‘Bullet Resistant Materials’ Category Archive

NPR Reports: Bulletproof Glass Business Booming in Mexico

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

A recent NPR report highlighted the growth of bulletproof glass businesses south of the border. As Mexico’s drug wars intensify, so too, grows the need for armored vehicles.

Installing bulletproof glsas in a car in Mexico

Photo courtesy of NPR/ Jason Beaubien

According to NPR’s report, there are 14 armoring companies certified by Mexico’s federal government. A plant engineer at one of the armoring companies explains that armor protection can range from level 1, or basic, to level 5, or advanced:

“Armoring a car, particularly a large SUV, can mean adding more than a ton of steel, thick sheets of Kevlar and 3-inch-thick glass windows. Once you get to Level 4 and Level 5, we upgrade the suspension and in some cases the motor to compensate for the added weight.”

The report also includes reference to lives saved by bulletproof glass:

“There have been… recent incidents in which bulletproofing saved lives. In April, gunmen ambushed the state security secretary for Michoacan, Minerva Bautista Gomez. The attackers fired 2,700 rounds into her convoy and ripped apart her Jeep Grand Cherokee, according to investigators. But the car had been bulletproofed and Bautista Gomez survived, though two of her bodyguards and two passing motorists were killed in the ambush.”

A transcript of the original report can be found here.

If it can stop a bullet

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

A great video from ABC13 in Houston proves that if it can stop a bullet, someone who tries to smash through a window that’s made of bulletproof glass has zero chance of getting through.

Click here to check out the video of a man trying to escape through a bulletproof window

Courthouses are secure! And, although Total Security Solutions can’t confirm that it’s our bullet resistant glass that stopped this would-be escapee, we have installed our product in a few courthouses in the U.S.

How does bulletproof glass work?

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Our website is full of great information on bulletproof glass, but we still get asked (often) how our glass works. We don’t want to bore you with all of the details, but did find this nifty explanation of the process on HowStuffWorks.

Image courtesy of HowStuffWorks

Keep your eyes peeled for the “Keep Out” episode of Modern Marvels, too. We were featured on this History Channel program’s look at the manufacturing of bulletproof glass and the episode is replayed periodically.

Bullet Proof Glass Testing Has (Thankfully) Evolved

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Luckily, technology has evolved since the 30’s. We no longer test bullet proof glass as is demonstrated in this video. It’s an oldie, but goodie… and a great reminder of far we’ve come at developing not only products that keep people safe, but ways to test them for effectiveness.

If you’re interested, click over here to find more info on the process that we use to tackle every unique glass project.

Bullet Proof Sound?

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Harman Kardon, renowned experts in the audiophile world, recently unveiled desktop speakers that are made from bulletproof glass.  The speakers, available through the Apple Store, can be connected to any device that has a 3.5mm (1/8 in.) output.

Bulletproof glass ensures max rocking out

Not only are these speakers a really artistic addition to your sound system, you can rest assured that the glass won’t shatter, no matter how loudly you rock out.

Secret Service Museum Protected by Bullet Proof Glass

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS USHER / MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

We weren’t surprised at all to read a recent article about the Secret Service museum’s bullet proof glass protection.  Unwanted visitors to this invite-only facility are kept out by numerous security measures, including a bullet proof reception area.

Leave it to those who know a thing or two about security to trust bullet proof glass to keep their valuables safe!

Bullet Resistant Vehicles Available at World Cup

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Safety is always a concern at marquee events – from concerts to sports to rallies and speeches.  One of the world’s largest sporting attractions, the World Cup(TM), kicks off tomorrow in South Africa, and it’s no surprise that safety is taking some of the event’s spotlight.  World Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow!

Private bodyguards and GPS tracking systems are available for rental, as are special vehicles to accommodate travel needs.  Bullet resistant vehicles are being rented out to World Cup spectators at a reported rate of $2000 a day.

South Africa’s crime rate is among the highest in the world, but some argue that safety concerns regarding the South African venue are media hype.  Regardless of what’s truth and what’s hype, some attendees aren’t taking chances while away from the stadium by choosing bullet proof glass to keep them safe.

The Linda Hall Library in KC Protects Rare Books wiith Bulletproof Glass

Friday, May 28th, 2010

We don’t often think of libraries as a place to find bulletproof glass, but for those that house historic, rare titles, keeping the priceless tomes safe is a priority.

The Linda Hall Library in Kansas City uses bulletproof glass to protect its collection of 10,000 rare books, including some as old as the 1470s.

Photo by Jennifer Wetzel, Kansas City Free Press

Bulletproof glass keeps rare books safe at the Linda Hall Library

In a recent article from the Kansas City Free Press, Emily Ghertner reported: “The biggest “wow” factor at the Linda Hall Library is probably its History of Science Collection, which includes the Rare Book Room, home to first-edition works by the likes of Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton, as well as some of Einstein’s first publications. Inside the temperature-controlled, bulletproof glass encased vault, are printed books dating from the 15th century-19th century on a variety of topics from zoology and botany to physics and mathematics. There are landmark works by Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Copernicus, and a copy of Galileo’s The Starry Messenger (Sidereus Nuncius), first printed in 1610 with the first published images of the moon as an imperfect body. The spines of old books bare such exotic titles as A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Natural Magick, and Harmonica Macrocosmica.”

Pretty amazing collection, kept safe by bulletproof glass!

Bulletproof Mafia!

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

The insanely popular Mafia Wars game on Facebook may have caused you to ignore many a status update. Here at Total Security Solutions, we took note of the recently added bulletproof glass award the game offers.  Seems like real or virtual, bulletproof is the undisputed king of safety and protection in dangerous situations.


Bulletproof glass is awarded for certain jobs in Mafia Wars. You can check out this link to the Mafia Wars Wiki for more info.

Glassphemy: Installation Art Meets Bulletproof Glass

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

“Glassphemy!,” a psychological recycling experiment in New York City, proves that bulletproof glass can not only protect art – it can be art!

Photo by Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times

A 20-foot-by-30-foot clear box, Glassphemy! is made of steel and bulletproof glass.  At the art installation, people stand on a high platform and throw recyclable bottles into the glass box.  Observers, who view from platforms circling Glassphemy!, are protected from the flying debris by the box’s bulletproof glass walls.

Glassphemy! is an all-around satisfying experience, according to the New York Times.

“The bottles smash fantastically, artfully designed lights flash, and no one is harmed.”