16 Things That Will Stop a Bullet and 28 Things That Won’t [UPDATED]
This is a living and breathing article that we update from time to time to ensure we keep a list based on what has been tested.
To be truthful we are generalizing some for the purpose of simplicity. Here are some disclaimers before we dive in:
- Different firearms and calibers of bullets have unique stopping power and potential for penetration depending on their velocity and construction. There is a big difference between a 9mm handgun and an AR-15
- Some bullets for example are jacketed, meaning they are encased in a shell of a harder metal (generally a steel alloy), where as non-jacketed ammunition tends to be a softer lead
- Items in our list are also generalized since there are different types and widths of trees, furniture, walls, etc
- Also we have to consider that even some things that would stop a single shot may not be able to withstand multiple shots
- While some things wouldn't fully STOP a bullet, they may slow it down significantly enough to make it far less lethal than a direct shot
All that disclaimer aside I think this list is at least directional in giving you some sense between what could be truly considered as cover and what is simply concealment at best.
Things that Do Or Do Not fully stop a bullet:
1. The Body, Windows, and Door of a Car
Our testing suggests that auto glass may change the trajectory of a bullet but it won't stop it. Neither will the dashboard or steering wheel. The body of the car, like the door, might stop bullets depending on the bullet and the angle of fire. (Learn more in our Vehicle Firearm Tactics Course)
2. The Engine Block of a Vehicle
Engine blocks have always been accepted as good cover and arguably the only part of a vehicle you can consistently rely on to stop bullets.
3. A Sofa
Your sofa doesn't have much going on in there. A lot of empty space and some fluff… it doesn't stop bullets.
4. Motorcycle Helmet
You trust that thing to protect your head at 60+ MPH against the pavement… but it won't stop a bullet. More here: Will a helmet stop a bullet?
5. Computer Tower
6. Tablets and Smartphones
7. Laptop
8. Phonebook or Textbook
We recently put some textbooks to the test. Spoiler alert… 1 book won't do the trick. But enough books together would. Full thoughts here: Will books stop a bullet?
9. Badge (looks like it depends on the badge)
10. Ceramic Tiles
11. ATM Machine
Yeah, if available using an ATM for cover looks viable.
12. Wood frame walls (most homes)
13. Mattress
Yeah, I wouldn't count on it
14. Thick winter clothing and coat
This video is a good illustration of how thick or how many layers of fabric are needed to stop a bullet.
15. Cast Iron Skillet
16. Cardboard
17. Metal Door
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbT1anCv3k4
18. Refrigerator
Well, as you will see from the video below it really depends on what is in the refrigerator. An empty refrigerator isn't going to stop anything. But a full one is pretty likely to do the job.
19. Kitchen Plates
20: Bags of Ice
21. About 7 Inches of Sand
Sand is fairly dense but how much do you need? Learn More: How much sand do you need to stop a bullet
22. Enough Ceramic Tiles
23. Human Bodies
25. 18 inches of water
26. 10 Jugs of Water
27. Bricks
28. A Filing Cabinet full of Paper
There has actually been a lot of research on file cabinets due to their general availability for cover in a workplace active shooter situation. Our research would suggest that an empty file cabinet will not stop most handgun rounds but a filing cabinet full of paper is likely to be effective. The NYPD conducted a study in which they claim a file cabinet stopped rounds from all handgun rounds but the below video shows some an empty file cabinet.
29. Ballistic “Backpack Inserts”
As you will see in the video below some of these are better than others but they all effectively stop handgun rounds.
Great article…Only thing I disagree with is that a brick wall veneer is very effective at stopping a bullet. Keep up the good work Jacob!
I can verify that 3 solid bricks (not Hollows, or Perforated) will consistently stop a 7.62x39mm out of AK at 20ft. Had a lot of fun at my father in-laws home with an old brick pile in rural Missouri.
I’d like to see someone attempt to shoot through 2 or 3 layers of seat belts glue and not glued together
Cool article. I’ve often critizised a lot of cheesy stuff I’ve seen in movies. The only thing I noticed is the text book was listed as a non-stopper. I know it depends on the book and caliber of gun. I had a lot of old text books that I took to my shooting spot. I didn’t use any high powered rifles but a two thick science books stopped lead rounds from a .38 and a .45. The .38 went about 500 pages deep while the .45 went about 900. Thanks for the article!
What about a thick 432 pages of a World Encyclopedia Book ? Will a Bullet of a .357 Magnum Revolver can go through ?
Only one way to find out. I suspect it would penetrate but it would not be lethal after penetration
Would a lead apron that is used in a dental office when taking X-rays, stop a bullet?
I don’t think so…
Would it help tho? Add some kv
It is made of lead but it is extremely thin and light. It may slow it down some and may likely cause a hollow point to expand but I don’t think it would stop lethality. Worth testing though…
Jacob
Wood framing (most houses) is inaccurate. It should say shoot through drywall. The interior out is drywall > studs > sheathing like plywood > siding. It’s going to rip through all but the stud? I think a .50 would rip through a 2×4 stud but most likely to miss the stud anyway. I am curious what size stud it takes to stop a bullet. Maybe use 4x for easier shot but 4×4, 4×6, 4×8?
???????. You’re kidding
No. The layer of lead is not thick enough. And lead is a soft metal. It’ll deform, crack and then break.
Would a Nokia stop a bullet? 🙂
No
Except that a Nokia has stopped a bullet, but I think it was a 32. Happened in Brazil.
an electric heater full of water…im amazed but how can it stop a bullet…??
The water is the magic. Water acts like concrete in that regard. Mythbusters did a great episode where they fired various calibers of firearms into a swimming pool of water and measured how far into the water the bullet would travel at a lethal velocity. The higher the caliber of the round the less “deep” into the water it is likely to travel. No round was able to travel more than about 6 inches at any decent velocity before it was stopped fully. Water is a stopper.
Jacob, from what you’re saying, it means the movies are false. Because, from what i saw in the finale of the movies XXX – State of the nation a bullet was shot into a lake and went past 6 inches
I doubt you were very surprised to find out the Hollywood is wrong!
My rusty bullet holes got a hole in it off duds 2.2 party popper
Bullets can travel downwards for several feet before they lose enough momentum that it’s noticeable, but they lose the punch to penetrate a body pretty fast.
I know this is an old thread.
Myth Busters did have a .45 go all the way through 8ft column of water.
I suspect the issue is speed of sound. High velocity rounds tended to shatter hitting the water. Lower velocity (sub-sonic?) like the .45 seemed to penetrate much further. Note speed of sound in water is about 4858 fps (faster in salt water) so I don’t think its an issue with “breaking the sound barrier” in water – probably more an issue with comprehensibility of water.
BTW there is also a youtube video of someone hunting lion fish with a semi-automatic pistol + silencer. Bullet easily traveling 4-5ft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1yM2wOGNE8. I think that also points to the impact with water vs. trying to move through water.
Also Myth Busters noted that shotgun slug went so deep through the water that it broke their test fixture (I thought it was the .45 but I guess I’m wrong).
https://mythresults.com/episode34
Bottom line, I don’t think the barrel end is the fun side to be on.
The important part is lethal velocity. Any bullet shot straight down into water will go all the way to the bottom. I don’t know if I buy the 8′ collumn because I’ve seen videos where a lot less water stopped a .45, but even if it did most of the energy would have been gone on the other side. Maybe a high velocity round can kill a small fish at 5′, but there’s zero chance a .45 will be lethal at 2′. It may still hit you, maybe even penetrate the skin, but it won’t go through the muscle and bone to hit vital organs.
Does anyone know how to build an effective, yet affordable wall or barrier to protect against stray bullets shot by hunters hunting on a next-door game ranch ? We have had multiple incidents of this happening.
And what could be tied to along the fence to stay attention to hunters–do not aim in our direction?
Thank you. All ideas welcome.
Retta
Would you not be able to inform the police. I was told the law, in the state of Nebraska (as an example), come down very heavy on anyone shooting cattle, on someone elses property. I think they take their guns and rights to own guns away from them. There could also be gaol time involved. Maybe 100 head of cattle is the solution, as your neighbour may be more carefull of who he or she allows on their property.
If a bullet does go astray, the steer will take the shoot, your neighbour will be prosecuted and you can celebrate with a big bbq.
Great artical!
Car tire treads. steel belting, with kevlar. Might be worth a try.
https://www.concealedcarry.com/safety/things-that-will-stop-a-bullet-and-things-that-wont/
Fill the wall with 3/8″ crushed stone. Relatively cheap but is heavy.
What about multiple ceramic or porclein tiles?
That is one that we should test but my own guess would be that it would take at least 15 ceramic tiles to stop the bullet…
you make no mention of kevlar or other carbon fibre laminates.
You are right. When we wrote this we were emphasizing household types of objects but we need to update it to be a more comprehensive review of the topic.
Will a 16 gauge of steel stop a 9mm even if it has wood on each side?
This is where my mind was going. Plywood might deform a bullet and slow it down to allow thinner sheets of metal to be used. What combination of materials (from hardware store) would work best?
how many doritos would it take to stop a bullet
37. But I’m not sure
35 Doritos for a hollow point. YouTube
I hate being a buzzkill but an AR-15 shoots a .223 which is smaller than a 9mm….
How does this relate? A .223 travels at a much higher velocity. A 9mm is generally a pistol round, so there’s less powder, a smaller barrell, and it’s a large bullet which means more drag. 9s are great for close quarters self defense, but there’s a good reason militaries use rifles.
According to FBI tests a slowpoke 9mm FMJ pistol round will penetrate much further in common building materials than a 5.56 bullet yet the 5.56 will pop right through a 1/4 steel plate that will stop a 9mm round in it’s tracks. Has to do with target hardness and retained energy due to weight.
This is not quite true. I know as I did it (only with an AR-15) about 40 years ago. The lead slug disappeared (as in atomized/vaporized) on hitting the steel plate (I used a steel I-beam) but it punched out a steel pellet that embedded in a piece of plywood behind it. The steel pellet was about flush with the front of the plywood, so about like a high power air gun. I mean common 10 pump 0.177, not those ones filled from a scuba tank.
Thanks for posting this! I live in a very dangerous area and have resorted to sleeping on the floor, away from windows and in the inner most room of my house. one night, I even slept in the bathtub (which is iron cast). I’m planning to move very soon, lol. :p
P.s. From your article, I think I’m going to put sand bags in the window!!!
How thick of a treated wooded post would it take to stop a 357 mag bullet?
How thick of steel would it take to stop a 357 mag bullet?
Johnny, I’m taking a bit of a guess here… having not directly tested it but I would guess you need about 4-6 inches of wood and 2 inches of steel.
I just watched a YouTube clip where a guy shot various calibers at a 1/4″ steel plate–including a 357 mag, and none of them went through the 1/4″ steel. Of course, the 357 mag put some good size dents in the steel.
American steel or Chinese steel?
9mm with hollow points will go through a treated 6×6 and still put a hole in the barn wall. Looking for 12c12s now.
will a cast iron tub stop a bullet
Kathy, that is a good question. If you have one I could shoot I could tell you… but I’m inclined to think it would be fairly effective at stopping small arms fire.
will a refrigerator stop an A-bomb?
No
Yes, if you can strike the bomb with the refrigerator with enough force to damage the bomb’s internal components before it is detonated.
XD
A freezer will protect from radiation during the initial blast. It was proven in early nuclear tests.
I can actually answer that yes it will, at least every handgun round and up to 5.56. It will not stop a .30-06.
No, deflect it a bit, but bullets will bust a hole through it. cast iron is very hard, so sudden impacts in a small area of the iron shatter it like glass
Will a 16 gauge of steel stop a 9mm even if it has wood on each side?
What about a bundle of roofing shingles or two? I think that would be a decent test
Great idea. I’ll work on that
Will 2 stacked 3/4 in plywood stop bullets
No, highly unlikely.
Books work, but people have to read them…
A dresser filled with down jackets and bikinis is not going to save you! Hide behind the one filled with bullet-proof vests!
A car door only works if you have the special steel apparently required in Hollywood–the type that gives off a huge spark and goes “kertchew” everything it is hit. Stupid me, I always ended up in non-bullet-proof type that just goes “thunk”.
I think that 1/8″ high carbon heated steel will stop all subsonic handgun rounds. It might even stop some mildly supersonic handgun rounds. But, most likely not rifle rounds.
For the mathematically inclined an approximation of how well wood can stop a bullet can be roughly calculated from the Janka Hardness Test, which provides the force required to penetrate wood with a .444 inch BB to the depth of .222 of an inch. Theoretically on inch of the hardest timber on the planet (Austrailian Buloke) can stop a .45acp. This test uses fresh seasoned timbe for flooring use, not the old framing that has been sitting in a wall for a decade. Depending on the variables used some woods are (in theory!) 5-7 times as good at stopping a bullet as pine.
Who else wishes that poor lad in minnesota had read this website before attempting the trick with the book. With a dessert eagle too.
I would like to see a video of real brick, not dyed concrete pavers
Refer to the St. Valentines Day Massacre
Can a steel plate stop a bullet please
Its actually a rather complex question. Body armor and a lot of targets are generally made out of steel but there are a lot of different types of steel and the thickness of the steel and the caliber of round being fired are significant factors. I suggest researching steel body armor and steel plate targets.
Will hand sanitizer stop a bullet?
I doubt it is significantly different from water… so you probably need 12 inches or more to stop most rounds.
in Kingsman, he blocks bullets with his assault rifle against his body. would an assault rifle as as shield block penetration of a bullet?
Rifle barrels would be effective at stopping bullets. The other parts of most AR platform rifles would have little effect.
Jacob
I’d like to know if linen armour, like the type worn by Alexander the Great, would stop a bullet. I’ve seen video of tests that compared it to steel and it performed as well or better than the steel armour at stopping both swords and arrows.
The short answer is yes… but density and type of material matter. There are lot of body armour companies that are working only with soft materials but they compact it tightly enough with enough layers to get the job done. The advantage is that this kind of armor is generally lighter than steel or Kevlar.
Do you have any material suggestions for me to try? I am doing a science fair project and need some more materials to shoot.
I would recommend anything that is common place in a home or workplace!
Here are a few of the things i have tested myself. A FMJ 223 round will penetrate a Jeep Grand Cherokee brake rotor fired from Ruger mini 14 at 100 yds. It will go through the first 3/8″ surface but not the second 3/8″ surface. Steel belted tires are no match for .223 rounds either. I often fill old tires with dirt and the round will go through the tread, through the dirt and out the other side of the tire. 7.62 x 39 is another nasty round that will do the same.
will large truck tires, filled with dirt/sand stop a 38 and 22 caliber bullet? will it bounce off the tread and not penetrate it?….from a distance of about 20 feet?
What thickness of rubber with metal inbetween then rubber would stop a bullet from penetrating?
That is going to depend a lot on the bullet and the type of metal. The right steel at about 1 inch thick will stop most bullets.
How thick of a wall of sand will stop a 223 bullet shot out of a ar15
Bill, read this: http://www.concealedcarry.com/survival/how-much-sand-is-needed-to-stop-a-bullet/
If you had a modest budget and a healthy fear of murderers with second amendment tattoos what would you put in your walls to stop bullets
Best idea probably is concrete.
What about natural stone that is so popular for houses right now? The stones are probably about 5 inches thick.
Will 9mm of polycarbonate stop any bullet?
Polycarbonate windows such as those used on a B6 SUV can stop most small arms rounds up through 7.62X54. However, repeated hits in the same area of the glass will eventually go through. I can’t post a photo here, but I have one of a window we took out of a B6 Excursions in Iraq and shot repeatedly. It eventually disintegrated the window.
But, they will hold up for quite a while and I know people who owe their lives to them.
try 1/8″ angle iron pointed toward AK47 MUZZLE & interlaced with others then a separate “wall” of same pointed away from AK47 Bbl. try again closer to the first wall and again with a 3rd wall. then repeat testing with a .12g steel slugs! and PLEASE TELL US THE RESULT. BULLET DEFLECTION WILL SLOW PROJECTILE before next impact & likely have projectile point NOT strike next barrier nose first! This is hypothetical by me as i know of no test like this ever being performed and recorded. Maybe youll get an A plus & help some older folks! you might even get a sponser to lend you the angle iron for a tax writeoff for advertizing or supporting your school. Also you will be helping a lot of uneasy old folks like me ( ;
What about a human skull with a 9 mm unjacketed bullet from a sig. I was looking it up for a story. Thanks.
Chuck Norris will stop all bullets… with his mind.
Good series. People have a very unrealistic perception of what will stop bullets. Much of this is because of watching Hollywood movies where the hero takes cover behind and overturned table or an open car door, neither of which will stop a bullet. After spending 2 1/2 years doing private security in Iraq, I gained a very realistic appreciation of the many things that will not stop a bullet vs the few that will. Car doors and body panels definitely will not, nor will wooden barriers of any kind. Even ‘bullet proof’ windows such as you find on B6 rated armored SUVs will only stop bullets up to a point. If you hit the same general area with multiple shots, the glass will eventually disintegrate. On the other hand, an Army NCO was going to work out one morning in the International Zone (erroneously terms the Green Zone), riding on a scooter and wearing his vest and Kevlar helmet. He was shot in the back of the head with a 9mm pistol by and unknown assailant. He was found with a mild concussion, minus his vest and helmet, but he recovered with no serious problems. So, a K-Pot will stop a pistol round from close range.
Milkcrates full of old vinyl records?
Heavy bags from the gym? (Aren’t they full of shredded clothing?)
Folded stacks of jeans from Old Navy?
(Vs, of course, folded stacks of Carhartts coveralls)
Industrial-size jugs of dish soap?
Heavy coiled rope?
I could go on for days, I love this thread.
So, a question…. would a “wall” of old used/discarded car tires stacked about say 10 high then filled with either sand or dirt stop most caliber hand guns and rifles? Maybe stacked two deep and staggered to ensure no bullets “slip through” any gaps in the tires. Thinking maybe about 10 tires tall, maybe 15 wide, staggered, filled with sand or dirt. Probably angle the outer edge tires to form a bit of a pocket. Ricochet a concern?
Not sure new or used tires would make a difference. Maybe a difference between an automobile tire vs semi truck tire.
I would say tires full of dirt or sand would be effective.
How about thick layers of casting resin, would that be bulletproof? Like a little bit thicker than a cast iron pan. That stuff is pretty durable.
Yes there are videos on YouTube that show people using multiple layers of casting resin to stop bullets
What about 2 by 4’s ? I’m wondering if a 22 caliber would go through one ?
Steel porcelain coated bathtub will it stop all small arms fire
Test hard drive platters. If cheap ceramic tiles work pretty well then metallic ceramic should be better. You can get old hard drives for cheap.
“Platters are typically made using an aluminium or glass and ceramic substrate. As of 2015, laptop hard drive platters are made from glass while aluminum platters are often found in desktop computers.”
Test both the aluminum and glass type. I would think the higher shock resistant glass type would work best.
What about alternating layers of wood and sheet metal multiple layers deep glued together with construction adhesive? Maybe the immense tensile strength of the steel sheets would prevent the wood from exploding backward so it would compress the bullet better and slow it down quicker…and all for cheap from your local home improvement store. Could you maybe try this in a video? I would love to see that tried.
I have yet to hear of an active shooter using a 50 cal weapon, so why did so many of your examples use one? These examples would be good if tested with a 223 but as it is, are pretty worthless.
I came home the other day and to my surprise I found what appeared to be a bullet (fragmented) laying right outside of my front door, which is a security door on the outside of my front main door. Upon close inspection of my security door i noticed a small indentation near the middle of the door that obviously came from the bullet. I am puzzled though as to why the bullet didn’t penetrate the door. If it was a stray bullet shot from far away, would that explain why it only made a small indentation and didn’t penetrate the door?
Depends on what the door is made of, what caliber the bullet was, and at what distance it was fired from.
This is a poorly thought out, nonsensical article.
This is a poorly, nonsensical comment, Danno, live a little.
What about rubber mulch in box or in tires?
Would a straw bale 2 wire, stop a .223 or 5.56 and pistol rounds up to a 45 if shot from the side?
If that was the only cover available, I’d try it.
Not sure how old this is, but for the record. I have a rifle range with initial back-stop of stacked and filled 11r-22.5 commercial tires filled with asphalt scrap material these columns are two meters high two rows deep staggered so there is no gap to slip through. We have been shooting high-power rifles at them for about five years now. I check the condition frequently, the front side is torn up pretty badly now and am planing to rebuild. But of the literally thousands of rounds from all kinds of small arms up to (50bmg is restricted) NOT one bullet has yet penitrated. The crushed granite silicon sand and heavy petroleum product is very effective and the truck tires are a good container to hold this loose cocktail together. Just a side note the secondary bullet stop will catch any bullet; literaly. Half mile of Earth.
The best thing to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Shall not be infringed means EXACTLY what it says.
Hi there. I am a teacher. Thank you for this post – I just learned that my filing cabinets full of papers or a stack of textbooks have a use after all. 🙂 I’m also on here to find out – what is the cheapest thin material I could cover a room full of tables with so they’d be more useful if we had to shelter behind them during an attack? They are just made of plastic. Maybe plywood? Sheet metal? Thank you.
What kind of calibers can penetrate medieval armor and/or shields and still be lethal?
About all of them. Medieval armor if my Google search was good, is relatively thin metal. About any caliber of ammo would punch right through it.
Has anyone shot at 1/8″, 3/16″, or 1/4″ Titanium plate? I haven’t seen any videos on this. I think most common pistol calibers (9mm, 40, and 45 ACP) would be stopped by 3/16″ and above. 5.56mm would probably penetrate 1/4″ thick. It would be a good test though.