Older guys like me will recall the Glaser from the early 1980s when writings about it appeared on the pages of Combat Handguns and other such publications. Manufactured by Cor-Bon, you might find this load perfectly tailored for shooting snakes on a plane, but when it comes to use against human targets, you would be better served by any other non-frangible projectile. Six and a half inches of penetration in ballistic gelatin out of service-length and compact-length barrels just isn't going to get the job done.
October 11, 2025, 05:48 PM
Johnny 3eagles
We tested these back in the late 80s for our Beretta 96 Centurion DAO. FAIL
Any dog can be a Guide Dog if you don't care where you're going.
NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER
October 11, 2025, 05:56 PM
12131
Ah yes, I bought into the hype those days. Glad I didn’t have a chance to put them into real use.
Q
October 11, 2025, 06:59 PM
rat2306
I still have about 20 rounds of the old Glaser Safety Slugs in .38 Special +P. Never used them except for shooting a tin can or two; the local indoor range prohibits frangible ammo.
But the Jelly Contraption cannot lie.
ETA; 12 rounds of it in two HKS speedloaders. Old school.This message has been edited. Last edited by: rat2306,
October 11, 2025, 07:47 PM
DEPUTYBILL
I had a friend on a small police agency in California in the 80's. He carried a Smith model 629 6" as his duty gun. He carried Glaser slugs in his gun. He responded to a domestic call one night. He was confronted with the suspect armed with a 12 gauge shotgun. My friend fired one shot with a Glaser slug. The suspect immediately went down, and stayed down. He did not recover from the shot. The shot was in the chest. Maybe Glaser's in the past were configured differently, or maybe because it was a 44 caliber it was more effective? Anyway, for my friend the Glaser worked!
October 12, 2025, 11:13 AM
Dump1567
I still have some .38 Spl. rounds I bought in the 90's I use to carry in my back-up gun. I don't remember the manufacture (maybe Magsafe), but they were loaded in .357 mag cases, frangible, came in a 6-round packaging, and were something like 1800+ fps. Supposedly they could penetrate a LVL II vest or something like that. Have no idea how effective they would be. They sit in an old ammo box now.
They may still be a good choice for a back-up gun contact shot?
This might be it?
Watch & Pray
October 12, 2025, 11:53 AM
RogueJSK
quote:
Originally posted by Dump1567: Supposedly they could penetrate a LVL II vest or something like that.
I find that claim to be extremely suspect.
A solid 65 grain bullet going 1804 fps would have about 470 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. That's less energy than stuff like 9mm +P or .357 Magnum, both of which a Level II vest is rated to stop.
But more importantly, this isn't a solid projectile. It's frangible ammo made up of small shot-like pellets held together inside a copper jacket with epoxy and designed to break up into its multiple constituent smaller pieces when it strikes an intervening barrier, even further reducing its ability to penetrate body armor.This message has been edited. Last edited by: RogueJSK,
October 12, 2025, 12:45 PM
Dump1567
quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
quote:
Originally posted by Dump1567: Supposedly they could penetrate a LVL II vest or something like that.
I find that claim to be extremely suspect.
A solid 65 grain bullet going 1804 fps would have about 470 Joules of muzzle energy. That's less energy than stuff like 9mm +P or .357 Magnum, both of which a Level II vest is rated to stop.
But more importantly, this isn't a solid projectile. It's frangible ammo made up of small shot-like pellets held together inside a copper jacket with epoxy and designed to break up into its multiple constituent smaller pieces when it strikes an intervening barrier, even further reducing its ability to penetrate body armor.
Actually, it might be this stuff. As I remember it being 2200 fps. And the Law Enforcement marking. Probably won't ever leave to box its in.
Watch & Pray
October 12, 2025, 01:39 PM
RogueJSK
That one has slightly more energy than .357 Magnum (by about 20 ft-lbs/3.5%), but it's still frangible ammo.
So still dubious that it'd be able to defeat Level II.
October 12, 2025, 01:41 PM
apprentice
I love how they market with " FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT USE ". As if it carries some sort of extra penalty for civilian use, but who do they sell it to?
October 12, 2025, 01:43 PM
RogueJSK
Could just be marketing (like their "Stopping Power" claims), intended to make it look more attractive to buyers.
Or could be actual company policy. Winchester did that with their Talon/SXT/Ranger ammo for years. Not against the law to sell to non-LE, but their distributors weren't supposed to sell it to non-LE per company policy.
October 12, 2025, 01:55 PM
Dump1567
quote:
Originally posted by apprentice: I love how they market with " FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT USE ". As if it carries some sort of extra penalty for civilian use, but who do they sell it to?
Probably over 30 years ago, but I vaguely remember having to show LE Creds to buy it. May have just been store policy. I'm sure they thought it was super-duper deadly vs. other ammo that's just regular deadly.
But I shouldn't talk. That's probably why I bought it. When you're young, you don't know what you don't know.
Watch & Pray
October 12, 2025, 04:42 PM
DoctorSolo
MAGSAFE! SO DEADLY YOU BETTER BE A COP!
I remember reading about those in the HANDGUNS magazine tests in the early 90s. They were very hyped, and the "hydrostatic shock without overpenetration!" was buzzing around as the x-factor handgun ammo had been waiting for. $3+ a round in those days was stupid expensive.
They reminded me of the wax filled hollow points Roy Shieder's character was preparing on JAWS.
October 13, 2025, 07:34 AM
stormwalker
More than likely the publication of the Strasbourg Tests in the early 90's resulted in the 15 minutes of fame these novelties received.
Folks in the 90s sure loved them some "stopping power".
MAXIMUM Stopping Power! COMPLETE Stopping Power!! UNEQUALED Stopping Power!!! More Stopping Power Than ANY OTHER AMMO!!!! And don't forget...MASSIVE TARGET DESTRUCTION!!!!!!11
October 13, 2025, 09:14 AM
Dump1567
quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK: Folks in the 90s sure loved them some "stopping power".
MAXIMUM Stopping Power! COMPLETE Stopping Power!! UNEQUALED Stopping Power!!! More Stopping Power Than ANY OTHER AMMO!!!! And don't forget...MASSIVE TARGET DESTRUCTION!!!!!!11
Yep.
I still have my copy of "Handguns" magazine from Nov. 1988 with Evan Marhsall's "One Shot Stop" rating every handgun cartridge. I always liked the stories he added for the use of each caliber and dispelling the myth of "they all fall to hardball".
Watch & Pray
October 13, 2025, 07:47 PM
stormin
I never bought into the Glaser Safety Slugs, but I still have about 20 rounds of Cor-Bon Powr Ball in .38 +P from the late 90’s. They were an emergency option if I ever had to make a trip into a state where JHP’s were not legal.
October 13, 2025, 08:09 PM
wrightd
Yea remember those. I actually cc'd them for a very short time until I figured out it wasn't what it was cracked up to be. But it was fun while it lasted. Besides snake shot in a revolver, those actually would make good snakes (on a plane) round now that you mention it. Ha!!
Lover of the US Constitution Wile E. Coyote School of DIY Disaster
October 13, 2025, 08:14 PM
sunburn
The wife had a patient that was shot in the knee with a Glazer round. She said the knee cap looked like mashed potatoes.
Lick the lollipop of mediocrity once and you suck forever.
