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Just a rant......Glaser Safety Slugs

6017 Views 24 Replies 16 Participants Last post by  45 Forever
I've been using Glaser Safety Slugs for many years now in my home and have seen first hand the devastation these rounds cause to organic soft targets. They are not penetrators (not meant to be), but if you're mano e mano with a perp or bad guy this is what I want in my magazine or cylinder, no doubts in my mind. I detest detractors of this ammunition since all most of them believe is you need a JHP for self-defense and that's it. There's no middle ground with those types. Believe me when I tell you, these rounds do MAJOR damage to a human being. I've done my research and homework for many years now and feel comfortable and secure in the performance of this load. Keep in mind, most people who downplay the effectiveness of this round claim that it does not fragment upon impact with a soft target. True---BUT only if velocity is under 900 fps. Do you know how many Glaser rounds travel under 900 fps regardless of barrel length? Answer= ZERO.


Excerpt taken from GunBlast.com by Jeff Quinn:


I was very impressed by one type of specialty high performance ammo in particular: that being the Glaser Safety Slug. The Glaser has been around since the mid-1970s, and has benefited from several improvements since that time. The Glaser has a pre-fragmented core of compressed number twelve shot (a core of number six shot is also available), capped by a soft plastic ball, inside a bullet jacket. The Glaser Safety Slug tested uses an eighty grain bullet rated at +P velocity and pressure, and chronographed at an average of 1268 feet-per-second from the short one and seven-eighths inch barrel of the Smith. The idea behind the Glaser is a slug that will dump all of its energy quickly into the target, without excessive penetration of the target. As can be seen in the photos, the terminal results on a large ripe watermelon were very impressive. While a watermelon bears little resemblance to flesh and bone, it does demonstrate the relative effects of a high velocity projectile which dumps all of its energy into the target. The interior of the watermelon was pulverized as if hit by a high velocity rifle bullet, with pieces and pulp scattered over an area of about eighteen feet. The performance of the Glaser has been proven in ballistic gelatin and on human flesh, and I think that it is the cartridge of choice in a small .38 revolver. In the +P rated 342PD, the Glaser shot to point-of-aim, with very good accuracy. The round offers high velocity, good accuracy, and a low chance of penetrating the target and hurting someone else, along with exceptional terminal performance. While the Glaser Safety Slug is not cheap, how much is your life worth?
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Very true. If they were useless the company would have gone under years ago. The only performance related drawback is that they are unreliable in some autos as the recoil energy is different than what the gun was designed for. Of course a revolver doesn't have this issue.

And I think that the only way you'd get one of these to a low velocity is to be a long ways away....

Steelheart
i've never tried them but i dont like the idea of sending a very light and fast bullet..

i like the other end.. heavy and slow (well actually i just like heavy but the slow comes with it no extra charge)..

i also would not be willing to pay the price of those bullets even if they was shown to be the very best you could get.
Well, I jump in with both feet!

I have been a supporter of this type of cartridge, since I first read about them. Not verbal, or written supporter, but felt they were a good idea in certain circumstances.

For my home defense, I tend toward THE JUDGE with shot shells, as my first line of defense. It they do not get you stopped, I stop worrying about it and go with either a solid slug, or JHP for the next three in the cylinder.

If I was depending strictly on my 357, revolver I would definitely have them here at home. I may still get them, for my son and I both, as we both have revolvers in 357.

The pistols will still have JHP, but when it comes to home defense they are actually the 2nd or 3rd choice.
They are quite popular here in the city, where most people live in apartments and row homes. The only drawbacks, as mentioned, is that they don't always cycle well in semi autos, they are expensive, and they are hard to get. You either have to wait for a gun show, or buy them online.
If I lived in an apartment or a crowded neighborhood, it's all I'd load. I don't dislike it for its terminal performance, but I just can't afford enough of it to verify reliability in an auto. I've heard it ain't the most accurate in small caliber (.38) revolvers, but you're talkin' indoor ranges, not a real big deal as I see it. It's supposed to hit rather low, but still, at indoor ranges, no biggy. It's safety is the BIG selling point to me, lack of excessive penetration, for as we all know, you are responsible for what that bullet does once it leaves the barrel.
I agree they are great rounds, just amazingly expensive to use, I suppose they could keep you out of trouble. Just knowing you're gonna blow 5-6 bucks a pop when you fire might just make you shoot only when it's your life or his. :)
My thoughts on the Glaser is this. Summertime,light clothing wonderful. Winter time with a perp in heavy clothing or a leather jacket? I'll stick my 124 +p Golden Sabre.
Oh yes and I do use the Glasers in my Model 85 during the summer.
An interesting read on Glaser effectiveness -- complete with real life shooting summaries:

http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/glaser_ss.html

An interesting option for sure -- but I'll stick with the Black Talon design (Winchester Ranger T SXT) in my firearms used for self defense.
NYPD in AZ said:
I've been using Glaser Safety Slugs for many years now in my home
Keep in my mind, I said I use them in my home---one place I definitely do not want casualties besides the perp.

On the streets I use strictly PD loads such as Ranger T-series, Gold Dots, or Federal Tactical HST's.
I have shot the Glaser slugs in a .32acp and .380, neither having any cycling issues. They were Kel-Tecs, BTW.
I still have them as #1 round in my bedside and home office revolvers, backed up with ..38 JHP's. These are in-house guns only.
My .02 cents.
Thanks, Robert
Glasers and Magsafes will penetrate clothing (includes heavy clothing) before dumping it's load.
Couple of caveats though. Being very light bullets these will hit very low on a target. Not written in stone, but many have been known to hit from about 6 inches to lower on a target. Have to shoot a few to see where actual POI is and make adjustments to raise the sights so POI hits dead center. These loads did hit low in .38 Special for me.Taurus model 66 and the 2.5 inch barreled guns were what is used.

Very heavy winter clothing will reduce the penetration available. Will use the Glasers in the revolvers (.357 magnum/.38 Special) in during the warm months of the year.

Auto pistol rounds for any frangible defense load may or may not cycle the slide properly or consistently. So like any defense round a decent number of rounds has to be tried for to check for proper function. Not just a few rounds either. Expensive in some ways, but one's betting one's life or or other's that the round will function everytime otherwise.
This is a case by case basis for each pistol, pistol brand,make, and model.

This has been documented by the police trainers and gun gurus who do the actual teaching and have real world experience with this.

I have several the 9mm. Glasers first up the spout on my Ruger 95s and JHPs after that. All work together.

I do not use +P normally in the 9mm. PT111 Mil/pro. This due to battering the gun,little velocity gain, and there are 9mm. +P loads that the velocity, bullt weight, or pressures that may be to great for the small framed pistol.

Glasers, Magsafes, and other frangible defense rounds do have a place in the niche as others have stated above.

One last thing. This may have been noted already. Glaser Silver will penetrate deeper than the Blue nosed versions. The wounds are not as dynamic as width wise for Silver as for the Blue versions. Not written in stone though. But the wound width is still large and deeper than for Blued versions.

There are good reasons for having one or both types of Glaser.
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Putting the bullet where you aim it is the most important consideration - Glaser, Corbon, 25 cal, 45 cal, whatever - put the round in their X-ring and it's probably a moot point.
Glasers are interesting, but honestly, if it is only going to penetrate 4 inches into someone, then good luck stopping them with the first shot. I used to love the idea, but studying up on the subject, glasers just lack the depth of wounds to stop someone IMO.
flyandscuba said:
An interesting read on Glaser effectiveness -- complete with real life shooting summaries:

http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/glaser_ss.html

An interesting option for sure -- but I'll stick with the Black Talon design (Winchester Ranger T SXT) in my firearms used for self defense.
Good lord, after reading that, glasers sound just down right dangerous.

The victim collapsed after 10 seconds
from a profusely bleeding wound
Perfect shot, and the guy still was going for 10 seconds. No thank you.
standard round "The .357 bounced off of the top of the forehead having no effect."
dude must have had one hell of a thick skull or it must have been at a extreme angle only thing i can figure.
I have read allot of good stuff about ExtremeShok and seen videos of it taking out 450-500lb wild boar with 1 fatal shot of .380 or .32acp fron compacts, pocket pistols, and snubs. I think they load theres closer to like 2000fps and it has less problems with penetration or fragmenting.
adam731432 said:
I have read allot of good stuff about ExtremeShok and seen videos of it taking out 450-500lb wild boar with 1 fatal shot of .380 or .32acp fron compacts, pocket pistols, and snubs. I think they load theres closer to like 2000fps and it has less problems with penetration or fragmenting.
I haven't heard of any reputable group either testing any or if they got their own the test results were poor. Over on GunBoards there is a member by the name of North Bender. He's done quite a bit of 9x18 ammo testing. The package he got had a round separate in handling....

Plus the adds look more like video game adds than for a serious self-defense load. If they really were the next great load they'd be providing samples to gun writers/testers for evaluations, I still haven't heard of any. The advertising spin carries on to the names of the various loads.

I just took another glance at their website. They show the exit hole in ballistic clay. The interesting part about that is that the industry standard is 10% ballistic gelatin (with some groups still using 20% I think). Now why would they use the clay and not the industry standard?

Also, what LE departments or govt. organizations are actually using this stuff? If they're saying that the said group can't be named due to national securities issues they're probably full of crap. Those types of units use proven loads, not overly hyped and un-tested rounds.

Steelheart
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Like someone mentioned, 4" of penetration is not very much...............some people have this much fat in their stomach :)

My preference is Corbon and Federal Hydra Shok.............these have been proven by me first-hand and I stand behind them.
While, i have not tried Glaser first hand then I think the price and avaliability are enought for me not to go out of my way to get it.
I like to shoot hundreds of carry rounds thru my weapond to make sure they cycle properly and the cost of Glaser would not be wise to do so.
All in all, its a matter of preference and what we have faith in...........I guess like a religion :)
Glasers and other defence loads of similar ilk all have a place in the great scheme of things.

These were developed mostly for the Sky Marshalls on commercial aircraft. Overpenetrative regular JHPs roundnose, or hardball just won't get the job done safely in the confined spaces of a airliner as will Glasers and their kin.
This for safety of others at all levels for a whole lot of good reasons.

Pentration regardless of the test media used, does not begin to simulate flesh and bone. Granted some testing is needed for obvious reasons.

Will get back to that in a minute.

Safety covers many different aspects. Most of all it covers "collatoral damage".

The fragmented rounds will not put at risk life and limb of unintended targets through ricochet of the round or overpenetration of an assailant.
One other factor. These loads dump their entire payload into the assailant. This being kinetic energy and the payload of shot. These were designed to cause major trauma to organs and flesh. They do that as designed. Most of the time that is.

Very soft tissue or the neck hits have not at times dumped the payload as advertised. Granted.
Safety also alludes to the fact that if the trauma is suffered then the assailant need not be shot excessively. Thus multiple wounds( trauma surgeons claim that gunshot wounds,even round nosed ones are most hard to repair) do not need be repaired sparing the person shot and making recovery more likely.
Penetration on most subjects shot has been over 4 inches. Been documented folks. Police and tactical journals.
Oh yes, Glasers and their kin were designed for full frontal torso shots. Happens for civilains close up more so than for LEOs. Granted this situation does not always present itself.

The average male torso (larger than 5'9'tall) is a little over 9 inches through and through.Granted there are exceptions.
In several well documented cases (read that as Mas Ayoob,Marshall& Sanow, Dr.Topper, Chuck Karwan) overly obese assailant hits took place. One shot mind you. Attackers took one look at the fact they were bleeding very heavily, sat down due to shock and the fact they had been shot, and desisted from more mayhem. Some of the shot asked not to be shot again. Granted this might not happen in every case. But can you say that is also true for any handgun bullet. Magic bullet, please? There are none. Placement is the major key.

If one has a residence that is of mostly sheetrock walls or has others inside the residence, then having something that does not overpenetrate(JHPs and hardball can and will) the assailant or assailants is an excellent idea. Glasers and their kin disintegrate on hitting thin walls or major obstacles. Less chance of major trauma over that caused by an intact bullet.

Since these close encounters are more the norm for inside buildings this just makes some sense.

Glasers are not magic bullets. There are none. If used for within the parameters that they were designed for Glasers and their kin will do the job.

Will use Glaser inside dwellings and do. Won't use them much outside of that where long shots may take place.
So they have a niche. Narrow, but it is there and has to be considered.
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