Garand Thumb: Does Bullet Proof Glass Actually Work?
OptimusPrime
11 Nov 2025
Garand Thumb, investigates the real-world performance of different levels of "bulletproof" glass featuring ballistic glass manufacturer Armitech. The testing begins with lower-level UL-rated glass, where a Level 6 panel, rated for 9mm, successfully stops handgun rounds like .22, 9mm, and the more powerful 10mm. They then move to a Level 7 piece of glass, which is rated for five shots of 5.56mm. This glass also proves its impressive durability by halting a 12-gauge slug and multiple full-velocity 5.56 M855 military rounds.
The experiment progresses to a heavier, thicker Level 8 glass, which is rated to withstand multiple shots of .308 rifle ammunition. This glass easily stops the .308 round, and surprisingly, it even holds up against a high-power 300 Winchester Magnum sniper round. For the ultimate test, the team stacks multiple pieces of the ballistic glass to challenge a .50 caliber rifle. In a surprising end, the video demonstrates that the massive .50 caliber round is stopped by the second plate of glass, showing the unexpected and impressive performance of Armitech's ballistic material even against one of the most powerful common calibers.