How much steel to stop most pistol/handgun rounds?

How much is needed is a function of hardness of the steel and the thickness. If you know the hardness of the metal you can probably find out on the internet what it's stopping capacity is. For good quality steel quarter inch to three eights is enough to stop most all handgun rounds.
If in doubt take a piece out somewhere and take a shot at it with different calibers. This will answer a lot of questions.

Well structual issues, most modernfloors arent built to carry that much steel plate without reinforcing underneath. And most municipalities most likely wont allow that kind of modification, building code or laws against fortifying a private dwelling.

Not quite the same but...

You can probably get a fair idea of what pistol rounds will penetrate from this site.

And most municipalities most likely wont allow that kind of modification, building code or laws against fortifying a private dwelling.

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Are you just making this up or do you have some sort of examples?

I'd snag the steel--as much as I could get if it was free. You can always sell it if you don't need it.

If you can get some smaller samples, shoot them.

Hmm, well the site won't let me edit my previous message.

Got curious and found this site http://huts.com/Huts'sBallisticTest.htm

They found the following:

Shot: 5/8" Gypsum on 2"X4" studs with 1/4" steel plate

With:
.22
9mm
.45 auto
.357
.44
12 ga. Slug
.223
.270 Win

The following penetrated:

.223
.270 Win

1.4 inch should be good.

Further to Musher's fine post, I think you'd be quite pleased with the 1/4" stuff.
I used 1/4" mild steel plate, at a 45 degree angle, for a backstop on a range I built. It stood up to many thousands of rounds of handgun ammo, eventually bowing slightly.
No penetration at all, nor would there have been any from hits from 90 degrees, with conventional ammo.
Curiously, contratry to what some might expect, the bullets striking the plate would shatter, and the remaining lead splatter would travel down the plate.
No ricochettes.
12 ga would shake the backstop quite nicely, but no chance of penetration.

Rifle rounds are another matter entirely, 223 would zip right through 1/4", but after that it was about done, and would be stopped by another layer spaced a little ways from the first.
(I'd put up a vertical plate when I wanted to shoot rifle, and accept the holes in it, saving the main backstop).
Additionally, once the round has travelled through drywall, wood or pretty much any other material, it's penetration capabilities are further degraded.
Once you've included it in your wall, it'll be out of sight, out of mind.

I shot some 3/8" A36 (36ksi mild steel) once. 9mm wouldn't even make a mark from 10 yards; .30-30 and .30-06 penetrated from as far as 75 yards away.

However, I wouldn't bet on home invaders being armed solely with pistols. Around here the SKS "assault rifle" is common among criminals.

A better solution would be to work on keeping them out in the first place.

I bet it wouldn't fly with the building inspectors, and here's why. The structure of your home is designed to hold up a certain amount of weight,not just under sunny dry conditions but also when weakened (like with fire). That much extra weight could cause a wall or support to fail too early.

I bet even wrapping some around the outside of the house might not meet the fire code...it could prevent rescue workers from getting in. That's why the codes require certain size windows in every room at certain distances off the ground. It's not so you can get out...it's so firefighters can get in.

Asking if your local municipality allows the use of steel plate inside the walls of your house is a valid question.

I should have clarified it somwehat wo read "does your local zoning board, township, and gated community/trailer park governing board allow the use of steel plates within the walls of an occupied dwelling?"

For example if you just willy nilly throw in steel plate you have to do it wisely. Most places wont allow you to do that in new construction as it is NOT a CURRENTLY ACCEPTED PRACTICE by any national construction agency or inspection agency. And most places like the semi gated community i used to live in were anal retentive about the looks of your house and what you did with it.
I was used to bylaws regulating the accepted pattern adn color of siding and shingles, a place like that is not oging to let you rip the siding off to slap on armor plate.

And as new construction is ruled out unless ou live in a place that lets you do what you want, you are royally screwed in existing building alteration. Why? If a plumber, mason, remodelling company does work and finds that steel plate. Legally they would ahve to report it to the building inspector who then condemns your house untill the illegal alteration is removed/repaired.

Or at the worst you get into a fight with contractor over it, he calls cops and we get to read about "Cops seize 5 guns from armored bunker in local home"

Well lets suppose you built a house out of cinder blocks and filled the internal spaces with concrete and rebar. Stucco the outside and paint it a nice pastel.

NOT counting the 'style' constraints of some communities, I'd guess that this is a legitimate construction practice almost everywhere.

Guess what--you've built a bunker that's way harder to get into than any stud wall sheathed with 1/4" steel.

My point is, that if you do the engineering and you handle the exterior treatment acceptably, that there aren't many building codes that would prevent you from armor plating your home.

My earlier comment was aimed at the statement that MOST municipalities prohibit fortifying a private dwelling. I still don't believe that it's true. Many have requirements for exterior finish, almost all have engineering and fire requirements. If you meet those, I'd guess you could put together the most Fort Knox homestead imaginable and no one would squawk.

PS Bezoar, do it right and the headline would read "Cops TRY to seize guns from armored bunker"

PPS, of course I could have a distorted view of how things work because I live in the free world.

Even quarter inch standard grade mild steel will stop all conventional handgun rounds. Some of the more recent hand cannons might penetrate it with very hard cast bullets, but no run of the mill 9mm, .40, .357 or .44 magnum is going to anything to it. And I would go as far as to say that 3/4" mild steel will stop any handgun round fired from a conventional handgun, and many rifle rounds too.

I think it is a good idea. I am amazed at the number of folk who have their own homes and do nothing to create an environment that gives them the advantage over any hostile intruders, nr hardens the exterior to make initial access extremely difficult.

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stopping projectiles

Filling a 2X4 stud bay with 3/4" crushed stone will stop everything up to 308. The studs themselves are the weak point. Since you want to protect only the bottom couple of feet for a limited section of wall, I'd suggest 1/8 steel plate on both sides screwed to the studs (3/8" drywall over the plate will match the edge of the 1/2" drywall above it).

Fill the space between the studs with cleaned and dried 3/4" crushed stone and you're done. 1/8" mild steel sheet is about 5.5 lbs/sq ft, crushed stone is approx 100 lbs/cu ft. A 24" X 48" sheet would be about 45 lbs (same thing in 3/4" plywood would be about 10 lbs), filling 3 stud bays 24" high would be about 700 lbs of stone.

If stopping handgun and shotgun rounds is all you want to do, 1/4" plate on one side would work; just double the weight of a 1/8" sheet. I'd suggest placing the plate on the threat side so you're not depending on the screws for retention under impact stress. Rifle rounds will go right through 1/4" plate. FYI, drywall is available in 1/4" thickness.

An alternative to the steel - assuming you go with the crushed stone - would be 1/4" plywood with rubberized roof membrane sandwiched between the plywood and studs to partially "self seal" when the plywood gets holed.

BTW, don't use anything smaller than 3/4' stone; smaller stone will drain out the bullet holes.

I wouldn't build it into the walls, what if the kids want to move their beds around later?

Build it into a piece of furniture -- headboard for the beds, or bookshelves, or maybe a desk. That way you can redecorate. And if you move, you can take it with you, without tearing up walls.

And your kids can pass it on your grandkids, with a story about their crazy paranoid father, who made them sleep in this very same armored bed......

This is similar to what I was thinking. I was also thinking of putting Kevlar pads in the walls as well. I can't remember what the site is but the company sells Kevlar in sheets like cloth or fabric. Shredded paper is injected into walls for insulation. I wonder if there is a company that injects rubber. Then you could have a bullet and sound proof room for an indoor range.

Kevlar is the best option if you're worried about weight. Titanium & Kevlar is better, but stone is great too.

But if the steel is free, get it. Get lots of it. Metal is not cheap today. Sell it as scrap if the building folks say no. Or cut it up into pieces for target practice.

A 1/4 inch of plate will stop any hand gun round, I have tried up to 500sw. A 223 55g standard round will almost go through 1/4 inch (It leaves a welt on the backside the size of a golf ball) If they are shooting 223 ap your screwed behind a 1/4 inch. And and this was all mild steel, No high strength stuff here.

www.bulletproofme.com

if i owned my own house the wall facing the street woudl defintely be lined with those bomb blankets.

they wont stop rifle rounds but it is unlikely i'd be shot at with a rifle, and if it doesn't stop a hot 9mm it will still slow it way down.

I don't blame you guys one bit, but I have to point out that some jurisdictions have 'anti fortification' laws. They're only designed to hinder drug dealers and criminals, or to make firefighters' jobs easier, of course fire: ) but nevertheless they apply to everyone.

security

the government is selling old minuteman silos to the public.............now thats a bunker!!

.45 230 ball wont penetrate a WW2 GI steel pot helmet at fighting distance, not sure about point blank. dents the crap out of it though.

Well structural issues, most modern floors aren't built to carry that much steel plate without reinforcing underneath. And most municipalities most likely wont allow that kind of modification, building code or laws against fortifying a private dwelling.

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What about reinforced beams, I've personally worked on a house where a large steel plate was sandwiched between a couple paralam beams to span the length of the house. One could consider that a fortified beam.

I guess it boils down to building codes...