Re: A reality in Hollywood - what's that?

[four.rings@mcione.com]

> A .357 magnum round can and has been demonstrated to pass completely
> through an old Murican cast arn engine block, end to end after penetrating
> body, seats, dash, etc, first.  I don't recommend hiding from bullets
> behind a piece of sheet metal.

I think this is an urban legend; I also heard it. I did a lot of shooting with a
.357 Magnum and I seriously doubt that it will penetrate an engine block ... at
least till I see it with my own eyes. More likely that competition Glock .45
that I shot the last time around, but still, I have to see it to believe it.

I should also note that it's not the sheet metal of the car door alone but the
window motor, the steel glass raising arms, the inner bracketry etc. that stop
the bullets.

What I saw with my own eyes was a guy shooting all kinds of firearms into the
car through the door at the point-blank range (1.5-2m away) after which the door
was opened and the inner door panel was removed and examined for the presence of
exit holes. It turned out that they found only two holes: the 7.62mm (AK47) and
that of a sniper rifle. The rest of the projectiles were fished out of the door
bottom, all squashed and looking like daisies.

The pistols with the hollow point ammo were the most pathetic ones - for obvious
reasons.

Off course there's always a small chance that the projectile will meet just the
outer sheet metal door skin alone - this would explain the sad example with
Bob's neighbour, killed by a 9mm.

A few years back I arranged that my wife took a self-defence course in my
shooting club and the instructor (who is a Philly Police vet of 26 years)
explicitly told them:
-"what do you do if someone is trying to hijack your car? Nothing, just drive
away. Your chance of being hit behind the locked doors is negligible in
comparison with you stepping out of the vehicle into the bandit's mercy". I know
this guy very well and am certain that he knows what he's talking about.

My apologies for dragging this non-Audi topic along. I will reply to any future
firearms-relarted posts off list.

Igor Kessel
P.S. In the light of the recent posts: 
I can not be held liable if you get shot while hiding behind the car's door.
Thankfully, I never had a chance to test this survival technique in the real
life. All said hereabove is the good faith description of something that I saw
on film or heard from other people. I do not personally endorse any of it.