Each ballistic standard rates a different part of a building. EN 1063 classes bullet-resistant glass (BR1–BR7). EN 1522 classes windows, doors and shutters as complete units (FB1–FB7). VPAM APR, with protection levels 1–10, covers opaque materials and panels, and VPAM ARG tests range linings for ricochet. The US NIJ Standard 0108.01 rates armour materials in Types I–IV. BulletTrap Baltic makes roller shutters to order in Lithuania; the EN 1522 class is written into the specification and the quote for each opening.
| Standard | What it covers | Classes | Calibres (reference cartridges) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EN 1063 | Glass and glazing units. Does not rate the frame, the door or the wall | BR1–BR7 | From .22 LR (BR1) to 7.62×51 hard core (BR7); the cartridges for each class are set in EN 1063 and differ in part from the VPAM table below |
| EN 1522, with EN 1523 | Windows, doors, shutters and blinds as a product: frame, drive and infill together. Does not rate the glass on its own | FB1–FB7 | FB1 .22 LR; FB2 9 mm Luger; FB3 .357 Magnum; FB4 .357 Magnum and .44 Rem. Mag.; FB5 5.56×45; FB6 5.56×45 and 7.62×51 soft core; FB7 7.62×51 hard core |
| EN 1627:2021 | Burglar resistance of doors, windows, curtain walling, grilles and shutters | RC1–RC6 | None: RC is not a bullet test |
| VPAM APR + PM | Opaque panels, walls, partitions and armour elements: penetration by a set cartridge | Levels 1–10 | From .22 LR (level 1) to 7.62×54R hard core incendiary (level 10) |
| VPAM ARG (Fassung 3, Stand 01.10.2024) | Floor, wall and ceiling linings of shooting ranges: ricochet and bounce-back, not penetration | Energy classes up to 7.5 J; 7.5–30 J; 30–200 J; 200–1,500 J; 1,500–7,000 J | e.g. .22 LR (30–200 J); 9 mm Luger, .44 Rem. Mag. (200–1,500 J); .223 at 950 m/s, .308 (1,500–7,000 J); .338 Lapua in the official-use column |
| NIJ Standard 0108.01 (US, 1985) | Ballistic resistant protective materials, including fixed structures such as control rooms and guard stations | Types I, II-A, II, III-A, III, IV | Type I .22 LR, .38 Special; II-A and II .357 Magnum, 9 mm; III-A .44 Magnum, 9 mm; III 7.62 mm M80; IV .30-06 armour-piercing |
| UL 752 (US) | Bullet-resisting equipment | Levels set by the standard | Set by the standard |
Which standard covers which part of a building?
Four European documents divide a protected building into four parts: EN 1063 for the glass, EN 1522 for the window, door or shutter as a unit, VPAM APR for opaque walls and panels, and VPAM ARG for the lining of a shooting range. EN 1627 sits alongside them and rates burglar resistance only. NIJ 0108.01 and UL 752 are US documents for protective materials and bullet-resisting equipment.
Which part the specification names decides which certificate the supplier must show. How to read such a certificate is explained in how to verify a ballistic equipment supplier.
What is the difference between EN 1063 and EN 1522?
EN 1063 classes the glass, in classes BR1–BR7. EN 1522 classes the whole window, door or shutter, in classes FB1–FB7, frame and drive included. In EN 1522, FB4 is tested with .357 Magnum and .44 Rem. Mag., and FB6 with 5.56×45 and 7.62×51 soft core. VPAM’s comparison table lists one reference cartridge per class and notes that EN requirements are partly different.
A BR6 pane in an untested frame is therefore not an FB6 window. For a roller shutter the class is EN 1522, because the shutter is the whole product.
How does the VPAM reference table compare with EN classes?
VPAM’s official table ZD-StM (15.03.2021) lists 12 test conditions across levels 1–10, 7 of them with an EN class named for comparison. VPAM’s comparison table assigns calibres slightly differently from EN and says so itself.
| VPAM level | EN class named by VPAM for comparison | Cartridge, bullet | Mass, g | Distance, m | Velocity, m/s | Energy, J |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BR1 / FB1 | .22 LR, lead round nose | 2.6 | 10 | 360 | 168 |
| 2 | — | 9 mm Luger FMJ (DM 41) | 8.0 | 5 | 360 | 518 |
| 3 | BR2 / FB2 | 9 mm Luger FMJ (DM 41) | 8.0 | 5 | 415 | 689 |
| 4 | BR3 / FB3 | .357 Magnum FMJ, cone | 10.2 | 5 | 430 | 943 |
| 4 | BR4 / FB4 | .44 Rem. Mag. JSP, flat nose | 15.6 | 5 | 440 | 1,510 |
| 5 | — | .357 Magnum, solid brass (DAG Spezial) | 7.1 | 5 | 580 | 1,194 |
| 6 | — | 7.62×39 FMJ, iron core (PS) | 8.0 | 10 | 720 | 2,074 |
| 7 | BR5 / FB5 | .223 Rem. (5.56×45) SS 109, steel penetrator | 4.0 | 10 | 950 | 1,805 |
| 7 | BR6 / FB6 | .308 Win. (7.62×51) soft core (DM 111) | 9.55 | 10 | 830 | 3,289 |
| 8 | — | 7.62×39, hard core incendiary (BZ) | 7.7 | 10 | 740 | 2,108 |
| 9 | BR7 / FB7 | .308 Win. (7.62×51) hard steel core (P 80) | 9.6 | 10 | 820 | 3,261 |
| 10 | — | 7.62×54R, hard core incendiary (B32) | 10.4 | 10 | 860 | 3,846 |
Velocity tolerance ±10 m/s, distance ±0.5 m. VPAM’s own footnote: the requirements and test conditions of DIN EN 1063 and DIN EN 1522/23 “are partly different from VPAM”. A VPAM level and an EN class can share a cartridge without being the same rating, so “FB4 = PM4” is wrong. Known differences: EN uses 400 m/s for 9 mm Luger against 415 m/s here; 9.5 and 9.8 g bullets for 7.62×51 against 9.55 and 9.6 g; and EN puts .357 Magnum in FB4 as well as FB3. This table follows VPAM.
Is EN 1627 (RC) a bullet-resistance class?
No. EN 1627:2021 classes doors, windows, curtain walling, grilles and shutters for burglar resistance in classes RC1–RC6, with test methods in EN 1628, EN 1629 and EN 1630. An RC class says nothing about bullets. A shutter for an armoury hatch can need both, and the two are specified separately, for example “EN 1522 FB class plus EN 1627 RC class”.
What does NIJ 0108.01 Type IV actually test?
Type IV under NIJ Standard 0108.01 means one hit of a .30-06 armour-piercing bullet, 10.8 g at 868 ±15 m/s, without penetration of the witness plate. Type III means 5 hits of 7.62 mm M80 ball, 9.7 g at 838 ±15 m/s. The standard dates from September 1985 and covers protective materials, including fixed structures. It is not the NIJ body-armour series (0101.xx), and Type IV is not a multi-hit rating. The document itself asks users to verify that the most recent edition is cited in a contract.
The Bullet Crusher clearing barrel page states NIJ Level IV on selected models. Ask for the NIJ document, the model and the test report behind any “NIJ Level IV” claim.
Which standard covers shooting range walls and bullet traps?
VPAM ARG covers range linings. It tests floor, wall and ceiling materials at 90°, 60°, 45° and 25°, and every bullet hitting at 90°–25° must be accepted safely, with no bullet or fragment passing the indicator on the shooter’s side. It rates ricochet, not penetration, and a pass in one energy class does not carry over to another, not even a lower one. Final acceptance on site is made by the range expert (Schießstandsachverständiger), not by the laboratory.
The BulletTrap Baltic BRB-200 block was tested at the Royal Military Academy, Brussels, in report ES-240131: perpendicular shots, with VPAM ARG Fassung 3 (Stand 15.03.2021) as the reference, 28 shots and 0 ricochets. In report ES-230403 the 40 mm tile retained bullets from impact angles of 10.7°–13.3° upwards and the 45 mm tile from 13.8°–15.1°, depending on calibre. That goes beyond ARG, whose lowest mandatory test angle is 25°. The method is covered in how to stop ricochet in an indoor shooting range and the steel layer in steel backing plate thickness for a bullet trap.
Which EN 1522 class does a bullet-resistant roller shutter need?
Pick the FB class from the most powerful cartridge the opening must stop: FB2 9 mm Luger; FB3 .357 Magnum; FB4 .357 Magnum and .44 Rem. Mag.; FB5 5.56×45; FB6 5.56×45 and 7.62×51 soft core; FB7 7.62×51 hard core (EN 1522). Then state the EN 1627 RC class separately if burglar resistance is also required.
BulletTrap Baltic roller shutters are made to order in Lithuania from European AR500 steel slats, in three configurations: windows, doors and gates, and armoury issue hatches. The EN 1522 class is written into the specification for each opening and stated in the quote. Configurations and drives are on ballistic roller shutters.
Questions about ballistic standards
Is FB6 the same as BR6?
Not exactly. BR6 and FB6 both include 7.62×51 soft core; FB6 also includes 5.56×45. BR6 rates a glass, FB6 a complete window, door or shutter.
Does BR-rated glass make a window FB-rated?
No. EN 1063 rates the glazing only. The FB class under EN 1522 needs the whole unit, frame and fixings included, to be classified.
Which class covers 7.62×51 with a hard steel core?
FB7 for windows, doors and shutters and BR7 for glass. In the VPAM table both use the .308 Win. P 80 hard core, 9.6 g at 820 m/s, the same reference cartridge as VPAM level 9, although the two ratings are not identical.
Which EN 1522 class do BulletTrap Baltic roller shutters have?
BulletTrap Baltic sets the EN 1522 class for each opening to the specification and states it in the quote, for windows, doors and gates, and armoury issue hatches. Send the threat (calibre) per opening and the opening sizes via the roller shutter page.
Does a VPAM ARG certificate prove that a wall stops bullets?
No. VPAM ARG rates ricochet and bounce-back from a lining. Penetration of a wall or panel is rated under VPAM APR levels or national construction tables. The BulletTrap Baltic trap pairs the blocks with a 500 HB steel plate (see steel backing plate thickness).
Can one ballistic test prove 100 % protection?
No. VPAM APR states that “demonstrating a protection of 100 % is thus not feasible”, and that a single test has no significance for quality assurance of ongoing production.
Is NIJ 0108.01 accepted in European tenders?
That depends on the tender’s technical specification. NIJ 0108.01 is a US document from 1985, and it asks users to check that the latest edition is cited in a contract.
Does a VPAM ARG pass at one energy class cover another?
No. VPAM ARG says a sample that meets one class does not automatically meet another, including a class with lower energy. The certificate names the class, for example “1500 J – 7000 J”.
What is UL 752?
A US standard for bullet-resisting equipment. Its levels and cartridges are set by the standard itself. In Europe the classes for glass and for windows, doors and shutters are EN 1063 and EN 1522.
Sources
- VPAM ZD-StM, Standardmunitionsarten nach Prüfrichtlinie VPAM-APR (15.03.2021) — checked 26.10.2026
- VPAM ZD-BeK, Gegenüberstellung Beschussklassen (15.03.2021) — checked 26.10.2026
- VPAM-APR Edition 3 (15.03.2021), introduction and point 1 — checked 26.10.2026
- VPAM-ARG Fassung 3, Stand 01.10.2024, points 1, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2 — checked 26.10.2026
- NIJ Standard 0108.01, Ballistic Resistant Protective Materials (September 1985), Table 1 — checked 26.10.2026
- EVS-EN 1627:2021, scope — checked 26.10.2026
Specifying protection for a building or a range?
Send the openings with their sizes and the threat for each, or the range drawing with the calibres fired. We return the quote with the EN 1522 class written into the specification for each opening, or the lining and trap specification; report ES-240131 is cited by number and date.
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