I've wondered how much power and accuracy would be lost if you had to shoot through a car window. An armed carjacker who appears at your passenger window and is about to open the door when you shoot from the drivers seat is not a totally impossible situation to imagine. I've wondered, especially for a smaller caliber gun, like a 380 auto, if the window would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the round when it hits the BG.
If you had to shoot through a car window....
- Thread starter vito
- Start date
irocknrol2
New member
Check out the website the box of truth. He did some examples of that.
Scattergun Bob
New member
vito
Dogs is right!
Side window glass is not Laminated or curved so it is easier to break and does not do the deflection thing. First round breaks the glass, rounds 2 thru ? take care of the issue.
Hopefully, as in most self defense events, just showing the gun, solves the problem.
Good Luck and Be Safe
Dogs is right!
Side window glass is not Laminated or curved so it is easier to break and does not do the deflection thing. First round breaks the glass, rounds 2 thru ? take care of the issue.
Hopefully, as in most self defense events, just showing the gun, solves the problem.
Good Luck and Be Safe
madmo44mag
New member
I don't think I would shoot through the glass as this will cover you in shards of glass at eye level.
I would shoot through the door just below the glass. This is soft plastic and thin metal, not laminated glass.
This also puts the point of impact at the belt level or slightly below leaving the BG gut shot or worse, shot in the balls.
Just my thoughts!!!!
PS side glass is laminated and most are curved.
There is one too two sheets of plastic between the layers of glass. The wind shield has up too 4 layer of plastic.
The DOT requires all auto glass to be laminated.
I would shoot through the door just below the glass. This is soft plastic and thin metal, not laminated glass.
This also puts the point of impact at the belt level or slightly below leaving the BG gut shot or worse, shot in the balls.
Just my thoughts!!!!
PS side glass is laminated and most are curved.
There is one too two sheets of plastic between the layers of glass. The wind shield has up too 4 layer of plastic.
The DOT requires all auto glass to be laminated.
Regular Joe
New member
I drive a Crown Vic taxi. Awhile back, a crazed loon threw a shot glass at my side window with all his force. Glass broke, window had etching, but did not break. If I was shooting a .380 from inside, I'd be concerned that the bullet may deflect and get me. Better to just make sure that BG sees the gun, and try to move on.
I have no idea when lam-glass went into sides or back windows... This is a 96 I rolled and as you see the side glass is gone but the front is in.
The following is from...
https://www.lynxservices.com/consumers/autoglassFAQ.htm
Your windshield is made of LAMINATED SAFETY GLASS. What makes it unique is its special construction, designed to offer optimum safety in the event of a crash. LAMINATED SAFETY GLASS is made up of two pieces of glass, with a thin layer of vinyl sandwiched between them. The three pieces are laminated together by applying heat and pressure in a special oven called an autoclave.
When a small object strikes a piece of safety glass, often only the outer layer struck breaks. This is what makes windshield rock chip repair possible.
In a more severe impact, the glass "shatters" but usually does not fly apart - the broken pieces of glass generally adhere to the vinyl inner lining. LAMINATED SAFETY GLASS also acts as a barrier to objects moving inside the vehicle.
The side and rear windows are made of TEMPERED GLASS. As the name implies, the glass has been "tempered", i.e., put through a special process where it is heated, then rapidly cooled. This "tempering" process makes the glass many times stronger than un-tempered glass of the same thickness.
Upon impact, TEMPERED GLASS is designed to disintegrate into small pieces of glass about the size of rock salt. There should be no large, jagged pieces of glass to injure the driver or passengers. However, the force necessary to break a piece of tempered glass is considerably more than an un-tempered piece.
Hope this helps...
Brent
There's one other aspect to consider.
The sound level of a firearm discharged inside a vehicle is quite literally stunning.
A buddy of mine has a bunch of junk cars next to his shooting range and years back we decided (Maker only knows why) to sit in the front seat of a junked mini-van and shoot at targets from there. The van had no windshield but all the other glass was intact.
Even with no windshield, wearing plugs AND muffs, the report from a .40 S&W was just stunning not to mention the solid THUMP of displaced air which I felt in my lungs, heart, and intestines.
It wouldn't stop me from defending my life, but I'd use a vehicle in any fashion I could before I'd trigger a firearm inside a car again
The sound level of a firearm discharged inside a vehicle is quite literally stunning.
A buddy of mine has a bunch of junk cars next to his shooting range and years back we decided (Maker only knows why) to sit in the front seat of a junked mini-van and shoot at targets from there. The van had no windshield but all the other glass was intact.
Even with no windshield, wearing plugs AND muffs, the report from a .40 S&W was just stunning not to mention the solid THUMP of displaced air which I felt in my lungs, heart, and intestines.
It wouldn't stop me from defending my life, but I'd use a vehicle in any fashion I could before I'd trigger a firearm inside a car again
Delta snipers ran some experiments on airliner winshields with their rifles. They found that the thick glass had no significant effect on the bullet's path over the short distance between the glass and a terrorist's head inside a cockpit.
On the other hand, a .380 might not penetrate a car winshield at all, depending on the ammo.
FWIW, I fired a hot .357 round out the driver's side window of a car once without ear protection. It was a stunning experience. I'd do it again if my life was at stake, otherwise no.
On the other hand, a .380 might not penetrate a car winshield at all, depending on the ammo.
FWIW, I fired a hot .357 round out the driver's side window of a car once without ear protection. It was a stunning experience. I'd do it again if my life was at stake, otherwise no.
Years ago, (to many for my taste) I was running sniper schools for the NG, Reg Army (AK 172 IF Bde) and Local LE officers.
I, in agreeing with the USAMU Sniper School Instructors, thought that urban police, do to over penitration and chances of rounds going through walls and such creating a hazzard for others, pushed for the use of 223s instead of 308s in sniper systems.
We obtained glass from cars ( side, front and rear) plus plain window glass, (double and single paine). We set targets behind the glass, then targets next to the glass, to see what differance if any, the two rounds made. We only used 308 (M118 White Box NM 173s) and 223s (M193 55 grn ball). Taking into account that was before the newer military 5.565 ammo(so I cant say what differance it would make).
Conclussion, it made no differance, both the 223 & 308, deflected when going through car and window glass. Sometimes not much, but if I remember right, they both were deflected to an extent.
We determined that in LE sniping another tactic would be required (which I wont go into here).
Anyway this was just the local test we did. Not scientific. We didnt have the funds or need to go further with other rounds.
Now it appears most LE depts went to the 308 anyway, (whether they use differant bullets then what we used or glass is differant I dont know), I'm not in the game anymore and have no influence. If I did, I would still recommend the 223 for urban countrer sniping (for LE). At least in the town I policed.
Whether this answers the question of the original poster or not, DONT KNOW.
I, in agreeing with the USAMU Sniper School Instructors, thought that urban police, do to over penitration and chances of rounds going through walls and such creating a hazzard for others, pushed for the use of 223s instead of 308s in sniper systems.
We obtained glass from cars ( side, front and rear) plus plain window glass, (double and single paine). We set targets behind the glass, then targets next to the glass, to see what differance if any, the two rounds made. We only used 308 (M118 White Box NM 173s) and 223s (M193 55 grn ball). Taking into account that was before the newer military 5.565 ammo(so I cant say what differance it would make).
Conclussion, it made no differance, both the 223 & 308, deflected when going through car and window glass. Sometimes not much, but if I remember right, they both were deflected to an extent.
We determined that in LE sniping another tactic would be required (which I wont go into here).
Anyway this was just the local test we did. Not scientific. We didnt have the funds or need to go further with other rounds.
Now it appears most LE depts went to the 308 anyway, (whether they use differant bullets then what we used or glass is differant I dont know), I'm not in the game anymore and have no influence. If I did, I would still recommend the 223 for urban countrer sniping (for LE). At least in the town I policed.
Whether this answers the question of the original poster or not, DONT KNOW.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
Only the first one.
Don't wait to see if it bounced off his chest. Keep shooting, the glass will be gone by the time #2 gets there.
Kreyzhorse
New member
Damn straight.
Legally I would think the BG better have his own gun pointed at you as a perceived threat to give you a valid reason to be shooting through the door at him.
If he sees your gun and still wants to open the door or smash the window all bets are off and you don't have to worry about shooting through glass.
If he sees your gun and still wants to open the door or smash the window all bets are off and you don't have to worry about shooting through glass.
A reasonably powerful airsoft or BB gun with has the glass gone after round three. So a pistol even a .22 will go through the glass on the first shot and all other shots will be going though a clean opening.
Now the front windshield is something else, need something like .380 to get through that, bigger the better. And if they are standing in front of your stopped car pointing a weapon at you, you may have other options... Like driving
Now the front windshield is something else, need something like .380 to get through that, bigger the better. And if they are standing in front of your stopped car pointing a weapon at you, you may have other options... Like driving