Why Not to Use a Vehicle Door for Cover

[Armedpatriot]

It's not like seen on TV where you hide behind the car door and it takes multiple hits and keeps you safe while you return fire.

[Qwiks draw]

That was informative and already knew that might happen, but it was great to see things first hand.

One can argue weakly that there are other factors at work and they would be right. Not written in stone obviously at the same time there are a few exceptions to the bullets going through a car door.

Tractor over cabs might be a different story at times. The case of a LEO who emptied his .45 ACP into one in the side door that had a armed violent miscreant inside the vehicle. Not one bullet made it through the door. The LEO's partner had his .357 Sig pistol with him and emptied the .357 SIG pistol into the same door. All of the .357 SIG bullets penetrated the door and most of those hit the attacker inside as well. The bad guy was put out of the fight by the wounds suffered.

This is just one example only. There are a lot of what ifs and those don't matter in this case. They might in other cases.

[gwk1951]

A few phone books stuffed in the door will stop most handgun ammo.
Mythbusters.
The Build Team filled several car doors with phone books and fired various firearms at it. The phonebooks were able to stop 9mm, .357 magnum, and .45 caliber rounds. However, the more powerful deer slug shotgun rounds and the M14 rifle were able to pierce the door and the phonebooks easily. Since the phonebooks could not stop all of the bullets, the myth was declared busted. However, the Build Team continued the experiment to see how many phone books behind the door would be needed to stop a deer slug and rifle round and found that only two phonebooks were needed.

[Reverend_Blood]

That's why I'm hoping for a zombie outbreak before an all out shtf situation. Zombies shouldn't be able to shoot back. lol

[Maximumbob54]

It can be difficult to discern the difference in “cover” and “concealment” and fight or flight will only make it worse. But the bottom line remains something will always be better than nothing. The only real answer to this issue is better training that most people aren’t willing to undertake or pay for to learn.

[Divebum]

Considering I don't use FMJ as carry ammo, it would be much more interesting and salient if JHP were used in the same demonstration.

[Jake3501]

The Door window regulator would deflect some bullets, in all likelihood about 80% of a door is not safe to hide behind. As far as concealment, your feet and legs will tell where to shoot. Overall, about the only good places to give shelter behind a car is the engine block and the wheels.

[Jc85]

I did a brief stint at a local scrap yard were I had to move car / truck doors off of a trailer and align them up by pairs in another section of the yard.. Wost day of my life, some of those suckers are heavy! From this hands on experience I can say that some doors such as older 90's Cadillac's and anything off of the same era lumina, would probably stop a damn tank round. (not really guys.) I suppose in these situations penetration is everything. So the situation begs to question, what are you gonna use?

[RevolverFan]

It can be difficult to discern the difference in “cover” and “concealment” and fight or flight will only make it worse. But the bottom line remains something will always be better than nothing. The only real answer to this issue is better training that most people aren’t willing to undertake or pay for to learn.

I do believe you have addressed the whole issue rather well, Max. A car door will give decent concealment, but its use as cover is not that great -- especially if you are facing rifle fire. However, sometimes it is all that you have, and you just have to make do.......

[whichfinger]

So, are we all agreed it's time to strip off interior panels on our vehicles and stuff phone books inside?