Unofficial Handgun Penetration Test

[Geezer]

I saw @jar 's thread on the .32 ACP and it reminded me of an informal and unofficial test we did lately. Not many people carry the .32 any more. I am a fan of the .32 ACP as well as the .32 S&W, and I have a Baby Browning in .25 ACP.

Over the last few weeks we have done a very informal penetration test. We have used handguns in calibers that are not the first choice for carry for most people. It seems like .38 Special +P or 9mm is the minimum any more.

This test was done on whatever firearm we were shooting at the time. There was a scrap piece of treated pine 2 X 12 available and we decided to shoot one round at it. The distance was 7 yards.

As you can see, we used a .22 Short, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum, .25 Auto, .32 Auto, .32 S&W, .380 ACP. and .38 Special. Let's hear some guesses as to which rounds you think passed through the board and the ones that you think did not pass through.

I'll leave this up a while and see what some of you think and then I'll show the other side of the board. Which ones did and which ones didn't?

 

[pronstar]

I’m gonna say the .32’s and larger, all the way up thru 38 Special, will penetrate.


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[Brains]

22 mag probably went through, possibly even 22LR at 7yds. Not sure the 25, 32 or 380 auto could make it.

 

[Sam7sf]

I’m wondering if the 22 mag went threw at all from a handgun.

 

[Army 1911]

.380 penetrates farther then most think.

 

[txinvestigator]

.380 penetrates farther then most think.

In 2x12 pine?

 

[Geezer]

I'll post the results tomorrow morning.

 

[Army 1911]

In 2x12 pine?

I know of an instance where a .380 went through a woman, the chair she sat in, a 400 page hard cover book and skidded to a halt under the carpet.

Factory ball ammo.

 

[Leadslinger]

22lr barrel 4 inches or longer, 22mag pmr30, 38's possibly

 

[busykngt]

I'll post the results tomorrow morning.

Geezer,
Please forgive the private messaging, but when you flip the board over, I’d pay you good money to turn the board upside down and randomly mix all the hole labels up.... jest for grins, of course!



—-
Oppssss....

 

[txinvestigator]

I know of an instance where a .380 went through a woman, the chair she sat in, a 400 page hard cover book and skidded to a halt under the carpet.

Factory ball ammo.

Still trying to figure out how you know it will penetrate farther in 2x12 pine than most people think.

This piece of wood test is really irrelevant to ammo use in the real world.

 

[Army 1911]

it's penetrating the two inch side not the 12.

 

[Dawico]

My guess is they all went through.

The grain of that board is fairly open and pressure treated lumber is generally pretty soft anyways.

The 22lr and 32ACP hit pretty close to the hard area by the knot but I still think they penetrated.

My disclaimer is that my guess is based on the fact that most appear to be fmj or ball bullets as opposed to hollow points.

 

[Geezer]

@Dawico is almost correct. Every one of them went through the board with the exception of the .22 Short. What does this prove? Not a thing. It is kind of an eye opener since most of these cartridges are considered by many inferior defensive rounds. Even the .25 ACP went through the board.

The back side of the board is not labeled but the board is just turned around.

 

[Texasgordo]

I was expecting something else when I read the title.


Lol

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[Dawico]

Regular 22 Short or 22 Short CB?

Either way they are pretty weak.

Interesting little experiment Geezer.

 

[Geezer]

Regular 22 Short or 22 Short CB?

Either way they are pretty weak.

Interesting little experiment Geezer.

It was a CCI .22 Short, not CB.

 

[busykngt]

I’d be interested to know if the 9mm Short [380ACP] was it ball or HP?

 

[BRD@66]

Ok, that does it for me. I am as of today, retiring my 2x12 pine board chest plate.

 

[orbitup]

Was it a 38 special or a 38 S&W? You say it's a special but you wrote S&W on the board.