This SAE Recommended Practice establishes a ballistic tank test procedure for evaluating inflator assemblies used in inflatable restraint systems. It is intended to be a general procedure for repetitive testing and suggests only general guidelines for the safe conduct of tests and data correlation. Uniform test requirements@ test procedures@ and data recording requirements are specified. The intent of the document is to provide a procedure employing a ballistic tank test method for determining the ability of an inflator to meet requirements for deploying inflatable restraint systems. A ballistic tank test is described which will yield repeatable and comparable results for evaluating a given inflator configuration's pressure output versus time. Use of the ballistic tank test for comparison of various inflator technologies may be of limited value due to differences in gas temperature@ gas composition and mass flow effects on airbag performance as it relates to occupant protection.