The FBI AMMO Testing
I have taken some heat about this page, with inquiries about WHY this testing is
relevant, well... it's NOT. Unless you see the need to take a handgun into the offensive
arena, or simply want to make a better informed choice for private CCW, or LEO use.
I don't believe this or ANY other data is the final word in statistics, but this type
of testing IS valuable. Since opinions are like... well you know, everyone has them, I'd really HATE to be
in a firefight KNOWING my bullet performance will be hampered by obstacles, OR KNOW that my bullet may
not expand, and "overpenetrate" my target. Quite a decision to make, and not one
you can feel comfortable with no matter HOW you view it, or which path you take.
Any of the objects below are a reasonable item one would use for cover from not only
a CCW holder, but any LEO. If I learned ANYTHING in life, is that trends DO
matter. Some of the ammo below DOES NOT perform well on obstacles, I consider this important (remember road rage)
and an apartment or trailer dweller probably will not.
At any rate, this entire test regimen was undertaken due to the FBI's perceived failure of the
9mm to sufficiently penetrate into human tissue. This due mainly to the firefight in Miami between
eight FBI agents, and two armed men. The bulk of damage was done by Michael Platt with a Mini-14 in .223.
Early on in the firefight, one of the agents hit Platt the first time in the right arm, and it passed
through the arm, between 2 ribs, through the right lung, and stopped about one inch from the heart.
(See the EXCELLENT link to the shootout details on my links page)
This FIRST wound was thought to have LIKELY been a lethal wound to Platt before he could have continued,
(If the first bullet had performed better) but as it was he got
shot ELEVEN additional times during his deadly attack before being overcome.
The FBI perceived the 9mm a failure, and set out to find a caliber for their agents
that would guarantee better penetration through common objects that felons would likely use for cover
in a firefight.
The data below (Generally called the FBI Ammunition Test Protocol) was taken in 1989 by the FBI.
The firearms used were S&W's 645, 4506, M13, Colts, Delta Elite and 1911, Walther PPK,
and the SIG 226.
Since this test methodology has been used by the FBI, many bullet manufacturers now use IWBA (International Wound
Ballistics Association ) TERMINAL ballistics approach to bullet performance, stressing less importance
of "hard"cover. This test methodology is meant to elevate TERMINAL performance
of bullets, while minimizing the liklihood of actually HAVING to penetrate hard cover.
At any rate, the FBI test events were:
- Bare Gelatin at 10 feet
- Heavy Clothing at 10 ft.
- Automotive sheet metal at 10 ft. (2 pieces of 20ga. hot rolled steel spaced
3" apart)
Wall board at 10' (2 pieces of standard 1/2" wall board 3 1/2" apart)
Plywood at 10 feet. One piece 3/4" AA fir plywood
Automotive glass at 10 ft. (Standard windshield glass mounted at 45 deg angle)
Light clothing at 20 yds.
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. What is
posted here, has been printed in nationally and internationally distributed publications.
Some likely areas to question would be which calibers scored LOW in a particular test event
but may have scored well overall. Another might be a question on the EXACT amount of penetration
in the event your concerns involve excessive penetration if the bullet DID NOT encounter obstacles.
A favorite discussion during testing was "overpenetration" It was deemed moot,
since 80% of all shots fired by LEO's are misses, and it seemed unrealistic to
assign too much significance to the risks of overpenetration.
One participant in the discussions said, "No Law Enforcement officer has been
killed because of a bullet that overpenetrated, but underpenetration gets cops
killed".
(Ed note:) As a sidebar, complete misses, and overpenetration are a VERY real danger to nearby
citizens, and property, and should NOT be discounted. Extensive training under practical conditions
for higher hit percentages is a good method of minimizing consequences of misses/overpenetration.
The public has far more to fear of a long gun battle where citizens are at risk,
than Law Enforcement using a caliber sufficient to the task of stopping gunfights.
Page design, & concept © Gary Napolitano 2000
Back to top
To 10mm page