How armored is an armored car?

[Dain Bramage]

Now this middle-aged, father-of-four doesn't plan on using the knowledge for practical applications

I was just curious. People openly talk about bullet-proof vest capabilities, and armored fighting vehicles, even ones with classified capabilities, are open to conjecture on enthusiast boards.

I'm always seeing these boxy armored transport trucks on the highway, and I wonder how much of it is for show.

I worked as a bank guard when I was a student. One of the transport companies had an array of vehicles they used, from light courier trucks to the classic big armored cars. The armored cars had slotted plexi-glass inserts on the side windows, with big rivets holding them in place. Very impressive looking. I always assumed they were for passing paperwork through as the windows probably didn't open. Maybe they could be used as firing ports, like the military AFVs (Barney, you just used your only bullet)!

The goofy thing is that the company fitted the same inserts on their Chevy Luvs and vans. Much less impressive when a .25 ACP could penetrate the vehicle anywhere else. Instead of spreading the impression of invulnerability to their lesser vehicles, it just made me think that the Emperor had no clothes.

 

[Sven]

BMW offers a factor option for armor on the 7-series. We are definitely living in a different world now. Don't know much about armored cars, myself.

 

[Josey]

Hey You got it. Dressed to impress. I have seen fiberglass kits to make a standard van "look" armored. I have seen so-called armored car transports that were fake. There are very good covert and discrete armored vehicles on the road too. They can stop most anything up to an RPG.

 

[VaughnT]

The trucks are armored to stop your common handgun/rifle bullets. What they look like on the outside is no indication of the interior armaments. Anything with gunports is pretty cool.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Recently someone had a armored cadillac for sale. About $39k. It was rated to stop handgun bullets. Modernly, you'd want something that could stop a .223.

 

[KRAUTGUNNER]

I think an armored car must be able to stop 7,62X39 and .308Win FMJ and especially those 5,45X39 steel core bullets AND move at a decent speed if necessary.

 

[cookhj]

i have seen a .45 caliber hole in the side of an armored truck (i won't say which company). it pierced the skin and left a nice hole, but didn't go through the other side, so i guess the armor did its job.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Also remember the armor isn't there to protect the guards. It's to protect the money/valuables. All it has to do is keep the BGs out long enough for the police to respond and it has succeeded in it's mission.

 

[HankB]

BMW offers a factor option for armor on the 7-series.

And the Lincoln Town Car is now available with factory armor . . . about $140,000 IIRC.

I have seen fiberglass kits to make a standard van "look" armored.

This makes about as much sense as giving security guards imitation guns . . . which I understand some security companies have done.

 

[J Miller]

Armored trucks are bullet "resistant", not bullet "proof".

I spent 6 years living 45+ hours a week inside those things. They are solid, but not impervious to rifle ammo.

The multi layer glass windows will stop most handgun rounds, but will not stop rifle ammo, or shotgun slugs. And the bad part is that even though it will stop most handgun rounds, the glass away from the bullet impact will explode in fragments. Meaning if the driver is on the back side of a windshield piece that is hit, he will be cut to ribbons. Very good reason to wear safty glasses when driving those things.
The laminated plexiglass is so much more flexible that it works better, and no explosive fragmentation on the back side.

How do I know this? While I worked there they scrapped out several of the ancient trucks. I got a bunch of armor plate to shoot at. What an education. Made me real concious of my security practices.

The big boxy armored cars use layered aluminum and steel plates as the armor.
The vans use woven laminated fiberglass sheets for armor.

Again this will stop most handgun rounds, but not rifle rounds.

Our instructions for security purposes when making drops and pickups, was to never position your vehicle where you could be blocked in by one vehicle. Always give yourself some running room.
And if your partner was grabbed and the bg's were trying to use him to gain access to the truck, leave him, call the dispatcher and drive away.
They said that when you do that the odds are that the partner will not be killed. However once inside the truck the odds were that both of the crew will be killed.

 

[DadOfThree]

And if your partner was grabbed and the bg's were trying to use him to gain access to the truck, leave him, call the dispatcher and drive away.

Evidently this policy was not written by a SEAL team member.
I know, I know, protect the money not the people.

 

[J Miller]

Actually that policy was put in place to protect the drivers and guards.
If a robber has one man outside the truck and gains access to the one inside, usually they are both KILLED. This was proven the first year I worked there when to guards were taken by robbers discuised as cops. They found them in the bottom of Lake Mead. DEAD.
If the driver leaves the scene the robber has a hostage, but nothing else. At the time the statistics were that the one held hostage would be freed.

As for the money, we were never told to protect it with our lives. After all it's insured completly. Ever hear of FDIC? We kept quadruplicate logs on every thing just for this purpose. The money was never put above the lives of the driver / guards.

 

[firestar]

I worked for a armored car co. for a year and a half when I got out of college and couldn't find work in my major. It was a easy job that required a lot of sitting and driving. I had lots of time to think about the armor and did some research.

Apparently, the glass is able to stop a certain number of bullets per square foot. For example, the maker claims it will stop 5 handgun bullets or 3 rifle or shotgun blasts per square foot. So if someone jumps on your hood with an AK-47 and pumps 4 rounds into less than a square foot of glass, it will probably fail and you will die because there is no place to hide.

Brinks has 3 guys in the truck, one in the back and two up front but the smaller companies often only have two guys (or women). The smaller companies tend to be less trained, have higher turn over and are much softer targets. If you work at a small armored car company, your chance of getting killed probably go up.

 

[VaughnT]

I saw one of our trucks take a point-blank shotgun blast to the interior plating. The round (buckshot or slug???) went right through, but didn't make it to the outside. That tells me I'm pretty safe inside.

I saw a window laminate take multiple rounds from handguns and military type rifles without failing. And all of these rounds were put into a window measuring approx 12"x16". The only round to penetrate was from an AK47, and even then the bullet was trapped in the laminate with just the nose sticking through. There was no spalling evident.

As for leaving your partner if he's held hostage, what else can you do? If you open your door to get out, the badguy's wingman could plug you. If you remove the goldmine which they perceive that truck to be, their motivation for continuing the threat is greatly diminished. While you're in the truck, you have command of a very powerful asset and can use it to help your partner by calling for help and attracting attention to the situation.

And the money is never put before the employee's life. Everyone realizes that the money can and will be replaced.

This job is a lot like life in general in that YOU are responsible for YOUR safety. Take it seriously and you'll survive. Don't and you probably won't.

 

[Gewehr98]

I always wondered about that.

I kept thinking there had to be some decommissioned Brinks trucks or the like out there when I was developing my 2000fps, 405gr .45-70 handloads a while ago for my .45-70 AK/Saiga project. Although a big belted magnum would probably do just as much damage.

When I took my polygraph tests for my clearance, one of the discussions was what armored car drivers get asked in their pre-employment questionnaire. I understand they ask you if you've ever thought about bumping off an armored car, and if you say "no", you probably won't get hired.

 

[0007]

Armoured cars come in two types - LAV and HAV, light armoured vehicle and heavy armoured vehicle. Difference is the weight(thickness) of the armour. Also the heavy will often have run-flat tires mounted. The light ones typically will stop ordinary pistol rounds and ball rifle. The heavy will stop AP rifle rounds as well. That said, none of them are made for extended fire fights or RPGs. Rather the idea is that they stop things long enough for the driver to get his vehicle away from the kill zone. These are autos and SUV type vehicles, not military things. The BMW armoured car ~ $150,000 - is a real work of art, having been designed from the ground up to carry the weight of the armour, and handles very well for its weight. Many of the American-made cars are simply overloaded pigs to drive. The newer genration of cars uses a light layer of armour that is as efficient as the older.