LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Alternative Ballistics Corporation (“ABC” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its recent round of ballistics tests and human effects studies conducted by National Technical Systems (“NTS”), a global provider of testing services for the world’s most performance-critical industries, such as Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Energy, High Tech, Telecom, Consumer and Medical. Its ballistics testing division has multiple ranges through the country used for the assessment materials, components, and systems impact testing using pistol, rifle ammunition, and Fragment Simulating Projectiles (FSP).
These tests were conducted in June of 2021 at NTS’s Chesapeake Testing facility in Belcamp, MD, and the testing report summary, prepared by NTS in Dana Point, CA, is available for download here: NTS Final Report Summary, and the full technical Report is available upon request to the Company.
This release is to provide the Company’s investors and interested parties with an overview of the tests conducted, the metrics evaluated, and the results of each, as qualified by the NTS Summary and full Report.
-
Test #1: ASTM E3276 / 3276M-1 – Standard Test Method for Assessing Impact Energy and Precision of Direct-fire, Single-projectile Less Lethal Impact Rounds Used by Public Safety Officers; these test data sets were also used to determine blunt trauma and risk of injury metrics using the predictive models, blunt criterion (BC) and abbreviated injury scale (AIS).
-
Test #2: Penetration Assessment of Less Lethal Munitions (PALLM) this standard test method was conducted to assess laceration and penetration and collect impact velocity data to determine 50% risk of penetration from impact energy
-
Test #3: NIJ0101.06 (law enforcement body armor standard) this test standard for body armor was modified to assess the impact of intervening clothing materials on the effectiveness of the projectile
For Test #1, two firing distances (21ft. and 32ft.) were used in this series with 25 shots each to measure precision, velocity, and impact energy, to assess blunt trauma and risk of injury metrics.
-
Precision: all test shots resulted in 90% CEP of 3.35 inches at 21ft. and 4.58 inches at 32ft., which means that The Alternative® performed with significant accuracy at these distances.
-
Velocity: the projectile was measured at 1 meter from the target using a calibrated doppler radar system traveling at an average speed of approximately 280 feet per second.
-
Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS): the impact energy was measured to determine AIS levels, which range from AIS 0 (no injury) to AIS 3 (serious injury) to AIS 6 (maximum, untreatable injury). AIS for The Alternative® was assessed for 50th percentile males and females at each of the distances and was determined to be for Males – AIS 2.22 at 21 ft. and AIS 2.16 at 32 ft.; and Females – AIS 2.64 at 21 ft. and AIS 2.58 at 32 ft. These AIS levels are expected to incapacitate an individual but pose little risk of death.
For Test #2, one firing distance (15 ft.) was used in this series with 10 shots fired at a target combined of gelatin, foam, and natural chamois, to assess laceration and penetration and determine the 50% risk of penetration. The 20% gelatin block represents human internal organs, and the 0.60-cm foam and chamois layers represent human skin and subcutaneous fat.
The 50% risk of penetration standard in this test is based on the amount of energy per area of presentation ratio (E/A), and the E/A for 50% probability of penetration (J/cm2) for various body parts range from lowest to highest starting with the anterior rib at 23.99 J/cm2 and the liver at 39.88 J/cm2.
-
Penetration Assessment: per the PALLM standard, “A kinetic energy munition is considered to have acceptable penetration resistance if zero penetrations occur in the ten rounds tested.” For all ten shots in this test series, the impacting projectile resulted in laceration ONLY and none of the shots resulted in penetration. Furthermore, the average E/A for all ten shots was 19.19 J/cm2 with the highest single shot registering 20.17 J/cm2 and these values are well below the lowest value for 50% risk of penetration risk at the anterior rib with a value of 23.99 J/cm2.
For Test #3, two firing distances (21 ft. and 32 ft.) were used in this series with three shots fired from each distance toward a clay block with different types of intervening materials for each shot, which consisted of 1) T-Shirt, 2) Synthetic Leather Jacket with inner T-Shirt Layer, and 3) Heavy Winter Coat with inner T-Shirt Layer. The NIJ0101.06 standard for testing body armor was used for this test series where a deformation cavity greater than 44-mm in the clay block is determined to incapacitate an individual, therefore, body armor that is considered to be effective has a maximum back face signature (BFS) deformation of 44-mm to prevent incapacitation.
-
Intervening Materials Assessment: at 21 ft. the following BFS deformations were recorded for each intervening material, 1) T-Shirt: 92.99-mm with penetration through the shirt, 2) Synthetic Leather Jacket & T-Shirt: 52.2-mm with no penetration through the jacket, and 3) Winter Coat & T-Shirt: 41.4-mm with no penetration through the coat; at 32 ft. they were 1) T-Shirt: 70.0-mm with penetration through the shirt, 2) Synthetic Leather Jacket & T-Shirt: 36.9-mm with no penetration through the jacket, and 3) Winter Coat & T-Shirt: 37.3-mm with no penetration through the coat; therefore, depending on the distance to the target and the type of intervening material, the impact of the projectile may or may not exceed the criterion for incapacitation.
Conclusion
In summary, as determined in the Report, this series of tests used to characterize the ballistic performance of The Alternative® demonstrated accurate shots and consistent impact velocities as recorded by the NTS team.
Regarding precision, all test shots resulted in 90% CEP of about 3.4in. at 21ft. and 4.6in. at 32ft, which means that The Alternative® is extremely accurate at these distances. The impact energy recorded in this first test series resulted in AIS levels between AIS 2 and AIS 3 for both 50th Percentile Male and Female. This level is expected to incapacitate an individual but pose little risk of death.
All shots on the penetration assessment resulted in laceration without penetration and an average E/A value of 19.19 J/cm2 that is well below the lowest 50% risk of penetration value at the anterior rib, which is 23.99 J/cm2, and thicker layers of intervening materials have an effect on the impact energy of The Alternative®. Depending on distance to the target and the type of intervening material, the impact of the projectile may or may not exceed the criterion for incapacitation.
Please contact our team at info@alternativeballistics.com if you have any issues accessing the report summary or wish to receive a copy of the full technical Report.
About Alternative Ballistics Corporation:
Alternative Ballistics Corp. provides a less-lethal force product to the law enforcement industry known as The Alternative® which serves as a de-escalation tool for certain types of lethal situations encountered by public safety officers in the line of duty. The device is a single-fire, less-lethal impact munition that is comprised of two parts, a docking unit and a special alloy projectile. The Alternative® attaches to an officer’s service weapon and upon firing, the bullet welds securely inside the projectile and is propelled by kinetic energy downrange as one single system traveling at 20% the velocity of a standard round with less penetrating energy. The Alternative® was developed by a group of diverse individuals from law enforcement, military, medical, academia, and business backgrounds, and it is backed by four patents with its current iteration representing the safest, most accurate, and most effective model for deployment in the product’s history to address use-of-force challenges, save countless lives, and protect officers in the line of duty.