Bulletproof Cars? Not...

[Richard Beels <beels@technologist.com>]

>   >> handguns, especially those shooting the hollow point ammo, were
compleately
>   >> harmless. That's why the Police hide behind the car doors in a
shootout.
>   >> The door offers a quite adequate protection.

Completely?  Ummm, sorry no.  I live in suburban Detroit and, ummm, have
some experience in this.  I shoot quite a fair bit and growing up, would
head down to the neighbor's truck & car junkyard to liberate France and
perforate many an expired car or whatever else the junkyard had hanging about.

Some random data points: A couple guys I know were shot at while on a TSD
rally in Southern Ohio last April.  They guy pumped 6 shots into the car
with his 9mm (from about 15-25 yards), with the following result:  "One
thru the driver door which shrapnelled into my leg (the door does not open
now), one thru the center of the hatch that went thru the seat, Jamie's
arm, HVAC controls, firewall, and dropped someplace out in engine
compartment, one thru the rr of car above taillight assembly, thru plastic,
thru speaker cone and basket, one in LR tire, one thru the tailpipe,
posssibly the same one into the rear axle (remember this is an Integra)."

In college (in Detroit proper), I was riding in a (ex-)friend's 5kt (SEE,
here's audi content) when we stopped at a house for a party.  Of course,
being less than completely sober, we stopped at the wrong house.  The
occupant, was, shall we say, less than happy to see a bunch of guys
"attacking" him and he came out with a .22 pistol.  We ran, jumped in the
car and took off.  He started shooting, about 15 yards away.  Two bullets
penetrated the C pillar and became lodged in between the interior trim
pieces and the metal (The strength of German steel?).  Adam, who's head
would have been perforated never rode with Craig again.  Me?  I wouldn't
ride with him either, but still borrowed his car (boost IS addictive<g>).

I was riding in a friend's car, white Ford Escort GT (college students
can't be choosy sometimes when their car isn't working) one day and got
stuck at the McDonalds drive through.  The (again, ex-) friend was into
drugs (Detroit again) and some of his "friends" saw his car while driving
by.  Stopped and took a shot at ME!  I can play this in slow motion in my
head: me just kinda glancing sideways and seeing the guy gesticulate at the
car, them slowing way down and the guy going for the gun under the seat, me
getting all wide eyed as he comes up and starts to shoot, notices I'm not
John, shoots anyways and takes off.  Bullet went through both doors and
into the brick of the McDonalds, leaving a nice pock mark.  Probably 9mm,
35 feet away. "Funny" thing was the first time I borrowed his car, he
mentioned this might happen.  hahaha....

Hollowpoints go through steel, they go through windshields.  There's lots
of data on this; variables include caliber, bullet design, cartridge
charge, angle of penetration, hollow-point "stuffing" (e.g. shoot somebody
in a sweater and the hollowpoint 'fills' with sweater and doesn't expand),
etc...  Hiding behind a car is better than standing out in the open but you
want more than an 1/8" thick piece of steel (plastic??? fiberglass???)
between you and a speeding bullet.  The funny thing about most movies is
they show cops, not crouched over the fenders, but standing between pillars
with their torso exposed - as if auto glass has magical bulletproof
properties.....



Cheers,
	Richard
	88 90Q - <insert pithy witticism here>
	88 Golf GTi - PRO Rally