The Only Ones And Their Secrets...

"...The FBI test events were:

1. Bare Gelatin at 10 feet
2. Heavy Clothing at 10 ft.
3. Automotive sheet metal at 10 ft. (2 pieces of 20ga. hot rolled steel spaced 3" apart)
4. Wall board at 10' (2 pieces of standard 1/2" wall board 3 1/2" apart)
5. Plywood at 10 feet. One piece 3/4" AA fir plywood
6. Automotive glass at 10 ft. (Standard windshield glass mounted at 45 deg angle)
7. Light clothing at 20 yds.
8. Automotive glass at 20 yards (shots fired from front otherwise same as #6 above)

All shots fired had to defeat the above obstacles AND penetrate 12" into a block of ballistic gelatin (except # 1 of course). The 12" was developed on anatomical averages, and failing to penetrate to that depth was considered a failure.

The FBI WAS NOT testing ammo for Law Enforcement use per se, as they considered their needs rather unique. However, it seems (IMO) that their obstacle penetration criteria are not only valid for LEO use, but any situation where a defensive use of a sidearm MAY be used in a reactive offensive manner. By this I mean that after a firefight has begun, a LEO could reasonably expect his/her bullets to defeat cover a felon would be likely to take in a protracted gunfight.

NOTE: Velocity, Energy, and Success rate were rounded DOWN from fractional results to a whole number in THIS data. All portions were tested using 40 rounds of each ammo sample and gun combination."

              FBI AMMUNITION TEST PERFORMANCE DATA

CAL  MAKER   BULLET  Wt.  GUN   BBL   VEL.  FPE   SUCCESS
                                                 
.45   Fed     HS     230  4506   5"   802   328fp   95%
.45   Rem     JHP    185  645    5"   903   334fp   95%
.45   Fed     HS     230  1911   5"   828   358fp   82%
.45   Fed     JHP    185  4506   5"   874   313fp   90%
.45   Fed     JHP    185  645    5"   953   373fp   57%
.45   Win     S-Tip  185  4506   5"   951   371fp   50%

10mm  Norma   JHP    170  Delta  5"  1358   696fp  100%
10mm  Fed     JHP    180  Delta  5"   931   346fp   95%
10mm  Win     JHP    180  Delta  5"   955   364fp   92%
10mm  IMP-3D  JHP    180  Delta  5"   991   392fp   92%
10mm  Buffalo Prfrg  191  Delta  5"   916   355fp   30%

.357  Fed     HS     158  M13    3"  1183   490fp  100%
.357  Win     JSP    158  M13    3"  1096   421fp   97%
.357  Win     S-Tip  145  M13    3"  1166   437fp   82%

38sp  Fed     HS     147  M13    3"   874   249fp   92%
38sp  Rem     LHP    158  M13    3"   871   266fp   67%
38sp  Fed     LHP    158  M13    3"   834   244fp   70%
38sp  Fed     HS     129  M13    3"   841   202fp   60%
38sp  Win     LHP    158  M13    3"   808   229fp   65%
38sp  Win     S-Tip  125  M13    3"   843   197fp   17%

380   Win     S-Tip   85  PPK    3"   954   171fp   20%

9mm   Fed     HS     147  226   4.25" 914   272fp   82%
9mm   Fed     HS     124  226   4.25" 1062  310fp   82%
9mm   Win     JHP    147  226   4.25" 902   265fp   62%
9mm   Win     S-Tip  115  226   4.25" 1091  303fp   35%

"Full details of this testing can be obtained by any qualified agency by making a request in writing, on their letterhead to:
Firearms Training Unit, FBI Academy
Quantico Va. 22135

This information in its entirety is NOT available to the general public."
_________________________________________________

And therein lies our rub. But of course we mere mortals should not be given access to the Royal Test Results, and it's no joke, kids, they won't spill the beans. A while back I spoke with a 2nd Amendment friendly attorney about a Freedom of Information Act request to dislodge this data, and after he stopped laughing and wiping his eyes he said no way. We the people are not a "qualified agency". We used to be. Wonder if we'll ever be again.


As to the test themselves? Notice that except for the first 10 mm round, the remainder are in reality .40 S&W's that of course DO measure 10 mm. I'm not a big fan of barrier tests and haven't been one since I quit the job that had me shooting through cinder blocks sometimes just to get someone to duck and/or cease firing. I do not imagine that will happen very often these days, so I simply select the bullet that makes the biggest hole.

Rocket surgery it ain't.