Computers as armor?

[MachIVshooter]

Probably not the best idea. I got a little bored this evening, so I decided to put a Hollywood myth to the test. I can't think how many films I've seen where a guy takes cover behind a computer desk and/or hard drive tower during a firefight. The test subject was an antiquated Emachines 333. Handguns used were an EAA Witness Compact 10mm, Helwan Brigadier 9mm (didn't feel like dirtying a nice 9mm for the test), a Llama Max-1 .45 and a S&W 4006. Each shot is numbered in the order it was fired, 1-8.





All were factory loads except for the 10mm (both) and the JHP .40 load. The 10mm's were both 180 grain slugs that clock ~1340 FPS from the 3.5" Witness. The .40 JHP load was a 155 grain XTP at 1245 FPS (pretty warm stuff).

Conclusion: You might be reasonably safe if your opponent has a 9mm or smaller. You might survive if he has a .40 or .45, as the machine slowed them down enough that they only got about half way through the phone book on the backside. If he's shooting full power 10mm, you're screwed (both the FMJ and JHP continued through the phone book behind the tower and then put decent dents in the 1/8" steel backstop).

I know this test isn't scientific, as there are many variables inside the PC tower, and integrity was further compromised with each round fired. But it was entertaining!

 

[BobMcG]

Definitely entertaining, and a bit interesting to boot.

 

[2RCO]

One way to get rid of an unwanted Tower.

 

[Halo is for Kids]

I shot a retired computer with a Nagant tanker carbine and it didn't penetrate the whole case. The back side of the computer case had a 1 inch dent where the bullet had lodged itself. The case was sheet steel and the mother board tray was steel as well, so that's 3 layers of thin metal plus the silicone mother board. It's weird that it didn't go all the way trough; my guess is that the mother board tray absorbed most of the energy when it separated from the track.

On another note the .22lr we had ricocheted off the CRT monitor. That Nagant took care of the monitors no problem though.

 

[Regolith]

Shooting computers = fun.

I came THIS close to building a trebuchet to launch old computers, but I was underfunded to the tune of $200.

It should be noted, that if your halfway decent at wood working, an old desktop (you know, the 386 and 486 era models that were built like brick s***houses) make excellent coffee tables. You get a double bonus if you keep the computer in working condition.

 

[KrayzieVanh]

Whoa, pretty neat test! I guess you can think of some other destructive things to do with that tower now!

 

[coelacanth]

yeah bro, now you can turn the case inside out. . . .

and use it as a cheese grater. Or file 2 grooves in it and use it as an ash tray. Remember - its cool to recycle.

 

[ilcylic]

"Antiquated E-machines 333"...

Hahahahahahahaha!

I remember performing these sorts of experiments with outdated 8088 AT CPUS, and old DEC PDP-11 hard drives, and removable disc packs.

Good to see the geek spirit of using old hardware as target practice lives on!

 

[jeepmor]

10mm, sweet. From a compact no less.

 

[Mr White]

At least an EMachine is good for something, but apparently that something isn't stopping bullets.

 

[Pax Jordana]

Most computer cases won't stop bullets. Some hard drives will.

My dad was a tech for a big tech-type company (I don't remember most of the technology he used, but he did check proofing machines and ATMs before he retired). His favorite thing to do was surreptitiously pull an old 25 meg hard drive that we'd shot with a 38 and say...

Here's the problem - your hard drive's shot.

This is the same guy who took a recently emptied bottle of jacquin's ginger brandy and used it to hold his maple syrup (no sense carrying around a 2 gallon jug of the stuff). Guess it takes all types to make a world.

Now, almost as scary as a gunfight is all the crap shooting a computer will spit out. Monitors are worse. Lead, heavy metals, tons of crap.

See http://www.computertakeback.com/ for more info.

 

[boredelmo]

Can you do me a favor and put a .223 through that too?

I'm curious to see results.

 

[Blackbeard]

My hobbies are shooting, computers, and shooting computers...

 

[The-Fly]

I work IT, and so I shoot old machines ALL the time. Having blasted several dozen computers with virtually every caliber you can think of, here's my two cents.

With all the variables in cases, stuff inside etc, its really hard to predict what an individual system will and wont stop. As a general rule, a case with everything inside it has a rough 50-75% chance at stopping non magnum caliber rounds (9mm, 40, 45acp, etc). With a fairly warm 357 or 44mag, maybe 25% at best.

Shotguns... anything short of buckshot will be stopped easily. 00 Buckshot will exit for the most part (a few pellets may get stopped). Slugs usually (80-90% of the time and up) punch an evil hole all the way through.

Rifles (excluding 22lr) ..... virtually guaranteed to punch right through, even light weight .224 projectiles.

As a side note, most hard drives will stop anything short of a warm 357 magnum round, even repeated hits. A warm 357, depending on the hard drive, will penetrate about 50% of the time. Rifle rounds zip right through without issue.