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Forced-Entry, Ballistic and Blast Ratings for Glass: What ASTM F1233, F3561, TP-0500 and UL 752 Actually Test

Quotes for school, church and office glass often cite a standard number and a level. Here is what the main forced-entry, ballistic and blast standards actually test, in plain terms, and why a rating describes one tested assembly rather than a product sold by the roll.

Published October 24, 2026 · Armored Glass Solutions

The Short Answer

Short answer: a rating belongs to the tested assembly, not to a roll of film

A rating on a product sheet was earned by a specimen: a stated glass type and thickness, a stated film or polycarbonate shield, a stated attachment, in a stated frame or test fixture, at a stated size. Change one and the result may no longer describe your window. ASTM F3561 states that “Test results only apply to the system as tested.” An Intertek report on one overglaze product says its results “are relevant only to the sample(s) tested.”

So the useful question is not “is this film rated?” It is: rated to which standard, which edition, at what level, on what glass, with what attachment, in what frame? We install security film and overglaze polycarbonate, so we are telling you up front where our interest lies. Where we give our own reading, we say so.

Three Questions

Bullets, breach time and blast are three different questions

Glass security standards answer different questions, and a number from one says nothing about another:

Ballistic: does a bullet, or fragments behind it, get through? (UL 752, ASTM F3279)
Forced entry: how much attack, with which tools, before someone can make an opening? (ASTM F1233, H.P. White TP-0500, ASTM F3038, ASTM F3561, EN 356)
Blast: if an air blast breaks the glass, how hazardous are the fragments? (ASTM F1642, ASTM F2912, GSA-TS01)

The Defense Department’s guide specification for forced-entry components, UFGS 08 34 01, puts it plainly: “There is no single uniform standard for forced entry resistance. Each testing agency has its own parameters.” That is why we do not convert one system’s levels into another’s, and why you should be wary of a chart that does.

Listed by standard, not ranked. This is not an equivalence table: a level in one row does not translate into a level in another.
Standard	Question it asks	What gets tested	Edition we read
UL 752	Do bullets, fragments or spall get through?	Material samples, or building components such as windows	Edition 12, October 2023
ASTM F3279	Ballistic resistance only	Security glazing materials	F3279-24
ASTM F1233	Forced entry with set tools and techniques; time varies	Security glazing materials and systems	F1233-26, October 2026
H.P. White TP-0500	Forced entry or containment; may include ballistic sequences	3 x 4 ft specimen or complete assembly, per UFGS 08 34 01	TP-0500.03 (2003), as described by UFGS
ASTM F3038	Timed attack by a mob with hand tools	Complete systems	F3038-21 (shown as historical by ASTM in October 2026)
ASTM F3561	Forced entry after simulated active-shooter weakening	Complete systems; components get a capability statement	F3561-25
EN 356	Manual attack: ball drop (P1A–P5A) or hammer and axe (P6B–P8B)	Glass	As described by Tecnalia and Vetrotech
ASTM F1642 / F2912	Hazard from an air blast	Glazing, glazing systems and retrofit systems	F1642/F1642M-25, F2912-25

Ballistic

UL 752 and ASTM F3279: the ballistic standards

UL 752 covers “materials, devices, and fixtures used to form bullet-resisting barriers”. UL defines bullet-resisting in terms of complete penetration, passage of bullet fragments, or spalling of the protective material to a degree that would injure a person standing directly behind it. It is not a forced-entry test. UL Solutions, the testing arm, says manufacturers submit samples “typically 12 inches by 12 inches” and that compliance is voluntary, while the scope also allows testing of windows, and one glazing maker describes testing on complete assemblies. Our reading: ask whether the report covers a sample or an assembly.

The 12th edition (October 2023) replaced Performance Levels 1 to 10 with letter designations such as UL-HG for handguns, UL-RF for rifles and UL-SG for shotguns, and UL’s tables note: “There is no hierarchy of threat severity in this list.” UL also describes follow-up factory inspections for listed products, so a listing differs from a one-time test report.

ASTM now has a ballistic-only method, F3279-24, for security glazing materials. Its scope warns that “BRC's by themselves are not indicators of performance ranking,” meaning its ballistic resistance classes.

On film: Impact Security, an overglaze maker that also sells film, writes that “Security window film does not stop bullets.” Our own finding is narrower: none of the film maker documents we read claims a UL 752 rating for film, and we did not search UL’s listing directory. Our overglaze polycarbonate guide walks through one shield system’s reports, and the DefenseLite®/BulletShield® page covers the products we install.

Forced Entry

ASTM F1233 and H.P. White TP-0500: tools, sequences and the clock

ASTM F1233 says it “is based on field experience rather than laboratory analysis.” It fixes the tools and techniques and lets time vary to set levels, and it excludes heavier threats: “Specifically exempted from this test method are the use of power (motor or engine-driven) tools or devices, explosives”.

The current edition is F1233-26 (October 2026), and ASTM’s work item gives the reason: “Update to separate Ballistic from Forced Entry now that F3279 has been published.” The 2021 edition’s significance statement covered “ballistic/forced entry/containment resistance”; the 2026 edition’s covers “forced entry/containment resistance”. Reports run to F1233-08 and to F1233-26 used different editions, so read the edition line.

The notation is easy to misread. UFGS 08 34 01 places F1233 “Class IV” and “Class V” at the two lowest of its five forced-entry severity levels. Lab sheets often report a decimal such as “Class 1.4,” a sequence label on that lab’s sheet. Our reading: Class 1.4 is not Class IV, and the two should not be equated.

H.P. White TP-0500 is a proprietary lab protocol, not a public standard, so we rely on how UFGS 08 34 01 describes its TP-0500.03 edition (2003): it “generally is used in testing prison (forced exit resistant) components,” varies time across five levels, and uses hand tools, torches and chemical solvents, with ballistic threats “integral to the forced entry rating,” on a 3 x 4 foot specimen or a complete assembly. Yet a 2019 H.P. White report hosted by a glazing maker was run “Per Customer Instructions HPW-TP-0500.03” and shows no ballistic sequence. Our reading: TP-0500 may include gunfire; check the report.

Timed Mob Test

ASTM F3038: the timed mob test

ASTM F3038 is “designed to simulate a spontaneous mob using readily available hand tools as the primary threat for forced entry.” It times how long it takes to make an opening a test shape can pass through. Systems are tested as complete units, and “In order to receive a rating, all portions of the tested specimen must meet or exceed the test level.”

We read the scope of the 2021 edition. When we checked on October 24, 2026, ASTM’s store listed that edition as historical, so ask which edition a report used. None of the film or overglaze maker documents we read cites F3038.

Schools

ASTM F3561: the school standard shoots first, then strikes

ASTM F3561 (current edition F3561-25) is the standard you will see most on school quotes. Its scope says it is “designed to simulate an active shooter weakening the system with repetitive shots followed by mechanically driven impact to simulate forced entry.” It also says, directly: “This test method is not to be used for ballistic resistant glazing rating. Test projectiles are permitted to perforate the entire specimen.” It is a laboratory test on full systems.

The 2022 edition text, which we read, uses a 45 kg (about 99 lb) pendulum impactor at a set energy for each level, and a specimen passes a level if a 6-inch test sphere cannot be pushed through with light force. Marketing that describes F3561 levels by tools or weapons does not match the standard’s text; quote the standard, not the brochure.

The biggest distinction is system versus component. The scope says components such as glazing “may be tested in accordance with Appendix X1, receiving a capability statement for the component, but not a system rating per this standard.” In the 2022 edition, that appendix calls its glazing-only methods “pre-evaluation for glazing configurations, not pre-qualification or certification.” Our schools and districts guide covers funding tiers, Tennessee’s law and the building-code vote.

Europe

EN 356: the European ball-and-axe scale

EN 356 classifies glass against manual attack. According to the Spanish test centre Tecnalia, classes P1A to P5A come from dropping a 4.11 kg steel ball on three points of the glass, and “The requirement in all cases is that the ball does not pass through the glass.” Classes P6B to P8B break the glass, then cut it with an axe until a 400 x 400 mm opening exists; the number of impacts sets the class. Vetrotech describes P1A as the lowest level and P8B as the highest.

Tecnalia adds that “EN 356 does not associate classifications with a particular application or use.” Whole windows and doors fall under EN 1627, classes RC1 to RC6.

Read the Fine Print

What film makers actually publish, and on what glass

Listed by maker, not ranked. Each claim belongs to the maker’s own test glass and attachment.

Impact Security, RiotLite® film system. The maker says it “Achieved ASTM F3561 Level 3 performance on 1/4" single pane tempered glass with a structural caulk anchor installed on aluminum commercial glazing frames.” No lab or report number is given.
Madico, SafetyShield® G2. Madico lists ASTM F3561 “(glazing component rating)” and EN 356, with no level or class on the pages we read. Our reading: that matches the component route above, a capability statement rather than a system rating.
Eastman, LLumar®. A 2020 testing summary lists EN 356 P1A and P2A for two of its safety films, both on 3/16" (4 mm) annealed glass. Both sit at the bottom of the scale.
Saint-Gobain Solar Gard. A 2015 Intertek-ATI break-in report states the testing “was performed per the direction of” the maker’s personnel, and it names no standard. A real lab record, not a rating.

That pattern is common: three of the maker-hosted lab documents we read were run per customer instructions or at the maker’s direction. Overglaze and glass-clad products need the same reading. One glass-clad maker’s data sheet and product page for the same product name list different construction, thickness and F1233 class. Ask for the report covering the exact make-up you are buying.

Different Questions

Blast and safety glazing ratings answer something else

Blast standards ask how hazardous the fragments are, not whether someone can get in. ASTM F1642 sets a hazard rating for glazing and retrofit systems under an airblast and says the rating “does not imply that a single specimen will resist the specific airblast for which it is rated with a probability of 1.0.” ASTM F2912 includes “organic coated glass (filmed)” and leaves the acceptable hazard rating to a prior threat and risk assessment. ASTM F2248, a laminated-glass design practice, excludes security film applied to existing glazing. Our blast film specification guide covers this in depth.

Safety glazing is a separate question again. The federal standard 16 CFR 1201 is designed to reduce injuries “when glazing material is broken by human contact”; it is not a security rating. UL 972 is a ball-drop test of burglary resisting material that does not cover the mounting. See is window film safety glass?

Before You Compare Quotes

Seven questions to ask about any rating on a product sheet

Which standard, and which edition? F1233-08 and F1233-26 are different documents; so are UL 752’s 11th and 12th editions.
Which level or class, and was it a system rating or a component result?
What glass type and thickness was tested, and does it match your windows?
What attachment and what frame? Anchors, caulk and stops are part of the result.
What specimen size, and how many specimens?
Which lab, which report number, which date? Does the method line say “per customer instructions”?
Is it a listing with follow-up inspections, or a one-time report?

Delay only helps if someone notices and responds; see does security window film stop break-ins? and how to compare security window films. If a quote cites a rating, we will read it with you and tell you plainly what it covers.

Questions

Glass security ratings: FAQ.

Can window film carry a UL 752 ballistic rating?

UL 752 is the U.S. bullet-resisting standard. None of the film maker documents we read claims a UL 752 rating for film, and one glazing maker, Impact Security, says no film on its own has one. The ballistic results we read came from laminated, glass-clad or polycarbonate glazing tested as a specimen.

What is the difference between UL 752 and ASTM F3561?

UL 752 asks whether bullets, fragments or spall get through a barrier. F3561 fires shots to weaken a complete system, then uses a mechanical impactor to see whether a test shape can be pushed through. ASTM says F3561 is not to be used for ballistic resistant glazing rating.

What does F1233 Class 1.4 or Class IV mean?

F1233 fixes the tools and techniques and lets time vary. Labs report the class or sequence reached, and the notation differs by edition and lab, so Class 1.4 on a lab sheet is not Class IV. The Defense Department's guide specification places F1233 Class IV and Class V at the two lowest of its five forced entry severity levels.

If a film is rated to F3561 or EN 356, will my windows be?

Only if your glass, thickness, anchor and frame match what was tested. F3561 results apply only to the system as tested, and a glazing-only result is a capability statement, not a system rating. The published film results we read were on 1/4 inch tempered glass with a caulk anchor (RiotLite, F3561) and on 4 mm annealed glass (LLumar, EN 356).

What is H.P. White TP-0500?

A laboratory protocol, edition TP-0500.03 from 2003, with five levels of attack using hand tools, torches and chemical solvents. The Defense Department's guide specification says it is generally used for prison glazing, treats ballistic assault as part of the rating, and tests a 3 x 4 foot specimen or a complete assembly. One lab report we read ran it per customer instructions with no gunfire, so check the report.

Sources

Where these findings came from.

We read these on October 23, 2026, and re-checked the ASTM F3038 and F3561 scope pages on October 24, 2026. ASTM, UL and CEN standards are paywalled, so quotes come from their public scope pages unless we say otherwise. Older documents are labelled by date. Makers’ and labs’ statements are about their own products and specimens. Where we give our own reading or inference, we say so. This post is general information, not engineering or legal advice; a security or glazing professional should assess a specific opening.

UL Standards & Engagement, UL 752 Bullet-Resisting Equipment, Edition 12, published October 17, 2023. Standards body; scope page. Link.
UL Solutions, Testing and Certification for Bullet-Resistant Materials (UL 752). Test lab. Link.
UL Solutions, What Does It Take to Stop a Speeding Bullet? Test lab. Link.
ASTM F3279-24, Standard Test Method for Ballistic-Resistant Security Glazing Materials. Standards body; scope page. Link.
ASTM F1233-26, Standard Test Method for Security Glazing Materials And Systems, page updated October 6, 2026. Standards body; scope page. Link.
ASTM F1233-21, prior edition. Standards body; scope page. Link.
ASTM work item WK90171, revision of F1233-21. Standards body. Link.
ASTM F3038-21, Standard Test Method for Timed Evaluation of Forced-Entry-Resistant Systems. Standards body; scope page, re-checked October 24, 2026. Link.
ASTM F3561-25, Standard Test Method for Forced-Entry-Resistance of Fenestration Systems After Simulated Active Shooter Attack. Standards body; scope page, re-checked October 24, 2026. We also read a licensed copy of the 2022 edition’s full text, which we do not link. Link.
USACE/NAVFAC/AFCEC, UFGS 08 34 01, Forced Entry Resistant Components, August 2009 base text, references updated July 2026. Government guide specification; dated. Link.
Intertek B&C, ASTM F1233 Testing on DefenseLite PRO, report N2788.01.01-119-12, March 2022. Lab report, hosted by the maker. Link.
H.P. White Laboratory, Ballistic Resistance & Forced Entry Test Report for Riot Glass, August 2019. Lab report, hosted by the maker; dated. Link.
H.P. White Laboratory, Forced Entry Resistance Testing Test Report for Impact Security, February 2015. Lab report, hosted by the maker; dated. Link.
Tecnalia, Classification of glass commonly known as anti-intrusion, May 17, 2022. Test and research centre. Link.
Vetrotech Saint-Gobain, Attack-resistant Classes and Standard. Glass maker. Link.
Impact Security, RiotLite® window film system and ASTM F3561, February 21, 2025. Maker. Link.
Impact Security, blog article on window film ballistic marketing claims, April 26, 2026. Maker with a commercial interest in shields. Link.
Madico, SafetyShield product page. Film maker. Link.
Madico, SafetyShield school safety page. Film maker. Link.
Madico, SafetyShield® G2 press release, September 3, 2025. Film maker. Link.
Eastman Performance Films, LLumar Safety/Security and Glass Retention Film Testing Summary Sheet, L2382, February 2020. Film maker; dated. Link.
Architectural Testing, Inc. (Intertek), report E9327.01-401-47 for Saint-Gobain Solar Gard, October 2015. Lab report, hosted by the maker; dated. Link.
Riot Glass, RG1-XL data sheet, version 051326. Glazing maker. Link.
Riot Glass, RG1-XL product page. Glazing maker. Link.
ASTM F1642/F1642M-25, airblast hazard rating test method. Standards body; scope page. Link.
ASTM F2912-25, blast hazard specification. Standards body; scope page. Link.
ASTM F2248-19, equivalent 3-second design loading for laminated glass. Standards body; scope page. Link.
GSA, GSA-TS01-2003, glazing under dynamic overpressure, January 2003. Government test method, hosted by a film maker; dated. Link.
eCFR, 16 CFR § 1201.1, Scope, application and findings. Federal regulation. Link.
UL Standards & Engagement, UL 972 Burglary Resisting Glazing Material, Edition 6, 2006, reaffirmed 2025. Standards body; scope page. Link.

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