TexasCHLforum.com

KD5NRH wrote:

Excaliber wrote:I'd skip the "shoot through my door" part. Doors are full of all kinds of things that will stop a bullet - window cranks or motors, lock mechanisms, and side impact reinforcing panels. Even if a round made it through your door, it almost certainly wouldn't make it through his. None of my .45 rounds ever made it through 2 car doors when I was doing testing.

One round in one spot maybe, but the Buick O' Truth shows that multiple 9mm rounds will do the job. http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/buickot3_2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dicion had limited his remarks to .45 rounds, and so did I.

I'm familiar with the buick'o truth test, and I've done similar tests as well. The photo of the entry holes shows they were knowledgeably placed to avoid the internal obstacles I mentioned. From the exit holes, I would suspect that the rounds used were FMJ which certainly enhances penetration, but such ammo is rarely carried as a personal defense round by knowledgeable people for reasons thoroughly discussed in other threads here. That test also doesn't contain any data on the remaining energy carried by the rounds after they passed through 4 layers of sheet metal. You can bet that their initial penetration rating and combat effectiveness was sharply reduced.

The issues of destroying your own hearing and potentially blinding yourself if your side window shatters from your shots is as true with the 9mm as with the .45. You could expect a homicide charge if one of those rounds sailed just over the antagonist's vehicle and took out a truck driver or a pedestrian on the other side. It would also be difficult in my mind to testify afterwards that you acted responsibly by shooting through the door when there are the problems of figuring out how you aim accurately through an opaque metal door, and trying to predict where a bullet that has gone through one car door will go (note the group patterns on the entry and exit holes in the buick o' truth test.)

If it were me in the situation, I'd leave the gun in the holster and drive out of Dodge.

dicion wrote:FYI for those in the area, keep your eyes out for a Black Male Driving a brand new Red Charger in the Copperfield Area who likes to point guns at female drivers.

A Friend of mine was driving her jeep and may have accidentally cut this guy off due to car engine issues (for which she was driving it to the shop), when he pulled up beside her and produced a weapon. He then sped off, and turned down a side road. After she got to the Mechanics shop, the guy pulled in the parking lot behind her, turned around, and sped off. She was unable to get his license plate.

She called the police, and obviously there wasn't much they could do but take down the description.

She's currently staying at my place in my guest bedroom, so in case he followed her or anything afterwards (as he obviously followed her to the mechanic's), It's condition orange for the next week or so.


Begin discussion of what YOU would do if someone pulled a gun on you while stopped at a red light.

Personally, I'm fairly confident in my 1911's ability to shoot through my door, at the guy.
Provided it's not heavy traffic, and there's no vehicles on the other side of him, I'm pretty certain I would not hesitate to shoot, and he wouldn't even need to see the weapon.
If someone points a weapon at me from their car, I have to assume the worst, that they are a gangbanger and this is an initiation where they are to kill random civilians.

I'd skip the "shoot through my door" part. Doors are full of all kinds of things that will stop a bullet - window cranks or motors, lock mechanisms, and side impact reinforcing panels. Even if a round made it through your door, it almost certainly wouldn't make it through his. None of my .45 rounds ever made it through 2 car doors when I was doing testing.

Shooting through the glass is even less productive - it will fill the air with tiny, very sharp and very painful glass fragments that will get in your eyes and create lots of extra excitement.

Did I mention the stunning effect and probable permanent hearing damage you'll get from discharging a large caliber handgun inside a car?

Your best, fastest, and most survivable strategy in that situation is to use the car itself to escape the kill zone.