Which of these two for disabling car engine?

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I've always read that velocity trumps weight in steel penetration, although alexander arms claims that .50beowulf is good for disabling vehicles. Still, I vote .30-06, but I think either will be ineffective at stopping a car, especially head on.

I don't remember shooting any cast iron engine blocks, but I've shot a few aluminum blocks, and even 7.62x39mm will punch through the side of one. Would that be enough to "disable" an engine? Probably, but not before you'd get ran over.
 
This thread is no different than the "Water-Ski" thread. What a waste. It should be closed too.
This could be useful information, some folks here might have teenage daughters. ;)
 
This thread may be short on practicality, but it's definitely long on "interesting". i don't know anything about engines so it's been fun to read posts from the more mechanically minded.

If both these rifle calibers are questionable, it makes me wonder how the ".357 magnum was used to crack engine blocks" myth got so widespread.
 
When I was about 17, my hunting buddy and I were sighting in the guns we were planning on using for bear hunting at a local gravel pit. He had a sporterized .303 and I had a 12 gauge with a slug barrel. As it turns out, somebody had dumped an old Chrysler hulk there with a slant six still in it. We had heard that a .44 mag could crack an engine block, so we decided to take a couple shots at it. A .303 shooting commercial softpoints and a 12 gauge shooting slugs only left smears of lead on the front of that engine block however, and since we were broke teenagers we didn't want to fire more than one shot each at an old rusted out hulk.

As others have stated, I wouldn't count on any shoulder fired firearm to stop a car in it's tracks. An M2 or RPG might do it, but anything else would be pure luck.
 
Sounds like the fight is not equal. Why bring a gun, to a car fight?
The best way to disable an engine is going to be from a raised position. You then have a clear shot to the top of the engine.
 
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That flaming wreckage still has momentum. The only thing that's gonna stop the mass of that automobile is a larger mass.

Okay, I concede the point. The vehicle will continue to roll (even roll backwards, in some cases) but probably not much farther down the alley.

This could be useful information, some folks here might have teenage daughters.

HA! Maverick, I (if I ever have children) will probably be one of those "Oh, I had no idea your boyfriend was coming over. And yes, I did just chose this time to clean and function check all of my weapons." :D
 
I (if I ever have children) will probably be one of those "Oh, I had no idea your boyfriend was coming over. And yes, I did just chose this time to clean and function check all of my weapons."
Never know, might be useful for one of those "you're taking my daughter where?" sort of situations. ;)
 
I have two daughters. They are both in their twenties now and believe me when I say that NOTHING you can do,short of SHOOTING those walking hormones,will keep them away.
 
Never know, might be useful for one of those "you're taking my daughter where?" sort of situations.

True enough. Anything to keep a little morality in the situation.

I have two daughters. They are both in their twenties now and believe me when I say that NOTHING you can do,short of SHOOTING those walking hormones,will keep them away.

Sounds like I need alot of land and a good relationship with the local Sheriff then, eh?
 
Short of saying "I gots me a fitty" I don't see the advantage over a ye olde .45-70Govt. or a .458SOCOM in a semi platform. .45cal is known for having greater penetration unless the .50cal is driven fast with enough case capacity for high SD bullets (which is not available to my knowledge).

:)
 
And they locked my how-to-disable-a-jetski thread because it was silly...

But it got me thinking... What if I were hiking in the mountains, (at the end of an alley), and a bunch of terrorist skiers started coming up the mountain at me on a chairlift. What would be the best weapon to knock out the chairlift, a Gyrojet pistol or a 37mm flare launcher on a UTG AK?
 
You guys are just not using your imagination.

I THOUGHT these details would be implied, but I guess not, so I'll spell them out. :)

1. The car-width alley which you are stuck at the end of with no escape is a 9 degree uphill grade toward you, so that if you could disable the car enginge at some point soon between the 200 yards it's at now, and some point around 50-100 yards, it would stop before it got to you, or at least slow down enough so that you could easily time a bumper-hood-two-step-jump-up to keep from being smashed.

2. The driver is (of course) protected by 2 inch thick bullet proof plexiglass, so you have no chance of taking him out.

3. Both rifles hold 5 shots, and both are lever actions, to keep things equal (ceteris paribus).

Forget about all other externalities - someone is offering two hand you either one of those two rifle/caliber combos (your choice), out a 4" x 4" window at the end of the alley when the car is at 200 yards coming at you at around 50 miles per hour - you can only choose one (of those two)**. You may not live regardless, but which one do you CHOOSE to take and use to try to MAXIMIZE your chances of possibly stopping the vehicle and why? Don't weasal; just answer the question (if you have an opinion); thanks! :) :p

**OK, I'll allow a tungsten solid in .45-70.

But it got me thinking... What if I were hiking in the mountains, (at the end of an alley), and a bunch of terrorist skiers started coming up the mountain at me on a chairlift. What would be the best weapon to knock out the chairlift, a Gyrojet pistol or a 37mm flare launcher on a UTG AK?

Exactly, see?! It could happen - what if you start hanging out with James Bond a lot - you never know.....


HA! Maverick, I (if I ever have children) will probably be one of those "Oh, I had no idea your boyfriend was coming over. And yes, I did just chose this time to clean and function check all of my weapons."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxcpKKU68c

:D
 
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Check out the Box O' Truth to see what a 45-70 will do to laminated bulletproof glass (even with Trapdoor loads)

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot48.htm (that one was with laminated glass rated for rifles, there is another one on there somewhere with plexiglass...the 45-70 demolished it)

I'll take the 45-70...It won't stop the car, but I'll take the driver with me.
 
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Of the choices presented, I'm going with Nikes, followed by threatening the Onstar attendant.

Is the TOW missile considered a small arm? (Is it still in service???)
 
Is the TOW missile considered a small arm? (Is it still in service???)

Small arm? No, because it is used with a mount, either vehicle or stationary. Yes, it is still in service as the TOW 2B, soon to be replaced by the TOW F&F (Fire and Forget)

Dr. Winslow, that's alot of implieds...you must have an actual alley in mind.

And +1 on the song...well done. :D
 
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