Handgun Ballistics ?

[DesertPirate]

The M-60 is a Machine Gun...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_machine_gun

How about a Barrett 50? Through the engine and take the drivers leg off!
Peace through superior firepower.
Of course that is as far from a pistol as you can get.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The M-60 is a Machine Gun...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_machine_gun

The M60 was also a Vietnam era tank. That's the one Cloudy was talking about.

 

[cloudy]

The M60 was also a Vietnam era tank. That's the one Cloudy was talking about.

Not me, Jenny.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The M60 was also a Vietnam era tank. That's the one Cloudy was talking about.

I know that...

I didn't quote Cloudy??!!??

 

[voluptuary_manque]

See? Posting without footnotes, again. Thanx.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

How about a Barrett 50? Through the engine and take the drivers leg off!
Peace through superior firepower.
Of course that is as far from a pistol as you can get.

The M109 Barrett is a fine weapon and would do the job, loudly.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The M109 Barrett is a fine weapon and would do the job, loudly.

Ain't easy to carry around, though.

 

[oggbashan]

Instantly stopping any vehicle coming directly towards you isn't possible without artillery.

A 15 inch Naval shell would be effective.

Og

 

[R. Richard]

It's not an urban myth, but a typical modern handgun load generally won't do the job because of the trend towards expanding and/or "frangible" bullets designed to minimize penetration.

I know from Experience that, at the range your're talking about, a 358 gr, solid lead "wadcutter" from a .357 Magnum revolver will penetrate both cylinder walls of a Ford V-8 Engine.

The 135 gr hollow points I normally use will NOT penetrate an engine block or any solid metal object thicker than about 3/8 of an inch.

Normal sport or 'self defense' ammo, including our 135 gr hollow point is designed to expand upon impact. Military Full Metal Jacket [FMJ] ammo is designed to penetrate and will penetrate a cast iron engine block.

I assume that the '358 gr' round you referenced is actually a 158 gr .357 magnum load. A 358 grain bullet would be HUGE. The largest standard .357 round that I am aware of uses a Speer 325 gr bullet as a hunting round.

 

[R. Richard]

Instantly stopping any vehicle coming directly towards you isn't possible without artillery.

A 15 inch Naval shell would be effective.

Og

Actually, an IED wll work. Also, a Molotov cocktail will usually have quite an effect. Finally, an RPG will do the job if the operator knows what he is doing. [I don't know if you consider the RPG to be artillery.]

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Actually, an IED wll work. Also, a Molotov cocktail will usually have quite an effect. Finally, an RPG will do the job if the operator knows what he is doing. [I don't know if you consider the RPG to be artillery.]

I do, likewise the old recoiless rifles developed during Korea. The 75 mm shoulder fired version was artillary in the line doggies' pocket. Today, we use disposable versions but they do the same thing. Still the best way to stop a speeding car with a sidearm is a lucky shot into the driver's front teeth. That penetrates to the base of the skull and shuts off everything.

 

[rgraham666]

I imagine a sabot round from a shotgun would do a wonderful job of wrecking an engine block.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/shotgun-shell-sabot.gif

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I imagine a sabot round from a shotgun would do a wonderful job of wrecking an engine block.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/shotgun-shell-sabot.gif

Oh, they do, they do!

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Not me, Jenny.

Yep. That was me. I was rather thinking of the Patton Tank actually. If you are going to do it, go all the way

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Yep. That was me. I was rather thinking of the Patton Tank actually. If you are going to do it, go all the way

In that case, you don't want a Patton, you want an Abrams!

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj48/cyberfool99/OCPA-2005-12-05-101528.jpg

 

[Weird Harold]

Normal sport or 'self defense' ammo, including our 135 gr hollow point is designed to expand upon impact. Military Full Metal Jacket [FMJ] ammo is designed to penetrate and will penetrate a cast iron engine block.

I assume that the '358 gr' round you referenced is actually a 158 gr .357 magnum load. A 358 grain bullet would be HUGE. The largest standard .357 round that I am aware of uses a Speer 325 gr bullet as a hunting round.

You are correct, I did mean to type 158 gr instead of 358. The important part was the "wadcuttter" shape, though; it's a bullet shape designed specifically to punch holes with minimal exansion.

ETA images:

Wadcutter:
http://www.firearmsid.com/Bullets/images/bt08.jpg

Semi-wadcutter:
http://www.firearmsid.com/Bullets/images/bt07.jpg

 

[Wildcard Ky]

The bullet has more to do with damage to an engine block than the caliber of the weapon.

If it's a soft piece of lead, it's going to flatten against steel. Make it a harder, more dense bullet, and it will penetrate steel.

 

[Weird Harold]

If it's a soft piece of lead, it's going to flatten against steel. Make it a harder, more dense bullet, and it will penetrate steel.

Either of the two bullets I pictured can be scored with a thumbnail, but the second -- the semi-wadcutter -- is the one that I, personally, have fired through both cyclinder walls of an abandoned Ford V-8 engine block from 25-30 yards away; Precisely to test the urban legend that a .357 magnum can completely penetrate an engine block.

The answer, in my experience, is no it can't, but it can penetrate halfway through a V-8 block if you hit the cylinder or water jacket instead of the solid casting between them. and then only with the wadcutter or semi-wadcutter bullets.

 

[colddiesel]

Thanks everyone for the amazing response. I posted my question at midnight(I'm 15 to 20 hours ahead of US time zones) and have woken up to 42 responses - fantastic, you guys between you have written a definitive "How to" essay.

I have decided to simplify the situation a bit . She will know how to use the gun. The car will be stationary and she will empty the gun relatively slowly and deliberately. Effectively she will be blasting to bits the representation of her soon to be ex husband's ego.

I've also realised that the car is going to have to be one of those nondescript British 60's sportscars.I can't bring myself to the point of letting even my heroine blast a real icon like a Ferrari , a Corvette or an Aston.

Thank you all.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I've also realised that the car is going to have to be one of those nondescript British 60's sportscars.I can't bring myself to the point of letting even my heroine blast a real icon like a Ferrari , a Corvette or an Aston.

Thank you all.

A Triumph TR6 would be okay, or almost any of the Japanese models, but surely you won't let her hurt a Morgan or an early MG, would you? Please?

 

[The_Fool]

Make it a Fiat.....or a Citroen.....

 

[The_Fool]

A gun I have seen lately is a revolver made by Magnum Research, they do the Desert Eagle. Chambered for 45-70. I would like to try and shoot it.....well, at least once. Had a friend shoot my .454 once and hand it back to me. I told him...

 

[JagFarlane]

Oh, they do, they do!

Yea, considering the fact that the softer lead is surrounded by a harder copper jacket it would work quite well. However if you were to go that way you have to have a rifled shotgun barrel [which always made me wonder why it didn't quite meet the qualifications for rifle right then and there]

 

[snap1415]

There's always the Acme "Drop a Safe Off a Tall Building" machine.....

 

[Weird Harold]

I have decided to simplify the situation a bit . She will know how to use the gun. The car will be stationary and she will empty the gun relatively slowly and deliberately. Effectively she will be blasting to bits the representation of her soon to be ex husband's ego.

Just to rub salt in the wounds, so to speak:

She should use HIS (penile substitute) gun (something big and powerful that he never practices with because it hurts his hand) to punch holes in his (penile substitute) car.

That would give her a plausible reason for using a gun bigger than most women choose to carry (because of size or weight, not because they can't shoot it.)

It would add more salt if the only prints on the gun when she finished were his.