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AP100-BR-LV2

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 2

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AP125BR-LV6

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 6

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AP25

AR Polycarbonate Sheets

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AP375

Containment and Safety Glazing

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AP50BR

Ballistic Glazing - HPW Level A

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AP75BR-LV1

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 1

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ArmorPlast® Gen I Series


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ArmorPlast® Gen II Series


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ArmorPlast® IGU Series


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J Series

Ballistic & Forced Entry Grade Sub-framing

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RG2-LS

Ballistic Glazing UL 752 Level 2

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RG3-LS

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 3

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RG4-LS

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 4

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RG5-LS

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 5

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RG7-LS

Ballistic Glazing - UL 752 Level 7

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Our Solutions

Riot Glass® retrofit systems consist of custom-made security glass and framing designs that provide maximum protection against forced entry and ballistic threats.

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Forced Entry

Virtually unbreakable retrofit solutions

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Bulletproof Protection

Ideal protection against active threats

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Hurricane & Windstorm

Great protection against storm damage

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Energy Efficiency

Sustainable, reliable and affordable Low-E solutions

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Blast Mitigation

Security window film to a complete retrofit

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Sound Attenuation

Window glazing ideal for blocking external noise

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Our Clientele

Riot Glass® can be used to secure any building. Virtually invisible yet nearly indestructible, it blends seamlessly in almost any existing window, door, or
storefront.

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Bulletproof Doors vs. Ballistic Doors: What’s the Difference?

Written By: Brad CampbellOctober 2, 2021

If you’re looking for ways to beef up security in your commercial building, you might come across different types of bulletproof doors being advertised online. 

This can sound very enticing, but it’s important to understand what levels of ballistic protection are really available to you before you make any decisions. As always, we’re here to give you all the facts.

ballistic glazing retrofit

Clearing Up Misconceptions About Bulletproof Doors

There is no such thing as a 100% bulletproof door

When companies advertise bulletproof doors, what they actually should be saying is bullet-resistant doors. This is because, no matter how strong a door is, it can eventually be penetrated by some type or quantity of ballistic rounds.

That’s why the term we prefer to use is ballistic doors, which means all the materials used to make the doors have some sort of ballistic resistance rating.

In our industry, the benchmark for bullet resistance is a UL 752 rating. These ratings range from level 1 to level 10, with the higher numbers indicating higher levels of ballistic resistance.

Each level of UL 752 rating indicates several key pieces of information, including what type of weapon the materials can resist shots from, what caliber/weight (grains) of rounds the material can withstand, and how many shots it would take for the material to be compromised. 

See the chart below to get a better idea of what we are talking about:

UL 752 bullet resistant materials standards table graphic

It’s also important to note that different parts of a door can achieve different ballistic resistance ratings. 

For example, on a majority-glass door with aluminum framing, the glass can have a higher UL 752 rating than the surrounding framing, or vice versa (depending on the type of glass used).

So, although it’s possible for certain types of ballistic doors to achieve very high levels of bullet resistance, it’s incorrect to refer to them as bulletproof doors.

Commercial Applications of Bullet-Resistant Doors Explained

With everything from forced entry and burglary to active shootings to worry about, many commercial building owners are starting to look more closely at installing different types of ballistic-grade doors and windows in their facilities.

view of window building outside

Types of commercial properties that can benefit from ballistic doors:

  • Banks and other financial institutions
  • Government, military, and law enforcement buildings
  • Schools, colleges, and universities
  • Religious and spiritual buildings
  • Hospitals and psychiatric facilities
  • Office buildings
  • High-end retailers

Essentially, anywhere where security is a concern, especially places where large numbers of people gather, is a good candidate property for bullet-resistant doors.

Using ballistic doors for active threat access denial

From schools and offices to places of worship and department stores, anywhere that groups of people gather is a potential target for an active threat.

The best way to prevent loss of life and make it easier for the police to neutralize an active threat threat is to stop the bad guys from getting inside a building in the first place. We call this access denial.

Alarms, door locks, and video surveillance are all great crime deterrents, but someone who just wants to get into a building and hurt people doesn’t really care about these things.

That’s why you need to create a physical barrier to forced entry to keep an active threat outside and keep people inside safe until the authorities arrive.

One efficient way to do this is by retrofitting commercial doors with ballistic-grade security glass and security framing. That way, an active threat can just shoot out a pane of glass and open a door from the inside.

bullet proof glass doors in building

Installing bullet-resistant doors for forced entry prevention

Even if the chances of an active threat targeting your property are low, bullet-resistant doors still provide the highest level of protection against other types of forced entry, including:

  • Burglary
  • Smash-and-grab theft
  • Riot-induced looting

If ballistic doors can stop bullets, just imagine how hard it would be for someone to smash or pry their way through one with a hammer, a sledgehammer, a crowbar, or any other burglary tool.

That’s why we even recommend considering bullet-resistant doors for luxury retailers that specifically want to prevent these types of crimes from hitting their business hard, as we’ve seen happening a lot more on the news recently.

ArmorPlast®: Your Best Bet for the Closest Thing To Bulletproof Doors

Considering the fact that most commercial doors have a glass component to them, installing thick enough security glass to make them bullet resistant is often not a practical option.

security glazing

However, there is an alternative: our ArmorPlast AP line of polycarbonate security glazing can provide ballistic resistance up to a UL 752 Level 7 rating — in glazing panels a fraction of the size of laminated security glass with comparable bullet resistance ratings.

This means that you can use ArmorPlast® for almost any commercial application without the need to replace the existing glass and framing. 

ArmorPlast ballistic-grade security glazing can be retrofitted (over glazed) onto your existing doors and windows, protecting them from ballistic impacts and forced entry.

ArmorPlast ballistic-grade polycarbonate glazing shields come in the following models:

  • AP125MS (UL 752 level 6, multi shot protection)
  • AP125  (UL 752 level 3)
  • AP100 (UL 752 level 2)
  • AP75 (UL 752 level 2)

Additionally, there are the following two non-ballistic options available:

  • AP50 (1/2” containment-grade glazing)
  • AP25 (1/4” containment-grade glazing)

The Bottom Line

Truly bulletproof doors for commercial applications may not exist, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use ballistic-grade security glazing to reinforce your property’s doors and windows and provide some level of bullet resistance.

Retrofitting a building’s doors and windows with bullet-resistant glazing and security framing can make all the difference during an active threat scenario or a forced entry attempt — denying entry, protecting people, and giving the police time to arrive and deal with the threat.

looting

For more information about Riot Glass LLC’s ballistic doors and windows, contact us now. We are a full-service security glass consultation and manufacturing company, with years of experience protecting people and property from the bad guys. So, give us a call today!

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Upgrade your commercial property's security with Riot Glass today! As a leading manufacturer of retrofit security glass and door systems, we specialize in safeguarding storefronts and commercial spaces.

For residential installations, we're excited to help you secure your property with Riot Glass! Just a friendly note: to qualify, please ensure your property has aluminum framing. Reach out to us today to get started!
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