Why Hollowpoints Fail | Shooting Through Car Doors | When Clogged Hollowpoints Act Like FMJs

Published on May 28, 2024
Duration: 1:00

This guide details a ballistics test demonstrating how hard barriers can cause hollowpoint ammunition to clog, preventing expansion and significantly increasing penetration. The test, conducted by CajunBoyJake, shows a clogged hollowpoint acting like an FMJ, penetrating further than an expanded round. This highlights critical considerations for self-defense scenarios involving vehicles.

Quick Summary

Hollowpoint ammunition can fail to expand when impacted by hard barriers like sheet aluminum, causing the cavity to clog. This prevents expansion, making the round behave like an FMJ and significantly increasing penetration depth, as demonstrated by a 66% increase in jugs penetrated in one test.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Hollowpoint Basics
  2. 00:08Control Test: Water Jugs
  3. 00:29Barrier Test: Simulated Car Door
  4. 00:53Comparison of Results

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes hollowpoint ammunition to fail to expand?

Hollowpoint ammunition can fail to expand when impacted by hard barriers, such as sheet aluminum simulating a car door. The barrier material can clog the hollow cavity, preventing the necessary hydraulic pressure buildup for expansion.

How does a clogged hollowpoint perform compared to an FMJ round?

When a hollowpoint round becomes clogged by a barrier, it loses its designed expansion capability and often behaves like a Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) round, penetrating deeper into targets. This test showed a 66% increase in penetration for a clogged hollowpoint.

What was the penetration difference observed in the test?

In the test, an expanded hollowpoint penetrated 3 water jugs. However, a hollowpoint that hit a sheet aluminum barrier first became clogged and penetrated 5 water jugs, demonstrating significantly increased penetration.

Why is understanding hollowpoint barrier performance important?

Understanding how hollowpoints perform through barriers is critical for self-defense scenarios, especially those involving vehicles. It informs ammunition selection by revealing that the intended expansion may not occur, leading to unintended over-penetration.

More Tactical & Gear Videos You Might Like

More from CajunBoyJake

View all →