What does it take to punch an engine block?

[Noxx]

Of the ones you've listed I'd give the nod to the big Russian, especially if you have some of that silly-hot greek ammo laying around. Even so, without a steel core I'd guess it's pretty iffy.

 

[Odd Job]

Would appreciate some windshield shots first, to demonstrate how much deflection there is (have a horizontal handgun barrel, aimed at a fixed point on the car seat inside, and then measure the downward deflection)

 

[Werewolf]

.357 Mag FMJ 158gr will do it easy.

Or just about any FMJ centerfire rifle round.

 

[W.E.G.]

A hole in the intake system is probably easier to achieve, and would have the same effect of stopping the engine as a shot that breaches the combustion chamber.

A hole in the crankcase area will have zero effect on stopping the motor. A friend of mine drove his Toyota for a week after draining the oil, and not replacing it. That was ten years ago. He did put oil in it when he discovered the error. He's still driving that car with the same motor.

A hole that causes loss of coolant will eventually cause the motor to stop. But, a car without coolant may drive for many miles (maybe many-many miles depending on load) before the motor completely seizes.

Don't put an eye out and clean up your mess.

 

[BobMcG]

I shot an engine block with an SKS at approximately 1 foot distance. Bullet didn't even put the slightest of a dent. Tried 3 more times. Exact same results every time.

From one foot away! You have a bigger set of balls than I do.

Around thirty five years ago in mid winter, me and a pal were out plinking with our .22s. Way out on the backside of an uninhabited mountain we spotted a dark, cylindrical object about four inches in diameter sticking out of the three foot deep snow about forty yards ahead. After scoping it out we decided it was the end of a broken tree branch on a downed tree. OK, lets see who can nail it dead center first. I got off a shot first and lucky me I hit it dead center. I mean dead center... The instant I heard the report of my rifle I felt like I got hit in the forehead with a ball-peen hammer. Stunned, and with a large egg forming on my brow, dead center between my eyes, I looked down at the snow between my feet to see a melt hole. I followed the hole with my gloved hand all the the way to bottom of the deep snow to find a perfectly mushroomed, to the point of being nearly flat, .22 bullet.
Well, needless to say it wasn't a wooden tree branch at all but the steel barrel of a carburetor on an abandoned dune buggy (or what was left of it). We never could figure out what it was doing there or how it got there.

I was young and stupid but I got a lot wiser real quick. It's not a lesson you ever forget.

So to all you guys out there shooting up steel engine blocks... I wish you the best of luck and do it as safely as possible. Crap can and does happen, when you least expect it.

 

[General Geoff]

^^one more reminder to always use eye protection.

"Now remember, these are real bullets, so I want to see goggles, people!"

 

[kd7nqb]

I really like the idea of draining ALL of the fluids first.

Brake fluid- worthless since its not moving

Trans Fluid- Car wont be moving

Coolant- we can use water

Oil- Engine should not seize before we shoot it up

Others- Drain them anyway.

A safe distance would of course be used. There is no reason to end in a life flight trip.

I think the windshield shot will be fun. I also have suggested parking the car on a large sheet of plastic to catch glass and other debris.

 

[mgregg85]

91/30 with silver tip surplus ammo ought to do it.

 

[RPCVYemen]

When I was a kid, I was told that the 357 magnum was developed during Prohibition times to crack the engine block of a gangster's getaway car. I have no idea if that's a true story or not.

Maybe the Mythbusters guys would be interested in this one?

Mike

 

[jefnvk]

Think shooting the camshafts/valves would put it out of order quicker.

Remember, you lose compression in one cylinder, you still got lots more that are working. Get parts flying around up top, they're gonna wreck havoc with all the other valves. and put them all out.

Think shooting the driver will achieve the result much quicker, and not ruin a potential getaway car in the process

 

[BRASSM]

A .308 Win. with 180gr AP bullets loaded to 2400 will punch through an Audi engine, and completely demolish a VW rabbit engine. The VW engine just flew apart with oil, and antifreeze spraying. The bullets punched neat little holes in the body, the exiting engines parts didn't. Left a trail along the road.

 

[25ACP]

If you want to stop a car, shoot the driver.

 

[Soybomb]

The guys that I've talked to who have put holes in engines say its quite unexciting. It seems like bullet holes don't often make the engine stop, its the shot that knocks off a distrubtor cap or something that finally kills it.

 

[Lucky]

"Shooting up a car is dangerous and (as said) a real mess. Giving away a car is much more fun."

That's not right, not right at all.


Brassm, that teaser deserves more details.


Soy, does a Honda have a distributor cap? Timing is electronic, no?

 

[sturmgewehr]

I've shot more than a few cars in my day, and right now there are two on my private range.

You'll be lucky to crack the block of the Honda with a single .308, 30-06, 300 Mag, or 7.62x54... especially if you're shooting through the body of the car first and if the block is cast iron. If you shoot enough rounds in roughly the same spot, you'll punch a hole through the block.

One shot, get a .50 BMG rifle. You could probably do it with a .338 Lapau as well.

 

[230RN]

Jeez.

Sparks.

Fragments flying around.

Oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline soaking into the water table.

Fire hazard.

Bullet/spark striking any residual fuel.

Spontaneous combustion from oil oxidation in the forest litter.

Air conditioner freon getting loose.

Jeez.

Your buddy's family must have a lot of faith.

Sorry guys, I calls 'em like I sees 'em:

Welcome to The High Road, an online discussion board dedicated to the discussion and advancement of responsible firearms ownership. It is the declared mission of this board to achieve and provide the highest quality of firearms discussion on the Internet, a standard set by the discussion board The Firing Line from 1998-2002.

 

[TargetTerror]

There is nothing like destroying a POS car. My friends and I went to town on an old Mazda 626 that was on its last leg:

http://www.pansypatrol.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1

Our approach was a little different. We tried to blow up the engine from the inside, rather than by applying violence from the outside. But, the important thing is that that car dies spectacularly

 

[davepool]

S&W .500 magnum with Hornady 500 grain jacketed soft point

 

[230RN]

woo

hoo

 

[taliv]

We fired a number of rounds at an 8 cylinder block to see what would happen including .50 BMG ball, AP, and API. Shots dead center into the block did penetrate into the block where they were captured. .308 penetrated. .223 penetrated as well, but only in the thinnest areas such as the lifter covers and such.

i'm proposing a new engine block IPSC/IDPA target for practical shooting, with A/B/C areas designated for neutralizing the target with major/minor calibers

 

[sm]

I used a custom trailer hitch and reverse gear to "crack" a engine block on a Fiat 4 banger once , does that count?

Granted it did customize the rest of this vehicle and upset the occupants , still this did get them to quit doing what they where doing and allowed me get get distance.

Ruark said to always shoot again, so I pulled up, and did it again...

 

[Feanaro]

Balls, a hard hand, or boxing gloves.

 

[Reyn]

Im no mechanic and ignorant to engines in general. I responded to a shooting one night where two brothers got in a fight. One was driving a honda car. The one brother fired 10rds into the hood of the car. Brother two left and we found the car 6miles away disabled with a 6in almost perfect circle group of 10rds. Oil was everywhere. He was using a SKS.

 

[Cannonball888]

Chuck Norris


Someone had to say it

 

[Scanr]

dirty Harry always said it took a 44 mag.