Pyzik
30 August 2017, 07:07
Thanks to Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute (MDFI) for hosting Centrifuge Training (William Petty) last week for his VCQB. While he was here he was offering a one day seminar on vehicle ballistics. I wasn't able to jump into a full class this year so I was very happy to be able to get into the seminar.
I didn't really have much in the way of expectations since I've done no shooting around vehicles previously.
I was VERY surprised just how few rounds made it through the body of the vehicle from several different calibers/firearms. None made it through two pillars. Only a couple made it through the car body to hit the target (out of close to 75 rounds).
We shot 12ga slug and buckshot, various popular 9mm, some 5.56 m193 & M855 (including A1), and a few .357, .45 & .300 BLK subs.
It was enough info to realize I know nothing and really need to take a full class (which I've wanted to take for a while anyway).
The biggest thing I was surprised to learn was just how good a car is at eating rounds (again, not including fired through glass).
.300 BLK from a 10.5 barrel shot into the B pillar. First round (150gr super) went into the pillar, no further. The 208gr VMAX didn't even make it all the way into the pillar.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/36916422845_614f291f15_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjn4)
300 BLK 10.5 (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjn4) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4379/36108363853_f00cc3d40b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNzt)
300 BLK Sub (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNzt) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/36108364013_88a5e0aa14_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNCe)
300 BLK (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNCe) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Will shooting B pillar with various 5.56. Over 40 rounds, none even made it to the second B pillar. The seat ate what made it through the first pillar.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4364/36108363563_b64b85ba97_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNut)
5.56 (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNut) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/36916422505_bd12f2f337_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjgc)
40+ rounds 5.56 (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjgc) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Will putting some 9mm through a single door. Only two rounds made it through. Only one connecting with the target.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4404/36108363303_22232f76d7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNpZ)
9mm (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNpZ) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Will shooting various popular 9mm HPs through the windshield. Catching the rounds with water and level III armor to show effects on the round through glass and weight loss/retention.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4339/36108362273_55f3ea4b11_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LN7e)
Catching Rounds (https://flic.kr/p/X1LN7e) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
A student shooting various areas with a 12 ga. Using slugs and buckshot (Federal flight control). The slug went through the door and through the center console, impacting the opposite door, but not passing through. Neither made it through the A pillar.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4353/36916422235_20b3584e20_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjbx)
12ga Buckshot (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjbx) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4356/36746243112_8000316523_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XZ96RJ)
12ga Slug (https://flic.kr/p/XZ96RJ) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4356/36082569384_46cfc0da04_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WYuAMf)
12ga buckshot & various calibers (https://flic.kr/p/WYuAMf) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Trek from MDFI putting some rounds through the windshield from the interior to show deflection. Almost all rounds were a foot high at around 5 yards from POA.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4379/36744899582_a3c0da91d1_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XZ2dtq)
VCQB (https://flic.kr/p/XZ2dtq) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
End of class, chopping up a car to see more effects, what was hit, what wasn't and to see if we can find some rounds.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4421/36916421015_3d86e3c9e3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YfbiPv)
Digging Deeper (https://flic.kr/p/YfbiPv) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
.45 caught in one of the pillars.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4427/36108364233_5fd1b7ff40_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNG2)
.45 (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNG2) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
I didn't really have much in the way of expectations since I've done no shooting around vehicles previously.
I was VERY surprised just how few rounds made it through the body of the vehicle from several different calibers/firearms. None made it through two pillars. Only a couple made it through the car body to hit the target (out of close to 75 rounds).
We shot 12ga slug and buckshot, various popular 9mm, some 5.56 m193 & M855 (including A1), and a few .357, .45 & .300 BLK subs.
It was enough info to realize I know nothing and really need to take a full class (which I've wanted to take for a while anyway).
The biggest thing I was surprised to learn was just how good a car is at eating rounds (again, not including fired through glass).
.300 BLK from a 10.5 barrel shot into the B pillar. First round (150gr super) went into the pillar, no further. The 208gr VMAX didn't even make it all the way into the pillar.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/36916422845_614f291f15_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjn4)
300 BLK 10.5 (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjn4) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4379/36108363853_f00cc3d40b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNzt)
300 BLK Sub (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNzt) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/36108364013_88a5e0aa14_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNCe)
300 BLK (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNCe) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Will shooting B pillar with various 5.56. Over 40 rounds, none even made it to the second B pillar. The seat ate what made it through the first pillar.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4364/36108363563_b64b85ba97_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNut)
5.56 (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNut) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/36916422505_bd12f2f337_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjgc)
40+ rounds 5.56 (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjgc) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Will putting some 9mm through a single door. Only two rounds made it through. Only one connecting with the target.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4404/36108363303_22232f76d7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNpZ)
9mm (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNpZ) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Will shooting various popular 9mm HPs through the windshield. Catching the rounds with water and level III armor to show effects on the round through glass and weight loss/retention.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4339/36108362273_55f3ea4b11_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LN7e)
Catching Rounds (https://flic.kr/p/X1LN7e) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
A student shooting various areas with a 12 ga. Using slugs and buckshot (Federal flight control). The slug went through the door and through the center console, impacting the opposite door, but not passing through. Neither made it through the A pillar.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4353/36916422235_20b3584e20_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjbx)
12ga Buckshot (https://flic.kr/p/Yfbjbx) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4356/36746243112_8000316523_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XZ96RJ)
12ga Slug (https://flic.kr/p/XZ96RJ) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4356/36082569384_46cfc0da04_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WYuAMf)
12ga buckshot & various calibers (https://flic.kr/p/WYuAMf) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
Trek from MDFI putting some rounds through the windshield from the interior to show deflection. Almost all rounds were a foot high at around 5 yards from POA.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4379/36744899582_a3c0da91d1_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XZ2dtq)
VCQB (https://flic.kr/p/XZ2dtq) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
End of class, chopping up a car to see more effects, what was hit, what wasn't and to see if we can find some rounds.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4421/36916421015_3d86e3c9e3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YfbiPv)
Digging Deeper (https://flic.kr/p/YfbiPv) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr
.45 caught in one of the pillars.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4427/36108364233_5fd1b7ff40_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNG2)
.45 (https://flic.kr/p/X1LNG2) by Damage Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damagephotos/), on Flickr