Propane tank penetration
- Thread starter WV_gunner
- Start date
I have busted two mythbusters conclusions in the past. Those two guys are jerks. My buddy drives a limo nights and picked them up at the airport, and they wouldn't even give him an autograph. But anywhoo.. I remember another friend of mine had a video he used to play over and over to show off his surround sound. It was several guns starting from a .38 going up to a 50 cal. shooting a gasoline tank. NONE of them ignited the gasoline.
I'm pretty sure those tanks are rented from the company who fills them, they might come looking for it.
I'm pretty sure those tanks are rented from the company who fills them, they might come looking for it.
Not only the Mythbusters episode... I watched a show of Sons of Guns where the Redjacket guys thought they could build a round that could get a tank to explode in a single shot and prove the Mythbusters wrong. They couldn't. They made some fancy rounds that shot .223 followed by some delayed .22 tracers and .357 followed by some delayed .22 tracers (all in one trigger pull) Still not even close. Of course both the .223 and .357 penetrated the tank.
Edward429451
Moderator
If I was trying to get a propane tank to explode with a tracer, I'd shoot nearer the top of the tank, in the (hopefully) vapor portion above the liquid line. It's the vapor that burns.
Where did the Mythbuster guys shoot their tank (s)?
Where did the Mythbuster guys shoot their tank (s)?
For those interested, CGA C-6 "Standard for Visual Inspection of Steel Compressed Gas Cylinders issued by the Compressed Gas Association Inc. specifies that a 20 lb. cylinder (which holds 4.77 gallons) manufactured to DOT/ICC code 4B(A)-240 must have a minimum wall thickness of 2.27mm- that's just a little less than 1/10th of inch.
Propane can be used to produce just about the most powerful explosion outside of a nuclear bomb. Propane might not be specifically mentioned but it is what is used to make a fuel air bomb. Drop a 10 to 20 thousand gallon tank of propane into a jungle. Let the gas spread out on the ground for a bit. Then drop white phosphorus on it and you have an instant airfield and have killed everything in the radius of the explosion.
The key is air. That is why the tanks do not generally explode when shot. Not enough air mixed with the fuel and the bullet is not necessarily an ignition source.
I have seen a propane explosion and fire out on the farm and it was not pretty. This was a leak that was accidentally ignited.
My problem with a propane tank is not about accidentally shooting it while defending against a home invasion, but a sniper with a high powered rifle with certain types of ammo, not shooting the tank once, but multiple times to set off either an explosion or a fireball and fire.
Go to You Tube and see the show of Sons of Guns or Red Jacket with the folks from Mythbusters,,, it can be done.
Propane tanks to me are a security risk.
That is why I have thousands of sandbags and plenty of shovels and a dozer at my disposal, if things were to go South, and I had to defend a fixed perimeter, you can bet that perimeter would be defended by a berm or sandbags or both.
Should Normal People lose any sleep over this,,,probably not.
My problem with a propane tank is not about accidentally shooting it while defending against a home invasion, but a sniper with a high powered rifle with certain types of ammo, not shooting the tank once, but multiple times to set off either an explosion or a fireball and fire.
Go to You Tube and see the show of Sons of Guns or Red Jacket with the folks from Mythbusters,,, it can be done.
Propane tanks to me are a security risk.
That is why I have thousands of sandbags and plenty of shovels and a dozer at my disposal, if things were to go South, and I had to defend a fixed perimeter, you can bet that perimeter would be defended by a berm or sandbags or both.
Should Normal People lose any sleep over this,,,probably not.
Edward429451
Moderator
That's some amazing comprehension you have there, lol. I meant where on the tank, top, bottom, middle...? you see?
I have some experience in this area from my days as a callow youth.
One of our targets was a common grill propane tank. None of the centerfire pistol rounds or shotgun shot (bird or buck) would penetrate it at a distance of 10 yards. It took a 12ga shotgun slug to do that. On top of that, it did not explode, but merely leaked.
To get the tank to explode, it had to be in a camp fire and then be shot from a distance of less than 15 yards with a 12ga shotgun slug. Can you say, "mushroom cloud" boys and girls?
Were I you, I would not worry a whit if I were using any pistol round or buck shot. I would avoid using a centerfire rifle round or slugs, though.
One of our targets was a common grill propane tank. None of the centerfire pistol rounds or shotgun shot (bird or buck) would penetrate it at a distance of 10 yards. It took a 12ga shotgun slug to do that. On top of that, it did not explode, but merely leaked.
To get the tank to explode, it had to be in a camp fire and then be shot from a distance of less than 15 yards with a 12ga shotgun slug. Can you say, "mushroom cloud" boys and girls?
Were I you, I would not worry a whit if I were using any pistol round or buck shot. I would avoid using a centerfire rifle round or slugs, though.