Hollywood Mythbusting: CARS DO NOT STOP BULLETS

[Amsdorf]

As you get into firearms seriously you quickly realize how many myths Hollywood has ingrained into our culture about firearms. Cars immediately blow up when shot by a single pistol round, or everyone shooting a pistol will hit their target when it is 50 yards away, while running, while doing a roll, and .... of course ... the old, "Cars stop bullets" myth.

How many times have you seen cops or bad guys take up position behind a car door and watch the bullets just "spark" off the door.

Total myth.

So, if somebody refuses to believe that this is a myth, just watch this video.

We shot the snot out of a vehicle out at Asymmetric Solutions and set up the camera to capture rounds coming all the way through the car, left to right, in one door, through the vehicle and out the other door and they just kept on traveling.

We were shooting 5.56 NATO rounds and you can see the damage we did previously before this short clip.

Now, to be fair, you CAN take cover from fire behind the car's engine block, but that is a bit tricky too, for you can never be absolutely sure you are fully covered by the block, but it is way better than nothing.

http://youtu.be/T2OuTY5JuCk

[Richard Simmons]

I always liked the sparks the bullets make after hitting asphalt.

Like your video. Did you try shooting through the wheels? From an angle the engine block can cover you fairly well but was wondering if a steel wheel/rim and the brake rotor would offer any cover? I've shot through both wheels and rotors at 100 yds with 30.06 AP but haven't seen how a 5.56 would do.

[Schuetzenman]

I always liked the sparks the bullets make after hitting asphalt.

Like your video. Did you try shooting through the wheels? From an angle the engine block can cover you fairly well but was wondering if a steel wheel/rim and the brake rotor would offer any cover? I've shot through both wheels and rotors at 100 yds with 30.06 AP but haven't seen how a 5.56 would do.

Considering 5.56 NATO won't make it through the skinny neck of a bowling pin at 25 yards, my opinion is that the steel wheels and brake discs will do a great job of stopping the round especially at distance. Having watched the video notice how not all the 5.56 rounds made it through and how even many of them that kind of made it through were fragments, not whole rounds.

[Richard Simmons]

Considering 5.56 NATO won't make it through the skinny neck of a bowling pin at 25 yards, my opinion is that the steel wheels and brake discs will do a great job of stopping the round especially at distance.

That was kind of what I would think as well. Maybe an alloy wheel but standard fare I think you would be safe. Wonder about regular 7.62 x 51 and 30.06 ball ammo?

[Helen Keller]

all it takes is a tiny little fragment to ruin someones day.

[Schuetzenman]

That was kind of what I would think as well. Maybe an alloy wheel but standard fare I think you would be safe. Wonder about regular 7.62 x 51 and 30.06 ball ammo?

Even lead core on those can defeat 1/4" mild steel. Use an AP round and Swiss cheese baby!