Can 50 BMG penetrate through 10 average houses?
- Thread starter LAR-15
- Start date
- Status
10 houses worth of drywall, probably since they're not solid enough to stop anything (even birdshot) but the actual odds of a round threading 10 houses without hitting something solid enough to stop it (wall stud, refrigerator, toilet, Ted Kennedy's head, etc) are infitesmal.
A .50 round is very powerful, but not stupendously so. It'll penetrate trees, vehicles, aircraft, and with AP rounds even light armored vehicles (M113s, Amtracks, BMPs and BRDMs and BTRs) on occasion. But I doubt it'd go through more than a house or two before it hit something solid enough to stop it, no different than most high powered rifle rounds.
A .50 round is very powerful, but not stupendously so. It'll penetrate trees, vehicles, aircraft, and with AP rounds even light armored vehicles (M113s, Amtracks, BMPs and BRDMs and BTRs) on occasion. But I doubt it'd go through more than a house or two before it hit something solid enough to stop it, no different than most high powered rifle rounds.
geekWithA.45
Moderator Emeritus
I'd swag (scientific wild assed guess) that .308 would drill 10-15 houses, if it miraculously managed to miss anything substantial, like furnaces, pipes, and chimneys.
Nightcrawler
Member
.50 caliber machine gun, or the Russian equivalent (12.7x108mm) will shred an M113 at close range, I'm told. They're thin-skinned (aluminum alloy armor).
One of those Russian 14.5mms would just tear a typical track to pieces. Fortunately, the Bradely has better armor.
Unsure on the BMPs, BTRs, and BRDMs, etc. The Russians have about a hundred different variations on these things, and they improve them with each new generation.
10 houses, though? That's a lot of different things for the round to punch through, degrading its velocity and momentum with each barrier.
The bigger question is, though, so friggin' what? So what if it can? If somebody is firing their .50BMG at your house, and are endangering the community, then they should be busted for it.
But if they're at the range in another state, shooting at paper targets, who the hell cares? Geez!
One of those Russian 14.5mms would just tear a typical track to pieces. Fortunately, the Bradely has better armor.
Unsure on the BMPs, BTRs, and BRDMs, etc. The Russians have about a hundred different variations on these things, and they improve them with each new generation.
10 houses, though? That's a lot of different things for the round to punch through, degrading its velocity and momentum with each barrier.
The bigger question is, though, so friggin' what? So what if it can? If somebody is firing their .50BMG at your house, and are endangering the community, then they should be busted for it.
But if they're at the range in another state, shooting at paper targets, who the hell cares? Geez!
only1asterisk
member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
- Messages
- 2,412
Even if it were just 12-20 layers of OSB and sheetrock spaced 10 feet apart I think it would lose stability and stop. I'd like to test that. What ammo should we use? What thickness OSB? I know just the people to make this one happen.
David
David
duckfoot
member
Depleted urainuim .50 BMG AP rounds could. Gotta get those off the street. It's for the children!!!
VG
Member
It's possible, IMHO
chapperjoe
Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2003
- Messages
- 135
you guys touched on an important point
MY senator, Chuck "the shmuck" Schumer, wants to ban 50 cal rifles cause they can shoot down planes.
There's a major highway at the border of JFK airport. If you want to go anywhere out of long island, this one highway takes you to all the others. IT is major.
The 747 runway starts AT THIS HIGHWAY. I took a rangefinder with me to work one day and managed to get one good read on an incoming jumbo: 20 yards. The 747's main body was 60 feet above me.
I guess we need to:
a) ban all weapons that have a 20 yard range (rubber bands and rocks included)
b) move the highway.
c) realize that legal people don't commit illegal acts with legal firearms.
d) stop listening to "the shmuck".
If you answered c) award yourself 1 point.
If you answered d)buy yourself a beer.
MY senator, Chuck "the shmuck" Schumer, wants to ban 50 cal rifles cause they can shoot down planes.
There's a major highway at the border of JFK airport. If you want to go anywhere out of long island, this one highway takes you to all the others. IT is major.
The 747 runway starts AT THIS HIGHWAY. I took a rangefinder with me to work one day and managed to get one good read on an incoming jumbo: 20 yards. The 747's main body was 60 feet above me.
I guess we need to:
a) ban all weapons that have a 20 yard range (rubber bands and rocks included)
b) move the highway.
c) realize that legal people don't commit illegal acts with legal firearms.
d) stop listening to "the shmuck".
If you answered c) award yourself 1 point.
If you answered d)buy yourself a beer.
Langenator
Member
Actually, 7.62 AP rounds will penetrate most BTRs and BRDMs, and probably BMPs (at least the earlier models) from some angles.
BTRs and BRDMS are tin cans with wheels and guns. At Ft Benning, we planned company defenses against BTR equipped BGs using M240Bs with AP ammo as anti-armor weapons.
BTRs and BRDMS are tin cans with wheels and guns. At Ft Benning, we planned company defenses against BTR equipped BGs using M240Bs with AP ammo as anti-armor weapons.
Mulliga
Member
Well, as others have said, it depends.
It's fairly well known that .50 BMG can penetrate engine blocks and lightly armored vehicles, but I'd guess (I've never shot one) that even a round moving that fast with that much mass has to be slowed down by going through steel.
From Chuck Hawks...
At a more practical 400 yards, a range normally unheard of in pachyderm hunting, the .50 BMG (750 grain bullet at a MV around 2800 fps) can deliver 10,000 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy!
An incredible amount of KE, especially for 400 yards, but not something otherworldly. A 300 gr. .375 Ultra Mag, at 400 yards, packs in excess of 2000 ft. lbs. of energy, according to Remington. 2000 ft. lbs. will slice through nearly every body armor system in the world, and will penetrate unarmored vehicles pretty easily.
Thus if it hit something solid, it probably would penetrate a few houses but be stopped. Unfortunately, buildings today are mostly built with wood or concrete block, and neither of these will do much to a projectile like that. Precast concrete walls, on the other hand...
The threat is exaggerated, obviously. Sure it could penetrate 10 houses if you got a million dollar lucky shot, but it's not some magical exploding death bomb - it'll make a .50 hole in a bunch of walls and pipes, but it most likely won't kill anyone.
Regardless, .50 rifles are relatively expensive, always heavy, and usually fairly loud - three characteristics criminals and terrorists are unlikely to live with.
It's fairly well known that .50 BMG can penetrate engine blocks and lightly armored vehicles, but I'd guess (I've never shot one) that even a round moving that fast with that much mass has to be slowed down by going through steel.
From Chuck Hawks...
At a more practical 400 yards, a range normally unheard of in pachyderm hunting, the .50 BMG (750 grain bullet at a MV around 2800 fps) can deliver 10,000 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy!
An incredible amount of KE, especially for 400 yards, but not something otherworldly. A 300 gr. .375 Ultra Mag, at 400 yards, packs in excess of 2000 ft. lbs. of energy, according to Remington. 2000 ft. lbs. will slice through nearly every body armor system in the world, and will penetrate unarmored vehicles pretty easily.
Thus if it hit something solid, it probably would penetrate a few houses but be stopped. Unfortunately, buildings today are mostly built with wood or concrete block, and neither of these will do much to a projectile like that. Precast concrete walls, on the other hand...
The threat is exaggerated, obviously. Sure it could penetrate 10 houses if you got a million dollar lucky shot, but it's not some magical exploding death bomb - it'll make a .50 hole in a bunch of walls and pipes, but it most likely won't kill anyone.
Regardless, .50 rifles are relatively expensive, always heavy, and usually fairly loud - three characteristics criminals and terrorists are unlikely to live with.
jobu07
Contributing Member
I believe it was a SHOOTING or some other various gun related magazine I read while on break at work a month or so ago that had a feature on a new .50 that some company came out with (can't recall which one though). And the gentlemen were testing it out in the middle of nowhere god's country and had set up 3 concrete cubes about 1000 (may have very well been closer) yards out IIRC. The cubes were probably 3-4 feet thick and placed end to end. When they shot they went to take a look and it demolished the first block, broke the second block in half, and stopped about 9 inches into the third making a whole the size of a grapefruit in it as it penetrated. I have no idea what ammunition they were using, but it sounded impressive to me.
ID_shooting
Member
From expirience, the .50 will pass through 6 inches of mag alloy armor, Chevy 350 engine blocks (from the side but not from the front), typical exterior wall, Drywall, studs, 6 inches of insulation, plywood, and alum siding (yes, we built a wall just to shoot it) , both doors of a Chevy pickup. What is will not pass through, 55 gal drums full of concrete, sand, water of all things although it severly blew it out, and misc scrap metal.
As for the houses, I would have to see it to belive it. I can tell you that a .22LR will kill an M1 Abrams through the frontal armor, but that doesn't make it true.
As for the houses, I would have to see it to belive it. I can tell you that a .22LR will kill an M1 Abrams through the frontal armor, but that doesn't make it true.
JohnBT
Member
Not in my neighborhood. All of the houses have 14-inch-thick solid brick walls. I guess bricks and labor were cheap in 1916. John
cracked butt
Member
Maybe the VPC is referring to the houses they eventually want us all to be living in once we're disarmed: cardboard shantytowns or some sort of gulag bunkhouses with very thin walls.
Bartholomew Roberts
Member
Isn't it amazing that in WWII, it took a small single-seat, single-engine aircraft six or eight .50 machineguns firing all at once to bring down another small single-seat, single engine aircraft; but here in 2004 a single shot from a .50 can bring down a 747?
Chipperman
Member
"but here in 2004 a single shot from a .50 can bring down a 747"
Yep.
Just further proof that they don't make 'em the way they used to.
Yep.
Just further proof that they don't make 'em the way they used to.
notbubba
Member
If you line the windows up right you could do 20 houses with a .22
Sleeping Dog
Member
I just got back from visiting "www.highroad.org". Nice looking yurt. But I bet a .50BMG round could perforate about 50 of those things. Along with a few badgers, goats, and spiders.
fix
Member
Depends on the ammo. Generally speaking, yes.
Al Thompson
Moderator Emeritus
In my neighborhood, yes. Maybe not every round, but certainly 99% of a 10 round burst.
Selfdfenz
Member
If 6-10 houses= 12-20 sheets of drywall
yes
My house has many rooms, door frames etc and it's brick.
6-10 houses is likely more like 30 or 50 walls, and I begin to think it would not do it.
S-
yes
My house has many rooms, door frames etc and it's brick.
6-10 houses is likely more like 30 or 50 walls, and I begin to think it would not do it.
S-
ShaiVong
Member
.50 BMG, HECK YEAH!
But a .4998 BMG would bounce off of the glass in the first window.. You have to reach that magic .5 or you got nothing!
But a .4998 BMG would bounce off of the glass in the first window.. You have to reach that magic .5 or you got nothing!
grnzbra
Member
Seems to me that your average NYC gang banger would be a little conspicuous humping his Barrett on the A train.
Last edited:
Duh, he'd obviously get a bullpup model and a cello case!
Then the coward could kill his rival dealer in the crack house on the end of the block by shootin' through the houses. Makes pefect sense to me...what is this "VPC" and how do I join?
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked