Will A Sandbag Stop A Bullet?

You start making a sandbank wall in an area without threat of flooding and people are going to start looking at you strangely, including the cops.

Even if you are in an area that has flooding, people will look at you strangely for leaving sandbags piled up. For some reason people think you should pile them up and take them down every year in most areas prone to flooding. If I lived in a flood area, I'd build a brick wall around the house and people would probably make an ordinance against it and make me tear it down. I have that kind of luck....The water would get two inches higher than the wall

Originally posted by rickymouse
You start making a sandbank wall in an area without threat of flooding and people are going to start looking at you strangely, including the cops.

Even if you are in an area that has flooding, people will look at you strangely for leaving sandbags piled up. For some reason people think you should pile them up and take them down every year in most areas prone to flooding. If I lived in a flood area, I'd build a brick wall around the house and people would probably make an ordinance against it and make me tear it down. I have that kind of luck....The water would get two inches higher than the wall

I'd agree, most (probably all) people would look at you rather strangely if you started fortifying your home with sandbags for no reason. If you ever need them, you'll know when to use them.

reply to post by LibertysTeeth

I don't imagine building a fortification WHILE under fire. It doesn't take a whole long time to fill a bunch of bags. Although I did it in sand, it only took two people about two hours to dig the hole for my bunker and fill the bags, stack them, etc.

Can't really dig much here, hehe...

For me, my goal is to have the materials onhand to build the fortifications after the SHTF. We run a business at the ranch too, so I wouldn't want to freak folks out with such things as firing emplacements or sniper positions.

reply to post by LibertysTeeth

i have saved the bags that 50 pounds of dog food came in for about 5 years now, they are the same material as military sand bags, but larger. some bailing wire for holding them closed, and your good to go. also great for rammed earth shelter building, if your a do it yourselfer.

Originally posted by Gazrok
reply to post by LibertysTeeth

 

I don't imagine building a fortification WHILE under fire. It doesn't take a whole long time to fill a bunch of bags. Although I did it in sand, it only took two people about two hours to dig the hole for my bunker and fill the bags, stack them, etc.

Can't really dig much here, hehe...

For me, my goal is to have the materials onhand to build the fortifications after the SHTF. We run a business at the ranch too, so I wouldn't want to freak folks out with such things as firing emplacements or sniper positions.

U shaped planters around the house serve as great concealed "firing emplacements".

reply to post by LibertysTeeth


That is an interesting way to put them in, and not advertise their purpose. Thanks for the idea! Could even grow a little something around the outer base of it, around the bottom too.

A grill station (simply wheel away the grill) is another way to hide it. Or a hose station.

I've seen this demonstrated before, years ago.

You know what does pass through a sand bag with ease.... an arrow.

Yep, an arrow will pass happily through and hit the target. So if the bad guy is hunkered down behind sand bags and you have a bow, you can take him out through the bag. Handy tip.

So make sure your bags are stacked two or three deep to stop those arrows.

Speed is key. Like water, sand can't move out of the way fast enough for the bullet pass and the bullets energy is spent trying move it aside. The shock wave generated by the bullet is essentially what stops it. The arrow has no such shock wave and simply pushes through the sand without causing it to become instantly compact and impenetrable.

If you want to check out some more real world penetration tests I suggest..

The Box of Truth

The purpose of the Box O' Truth is to test the penetration of various rounds. There is only one way to know how much a certain round penetrates. You must shoot it into a medium and see for a fact.

The test various calibers penetration into various objects / materials. Here is there version of the sandbag test - Sand test - The Sands of Truth

Originally posted by Frogs
If you want to check out some more real world penetration tests I suggest..

The Box of Truth

The purpose of the Box O' Truth is to test the penetration of various rounds. There is only one way to know how much a certain round penetrates. You must shoot it into a medium and see for a fact.

The test various calibers penetration into various objects / materials. Here is there version of the sandbag test - Sand test - The Sands of Truth

I love theboxotruth.com.

I was in a small bunker constructed of boxes for 105mm artillery rounds filled with sand and sand bags that took a direct hit by an 80mm rocket... The area hit was destroyed but other than suffering a permanent hearing loss the corpsman and myself were unscathed.... My M-16 and most of our gear was blown up or riddled with shrapnel though.