Ballistic Testing

Ballistic Certifications
Material Testing
Live Fire Testing

WHY CHOOSE ALPINE ARMORING?

Unlike any other in the industry, Alpine Armoring conducts both third-party and in-house, live-fire testing of ballistic materials and our armored vehicles with results that often exceed the requirements set by the certifying agencies and laboratories.

Ballistic Certifications

Alpine Armoring has passed rigorous tests by internationally recognized independent ballistic entities & laboratories, validating the effectiveness of our vehicles' ability to withstand assault even in the most dangerous environments.

Beschussamt München (Germany)

Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) - US Army

Live-Fire on Materials

Alpine Armoring tests both opaque and transparent ballistic materials using various firearms including AR-15 and different high-powered weapons (7.62x39, 5.56x45, 7.62x51, 7.62x63, 7.62x54, and many other equal or more powerful weapons) to determine how many rounds, at what angles, and the grain/weight of the round it takes before penetration occurs.

Ballistic Steel

Ballistic Steel Plates that is typically an alloy comprised of iron with titanium (and aluminum, nickel and iron) is the most common choice of opaque material applied in armoring vehicles. Alpine Armoring frequently uses STANAG, CEN, UL, and NIJ rated certified lightweight ballistic steel in conjunction with selected certified composite ballistic materials to achieve the lightest and most optimum performing armored vehicles available in the industry. The majority of Alpine’s vehicles are armored at level A9 with the AR500, AR550 and AR600 ballistic steel being approximately 1/4” or 5/16” thick to protect against most high-power assault rifles.

A person lies prone on a yellow mat, aiming a long-barrel rifle with a scope at an outdoor shooting range. The ground is a mix of small rocks and patches of dry grass.

A close-up view of a steel plate being tested, with sparks flying upon impact, demonstrating the material's durability and resistance. The test is conducted in an indoor setting, with the steel plate positioned on a table.

Ballistic Glass

A critical and often most noticeable part of an armored vehicle is arguably its glass (Transparent Material). While every piece of the ballistic no spall ballistic glass of Alpine’s armored SUV, armored sedan, armored pickup, armored van, armored SWAT/APC truck is certified by major internationally approved certifying laboratories as well as approved by the US government and other governmental entities, we also conduct our own in-house and often unusual live fire testing of the glass. These unique and often creatively conducted live-fire tests are performed under different temperature (cold and dry vs. hot and humid) to determine the failure point of a ballistic glass (often beyond its manufacturer’s rated standard) while assessing how the glass actually would behave under multiple shots impacted the glass within close triangular distances. We even live-fire test some of the much older glass that may show some signs of delamination (a common occurrence over many years) to determine if the integrity of the aged glass is still intact and remains as protective as when it was new. This and many other variations of live-fire testing that Alpine Armoring regularly conducts on the ballistic windshield or other door glass pieces truly puts Alpine Armoring a head and shoulder above the rest in the industry resulting in fundamentally better and qualitatively armor-manufactured vehicles for the end users.

A man conducting a ballistic test by shooting at a piece of armored glass mounted on a stand at a firing range. The glass is shattering upon impact, demonstrating its resistance and durability.

A glass teaser image from Alpine Armoring, featuring advanced ballistic glass used in armored vehicles. The image includes a watermark and highlights the durability and protective capabilities of the glass components.

Ballistic Composites

A combination of lightweight polyethylene, aramid fiber, and ceramics are periodically retrofitted onto selected model SUVs and sedans with careful consideration given to their respective independently laboratory-tested ballistic qualities and assessing its opacity. Alpine’s continuous in-house live fire testing of the armored materials is frequently conducted to determine how each specific material will hold up under extreme lines of fire using various high-power rifles at different grain/velocity rounds.

A composite image teaser from Alpine Armoring, showcasing advanced materials and components used in the construction of armored vehicles.

A composite image from Alpine Armoring, featuring various advanced materials and components used in the construction of armored vehicles.

Live-Fire on Vehicles

Alpine Armoring regularly conducts its own/in-house ballistic testing on a variety of armored material (ballistic steel of different thickness, ballistic glass of different thickness, ceramic and many other ballistic composite materials) on the vehicle or standalone to ensure the integrity and the effectiveness of each product to ensure the final finished armored vehicle not only meets, but exceeds the industry standards and client expectations for a properly armor-manufactured vehicle.