Does Phone Book Body Armor Work???

Published on October 31, 2018
Duration: 11:53

This video tests the ballistic resistance of phone books as improvised body armor against various handgun and rifle calibers. While 8-12 phone books could stop common handgun rounds like 9mm and .45 ACP, they were penetrated by high-velocity 5.7x28mm and .30-30 Winchester rifle rounds. Even powerful .44 Magnum was stopped, but 12 gauge buckshot, despite individual pellet stops, destroyed the armor through cumulative damage.

Quick Summary

Phone books can act as improvised body armor, stopping some handgun rounds with sufficient thickness. Around 8 books stopped 9mm, and 12 books stopped .45 ACP and .44 Magnum. However, they are ineffective against high-velocity rifle rounds like the .30-30 Winchester.

Chapters

  1. 00:47Introduction: Phone Book Armor Concept
  2. 02:019mm Testing Results
  3. 04:08.45 ACP vs Phone Books
  4. 05:285.7x28mm High-Velocity Test
  5. 06:41.357 Magnum Penetration
  6. 07:38.44 Magnum Stopping Power
  7. 08:21.30-30 Winchester Rifle Test
  8. 09:2612 Gauge Buckshot Impact

Frequently Asked Questions

Can phone books stop bullets?

In ballistic tests, phone books can stop some handgun rounds with sufficient thickness. Approximately 1000 pages (8 books) stopped a 9mm round, and 12 books stopped a .45 ACP and even a .44 Magnum. However, they failed against high-velocity rifle rounds like the .30-30 Winchester.

How many phone books are needed to stop a 9mm bullet?

According to tests, around 8 phone books, totaling approximately 1000 pages, were needed to successfully stop a 9mm hollow point round fired from a Beretta M9A3 pistol.

Do phone books work as body armor against rifle rounds?

No, phone books are ineffective against rifle rounds. A .30-30 Winchester rifle round easily penetrated through 12 stacked phone books and a ballistic mannequin, demonstrating their inadequacy for rifle protection.

What is the effectiveness of phone books against different calibers?

Phone books stopped 9mm (8 books), .45 ACP (12 books), and .44 Magnum (12 books). They failed against 5.7x28mm (penetrated 10th book) and .30-30 Winchester (penetrated all 12 books). 12 gauge buckshot destroyed the armor through multiple impacts.

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