on a miss. The extreme light weight and fragility of the projectile make it unsuitable for long range firing or against protected targets.
The bullet design can produce large shallow wounds in flesh while failing to pass through structural barriers thicker than drywall
or sheet metal
. These qualities make it less likely to strike unintended targets, such as people in another room during an indoor shooting. Also, when it strikes a hard surface from which a solid bullet would glance off, it fragments into tiny, light pieces and creates much less ricochet danger.
tested and used the Glaser Safety Slug extensively in the 1970s and 80s on board commercial passenger aircraft to defend against hijackers.
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
company based in Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County. Sturgis is famous for being the location of one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world, which is held annually on the first full week...
(the same location as Cor-Bon
Cor-Bon
Cor-Bon is a brand of small arms ammunition produced by Dakota Ammo Incorporated. The company, based in Sturgis, South Dakota, was founded in 1982 by Peter Pi....
). The company was founded in 1975 by Armin Glaser the same year as the Glaser Safety Slug was developed by Jack Canon.
History
The original round was a hand-made hollow point bulletHollow point bullet
A hollow point is an expanding bullet that has a pit or hollowed out shape in its tip, generally intended to cause the bullet to thin upon entering a target in order to decrease penetration and disrupt more tissue as it travels through the target. It is also used for controlled penetration, where...
filled with No. 12 birdshot (0.05") with a flat polymer cap. To improve ballistic performance, a polymer-tipped round ball was introduced in 1987, and the current compressed core form was first sold in 1988. The formulation of the polymer was also changed in 1994 to improve fragmentation reliability.
Performance
The company produces bullets in calibers from .25.25 ACP
The .25 ACP centerfire pistol cartridge is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning in 1905 alongside the Fabrique Nationale model 1905 pistol...
to .45
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
for pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s and from .223
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56×45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is commonly pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from , though the most common...
to .30-06
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
for rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s. Each caliber comes in two forms, "blue" and "silver", the latter having greater penetrating power due to the use of No. 6 birdshot rather than No. 12.
The projectile in the cartridge is of a much lighter weight than more conventional types of cartridges and so the projectiles exit the bore at significantly higher muzzle velocities. The current bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
has a core of very tightly packed lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
pellets. On impact, the bullet fractures along manufactured stress lines in the jacket — imparting all the bullet's energy very quickly rather than over-penetrating a target or ricochet
Ricochet
A ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot at a flat, hard surface."-Variables:...
ing on a miss. The extreme light weight and fragility of the projectile make it unsuitable for long range firing or against protected targets.
The bullet design can produce large shallow wounds in flesh while failing to pass through structural barriers thicker than drywall
Drywall
Drywall, also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper...
or sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
. These qualities make it less likely to strike unintended targets, such as people in another room during an indoor shooting. Also, when it strikes a hard surface from which a solid bullet would glance off, it fragments into tiny, light pieces and creates much less ricochet danger.
Usage
The United States Federal Air Marshal ServiceFederal Air Marshal Service
The Federal Air Marshal Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration of the United States Department of Homeland Security...
tested and used the Glaser Safety Slug extensively in the 1970s and 80s on board commercial passenger aircraft to defend against hijackers.