Let me be perfectly clear about something: as a firearms instructor and someone who’s fairly well versed on rifle and handgun ballistics, there is no way in hell I’d stand behind a bullet-resistant windshield, while someone fires rounds from an AK-47 at me, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the products. That’s where Trent Kimball and I differ: Trent is the president of Texas Armoring Corporation, and he does just that in the video below.
Yes, the windshield does indeed stop three rounds from an AK-47, fired at close range, but I can think of a dozen or so things that could have gone wrong. Ricochets are a real danger, and could have caused serious injury to the shooter (or even Mr. Kimball, behind the glass). Two rounds in the same spot, or even two rounds close together, may have been enough to penetrate the glass and put Lawrence-the AK-47-guy in prison for negligent homicide. Should I even point out that the shooter wasn’t wearing eye protection, or using hearing protection?
Sure the video is dramatic and it proves a point (that Texas Armoring Corporation builds strong windshields, and probably equally impressive armored vehicles), but it’s the equivalent of a auto-company CEO driving at full speed into a brick wall to prove his products are safe. The stunt can go right 100 times, but you only need it to go wrong once before it’s game over.
Source: Autoblog
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
