When an interior opening has to carry a certified ballistic rating but the surrounding construction was never designed for one, weight becomes the governing constraint. Armortex®, a specialty manufacturer of bullet, blast and forced entry resistant products, publishes nominal weights for its interior glazing products, and the lightest of them is TP 100 laminated polycarbonate at 4.8 pounds per square foot. This article sets out what that product is rated for, where it can be used, and what has to be true of the frame and the opening before a lightweight glazing selection actually holds.
Quick Answer
Armortex® TP 100 is the lightest bullet-resistant glazing product Armortex publishes data for, at 4.8 pounds per square foot and 0.77 inches thick. It is laminated polycarbonate, rated to UL 752 11th edition Level 1 and UL Listed no spall, and is suitable for interior applications against 9 mm handgun threats.
What Is TP 100 Bullet-Resistant Glazing?
Armortex TP 100 is a bullet-resistant laminated polycarbonate glazing product suitable for interior applications. It is a UL Listed Underwriters Laboratory product, rated to UL 752 11th edition Level 1 with a no spall designation, with a nominal thickness of 0.77 inches and a nominal weight of 4.8 pounds per square foot.
Polycarbonate offers a lighter weight option than laminated glass or glass-clad polycarbonate, and it is easier to cut, polish and fabricate than other glazing materials. Those two properties — lower mass and easier fabrication — are what make it the default choice where an interior opening has to be protected without rebuilding what surrounds it.
How Does Weight Compare Across the Interior Range?
Armortex publishes four interior glazing products with full data. Comparing them shows how much difference the material choice makes at a single level. At UL 752 Level 1, TP 100 laminated polycarbonate weighs 4.8 pounds per square foot at 0.77 inches, while TA 100 acrylic weighs 7.6 pounds per square foot at 1.25 inches. Both carry the same Level 1 rating and the same no spall designation. The polycarbonate option is roughly 37 percent lighter for identical certified performance.
Moving up the levels within the polycarbonate line, TP 200 reaches Level 2 at 1.00 inch and 6.4 pounds per square foot, and TP 300 reaches Level 3 at 1.2 inches and 7.7 pounds. A Level 3 polycarbonate lite therefore weighs almost exactly what a Level 1 acrylic lite weighs — two additional protection levels for effectively no additional load.
Armortex® Interior Glazing Specifications
| Product | Material | UL 752 rating | Primary threat | Thickness | Weight |
| TP 100 | Laminated polycarbonate | Level 1 (no spall) | 9 mm handgun | 0.77″ | 4.8 lb/ft² |
| TP 200 | Laminated polycarbonate | Level 2 (no spall) | .357 Magnum handgun | 1.00″ | 6.4 lb/ft² |
| TP 300 | Laminated polycarbonate | Level 3 (no spall) | .44 Magnum handgun | 1.2″ | 7.7 lb/ft² |
| TA 100 | Acrylic | Level 1 (no spall) | 9 mm handgun | 1.25″ | 7.6 lb/ft² |
Performance and Ratings
Each product above is UL Listed at its stated level with a no spall designation, meaning fragment release from the protected face is certified rather than assumed. The primary use of TP 100 is bullet-resistant protection from handguns at 9 mm; TP 200 is specified for .357 Magnum and TP 300 for .44 Magnum.
The rating is conditional on the frame. Armortex specifies that the bullet-resistant polycarbonate should be installed in a bullet-resistant frame so that it provides a complete bullet-resistant window system, and that installation should be performed by competent and experienced installers per GANA guidelines. A lightweight lite in an unrated frame is not a rated assembly.
Where Is Lightweight Interior Glazing Used?
- Reception and intake counters in commercial offices, where access control alone will not withstand a sustained attack from an armed intruder.
- Transaction windows at teller lines, cashier positions and service counters.
- Interior vision panels and borrowed lites in secure corridors.
- Control rooms and dispatch positions.
- Clinic and hospital intake windows.
- Retrofits into existing interior openings with limited load capacity.
What Should Architects and Specifiers Consider?
Confirm the application before the weight. TP 100, TP 200, TP 300 and TA 100 are all described by Armortex as suitable for interior applications. For exterior openings, the laminated glass and glass-and-laminated-polycarbonate make-ups apply instead, and those are suitable for interior or exterior use.
Match the level to the threat assessment first, then optimise weight within it. Selecting TP 100 because it is the lightest product available, when the assessment calls for .44 Magnum protection, substitutes a convenience for a requirement.
Specify the frame alongside the glazing. Armortex manufactures aluminum, hollow metal and stainless steel bullet-resistant window framing, including clamp-on and fixed frame configurations, plus bullet-resistant aluminum storefront door and window systems that can be modified to specific user requirements.
Consider the surface. Polycarbonate is easier to cut, polish and fabricate than other glazing materials, which helps during fabrication, and Armortex operates waterjet and laser CNC cutting for custom work. Where transaction function is needed, Armortex windows can be modified with voice transmission capabilities and gun ports, and deal trays, transaction drawers and package receivers are available.
Why Choose Armortex®?
Armortex publishes nominal thickness and weight on each glazing product data page, so a weight-constrained opening can be resolved from the documentation rather than through a quotation cycle. The company manufactures across acrylic, laminated polycarbonate, laminated glass and glass-and-polycarbonate make-ups, and is a single source supplier for doors, windows, wall panels and related products for building fortification. Manufacturing is at Schertz, Texas under an ISO 9001 quality management system, with BIM and Revit content available for modelling the assemblies during design.
Internal Resources
- Glazing product category page
- TP 100, TP 200 and TP 300 product data pages
- TA 100 product data page
- Windows product category page
- Aluminum Storefront page
- BIM / Revit library
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lightest bullet-resistant glazing Armortex makes?
Among the Armortex glazing products with published data, TP 100 laminated polycarbonate is the lightest at 4.8 pounds per square foot and 0.77 inches thick. It is rated to UL 752 11th edition Level 1 with a no spall designation and is suitable for interior applications.
How much lighter is polycarbonate than acrylic?
At UL 752 Level 1, Armortex TP 100 laminated polycarbonate weighs 4.8 pounds per square foot against TA 100 acrylic at 7.6 pounds per square foot. Both carry the same Level 1 rating and no spall designation, so the difference is material rather than performance.
Can TP 100 be used on exterior windows?
Armortex describes TP 100 as suitable for interior applications. For exterior openings, Armortex offers laminated glass products and combinations of glass and laminated polycarbonate, which are suitable for interior or exterior applications and provide the durability of glass with lighter weight characteristics.
What threat is TP 100 rated against?
The primary use of TP 100 is bullet-resistant protection from handguns at 9 mm. It carries a UL 752 11th edition Level 1 rating. For .357 Magnum protection Armortex offers TP 200 at Level 2, and for .44 Magnum protection TP 300 at Level 3.
Does lighter glazing still need a rated frame?
Yes. Armortex specifies that bullet-resistant polycarbonate should be installed in a bullet-resistant frame so it provides a complete bullet-resistant window system. Reducing glazing weight does not reduce the requirement for rated framing, because bullet resistance is a property of the assembly.
Is polycarbonate easier to fabricate?
Armortex notes that polycarbonate is easier to cut, polish and fabricate than other glazing materials. Armortex also operates numerous CNC machines including waterjet and laser cutting equipment for custom fabrication of security products.
Who should install the glazing?
Armortex specifies that installation should be performed by competent and experienced installers per GANA guidelines, with the glazing set into a bullet-resistant rated frame. Armortex manufactures aluminum, hollow metal and stainless steel framing for this purpose.
Conclusion
For interior openings where load is the constraint, Armortex® TP 100 laminated polycarbonate is the lightest published option at 4.8 pounds per square foot and 0.77 inches, rated to UL 752 Level 1 and listed no spall. Within the same polycarbonate line, Level 3 protection is available at 7.7 pounds per square foot — roughly the weight of Level 1 acrylic. Select the level from the threat assessment, then take the weight saving within it, and set the result in a rated Armortex frame.