Metal window bars are the default window insert in almost every Rust base. For 25 metal fragments you close a window opening with 500 HP of steel, and you keep the gap open to shoot out of or to give an auto turret a line of fire.
This metal window bars Rust guide covers what they cost, how to get the blueprint, how to place them, whether you can shoot through them, the cheapest way to raid them, how they compare with wooden bars and glass windows, their upkeep, and the best ways to use them in a base.
Metal Window Bars Cost
Metal window bars are one of the cheapest metal items in the game, and one of the first things most groups craft after a Workbench 1.
| Stat | Metal Window Bars |
|---|---|
| Craft cost | 25 metal fragments |
| Workbench | Workbench 1 |
| Craft time | 15 seconds at a Workbench 1, down to about 3 seconds at a Workbench 3 |
| Health | 500 HP |
| Research cost | 30 scrap |
| Stack size | 10 |
| Recycler | 15 metal fragments (10 at a safe zone recycler) |
| Upkeep | 3 to 8 metal fragments a day |
| Item shortname | wall.window.bars.metal (ID -819720157) |
A full set of bars for a 2×2 base with eight windows is only 200 metal fragments,.
Metal Window Bars Blueprint
The bars are not a default blueprint, so most groups learn them in the first hour of a wipe. Put a set of metal window bars and 30 scrap into a research table. The bars are used up.
30 scrap is the 2026 price for an uncommon item. Research and tech tree prices were cut in the November 2025 update, so older guides that say 75 scrap are out of date.
Once learned, the blueprint stays for the whole wipe, so every set after that is just 25 fragments.
How to Place Metal Window Bars
- Open the Building Plan, pick Window from the wall options and place it like a normal wall.
- Upgrade the window wall with a hammer. The bars only protect the opening, so a twig or wood window wall is still the easy way in.
- Hold the metal window bars and aim at the opening to place them.
- Keep metal fragments in your tool cupboard so they do not decay.
Each window opening takes one insert: one set of bars, or a glass window. Bars do not fit wall frames or doorways. For how window walls fit into a full base, see the Rust building guide.
Can You Shoot Through Metal Window Bars?
Yes. Bullets pass through the gaps in both directions. That is why bars are used on shooting floors, and also why they are a weak spot.
- Shooting out: you can defend your compound and front door from inside without opening anything.
- Auto turrets: a turret behind bars fires straight through them. That is the standard way to protect a turret while keeping its line of fire. Our auto turret guide covers placement.
- Shooting in: enemies can hit you, your turret and anything visible through the gap, so do not stand still in a barred window during a fight.
If you only want to look out, the strengthened glass window is see-through but bulletproof.
Metal Window Bars Raid Cost
| Tool | Amount | Sulfur |
|---|---|---|
| Timed Explosive Charge (C4) | 2 | 4,400 (cheapest) |
| Explosive 5.56 Rifle Ammo | 200 | 5,000 |
| Rocket | 4 | 5,600 |
| Satchel Charge | 12 | 5,760 |
| Beancan Grenade | 56 | 6,720 |
| High Velocity Rocket | 34 | 6,800 |
| 40mm HE Grenade | 29 | – |
| MLRS Rocket | 3 | – |
| Jackhammer (hits) | 220 | – |
At 500 HP the bars take the same 2 C4 as a stone wall, so they are never a cheaper way in than the wall around them. Melee is not realistic either: it takes 220 jackhammer hits, or around three hours with a salvaged icepick. Compare every wall and door in the raid calculator, or see all explosives in the Rust explosives guide.
Metal Window Bars vs Wood Bars and Glass
Four inserts fit a window opening. Metal bars give the most health for the least cost.
| Insert | Cost | Health | Shoot through | C4 | Explo ammo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden Window Bars | 50 wood, no bench | 250 HP | Yes | 1 | 49 |
| Metal Window Bars | 25 frags, WB1 | 500 HP | Yes | 2 | 200 |
| Strengthened Glass Window | 50 frags, WB2 | 350 HP | No | 2 | 140 |
| Reinforced Glass Window | 4 HQM, WB3 | 500 HP | No | 2 | 200 |
- Wooden bars are only for the first hour of a wipe. They die to 4 molotovs or 1 C4.
- Metal bars are the best value: double the health of wood for a handful of fragments.
- Strengthened glass is weaker but bulletproof, so use it for lookouts.
- Reinforced glass has the same 500 HP and raid cost as metal bars, but it is bulletproof: you can see out, but nobody can shoot in or out. See the reinforced glass window guide.
If you want to close the window completely between fights, add a metal embrasure or wooden shutter as well. For cheap cover outside the walls, see the Rust barricades guide. For a fully see-through wall section, a chainlink fence goes in a wall frame instead.
Metal Window Bars Upkeep and Decay
- Upkeep: 3 to 8 metal fragments a day, taken from the tool cupboard. The amount rises as your base gets bigger.
- Decay: about 8 hours to decay away once the tool cupboard runs out. See the Rust decay guide for how decay works.
- Repair: hit them with a hammer while you have metal fragments.
- Dropped item: despawns after 20 minutes on the ground.
Metal Window Bars Tips
- Bar every window. An empty window is a free way in for anyone with a ladder. Bars cost almost nothing.
- Turret ports. Put an auto turret behind bars so raiders have to break the window under fire before they can reach the turret.
- Add embrasures. Close the gap between fights so nobody can throw or shoot in.
- Keep loot rooms windowless. A window wall is no stronger than a solid wall, and it lets raiders see what is inside.
- Glass for lookouts. Where you only watch, a strengthened glass window keeps you safe from bullets.
- Not raid proof. The window wall and the bars both die to 2 C4, so upgrade the wall itself to sheet metal or armored with the rest of the base.
Metal Window Bars Rust FAQ
How much do metal window bars cost in Rust?
25 metal fragments at a Workbench 1. They take 15 seconds to craft.
How much HP do metal window bars have?
500 HP, the same as a stone wall and double the 250 HP of wooden window bars.
How many C4 does it take to break metal window bars?
2 C4 (4,400 sulfur), which is the cheapest option. You can also use 200 explosive 5.56 rounds, 4 rockets, 12 satchel charges or 3 MLRS rockets.
Can you shoot through metal window bars in Rust?
Yes. Bullets pass through the bars in both directions, so you can shoot out and enemies can shoot in. Auto turrets also fire through them.
How do you get the metal window bars blueprint?
Research a set of metal window bars at a research table for 30 scrap. The bars are used up and the blueprint lasts the whole wipe.
Where do you place metal window bars?
In the opening of a window wall. Pick Window from the Building Plan wall options, upgrade it, then place the bars in the opening. They do not fit wall frames or doorways.
Are metal window bars better than reinforced glass?
For value and for shooting out, yes. Both have 500 HP and take 2 C4, but metal bars cost 25 metal fragments at a Workbench 1 and let you shoot through. The Reinforced Glass Window costs 4 high quality metal at a Workbench 3 and is bulletproof, so it is better for lookouts.
How much upkeep do metal window bars cost?
3 to 8 metal fragments a day from the tool cupboard, depending on the size of your base. Without upkeep they decay in about 8 hours.
Sources and Further Reading
- Health, recipe, upkeep and raid costs: rustlabs item data
- RustHelp, Metal Window Bars
- Facepunch Rust Wiki, wall.window.bars.metal
- Every item ID: Rust item IDs list