Apple a Day
Member
Okay, here's the last test. I wanted to do one more comparison. All shots were taken at 25 yards unless otherwise noted and hung from a wooden frame with a cardboard face.
DISCLAIMER: All information is posted for entertainment purposes only. I am not advising ANYONE to stand in front of a bullet and try to stop it with a book. In fact I am advising AGAINST IT. Besides, for all you know I made all this stuff up. I could be that guy from Africa who keeps sending you emails asking you to help me get a hundred million dollars out of my country and all you have to do is send me your bank account number and authorization codes. Take everything with a grain of salt.
In the other sessions I tested 9x19mm ammo against books.
As mentioned before: stacking the books to cushion some of the impact and absorb the bullet's momentum seemed to reduce penetration.
Since I was at the range I shot a couple of books with a .22 magnum revolver with a 6.5" barrel using 40 grain Winchester JHP rounds. Both books were 1000 pages+ and had covers. The seven bullets all passed through the front cover and then an average of 407 pages. All rounds were suitably expanded/mangled.
As a last hurrah I placed two 800 page books and two thick scientific supply catalogues (which respemble J.C. Penny's type catalogues, not the cheap newspaper print type) singly on the berm behind the 50 yard target stands - call it 60 yards- and pounded them with cheap Federal .22 LR high velocity rounds from a 21' barrel.
The books were identical and took it well, stopping the rounds in an average of 444 pages. All of the rounds were pretty much powdered by the impact. The thicker catalogue still in its plastic shipping sheathe stopped the rounds just short of the 1200 page mark. The thinner catalogue, 449 pages thick, was shot to pieces, rounds passing completely through.
Conclusions:
1) I never want to be in a situation where I have to count on a book to stop a bullet.
2) I wouldn't count on a single book to stop a bullet. More is better because it is not only thicker material but multiple books will help absorb the bullet's energy.
3)Penetration depends a lot on what's backing the books.
I suppose of I wanted to be thorough I should test the 16" barreled rifle against the 21" barrel. Maybe some other time. If I could find some thicker books I'd take them to the range and try to 9x19mm ammo on them to see how deep they will go. I'll keep my eyes open.
DISCLAIMER: All information is posted for entertainment purposes only. I am not advising ANYONE to stand in front of a bullet and try to stop it with a book. In fact I am advising AGAINST IT. Besides, for all you know I made all this stuff up. I could be that guy from Africa who keeps sending you emails asking you to help me get a hundred million dollars out of my country and all you have to do is send me your bank account number and authorization codes. Take everything with a grain of salt.
In the other sessions I tested 9x19mm ammo against books.
- Against thee 445 page books stacked together a HP round killed the first book but stopped there.
- Against three 445 page books stacked together a jacketed round killed the first book and made it most if not all the way to the back cover of the second.
- Against a 1000 page book backed by two other books it made it on average about 900 pages.
- NOW against a single 1069 page book with NO other books behind it all four jacketed rounds passed completely through. All rounds were 115 grain Winchester White Box.
As mentioned before: stacking the books to cushion some of the impact and absorb the bullet's momentum seemed to reduce penetration.
Since I was at the range I shot a couple of books with a .22 magnum revolver with a 6.5" barrel using 40 grain Winchester JHP rounds. Both books were 1000 pages+ and had covers. The seven bullets all passed through the front cover and then an average of 407 pages. All rounds were suitably expanded/mangled.
As a last hurrah I placed two 800 page books and two thick scientific supply catalogues (which respemble J.C. Penny's type catalogues, not the cheap newspaper print type) singly on the berm behind the 50 yard target stands - call it 60 yards- and pounded them with cheap Federal .22 LR high velocity rounds from a 21' barrel.
The books were identical and took it well, stopping the rounds in an average of 444 pages. All of the rounds were pretty much powdered by the impact. The thicker catalogue still in its plastic shipping sheathe stopped the rounds just short of the 1200 page mark. The thinner catalogue, 449 pages thick, was shot to pieces, rounds passing completely through.
Conclusions:
1) I never want to be in a situation where I have to count on a book to stop a bullet.
2) I wouldn't count on a single book to stop a bullet. More is better because it is not only thicker material but multiple books will help absorb the bullet's energy.
3)Penetration depends a lot on what's backing the books.
I suppose of I wanted to be thorough I should test the 16" barreled rifle against the 21" barrel. Maybe some other time. If I could find some thicker books I'd take them to the range and try to 9x19mm ammo on them to see how deep they will go. I'll keep my eyes open.
