Will a .40 S&W Penetrate Steel A36?

No — stops inside steel a36 (reaches 1 mm of a 6 mm barrier)
Penetration depth
1 mm (0.0″)
Impact velocity
300 m/s (984 fps)
Muzzle energy
527 J (388 ft-lb)
Bullet behaviour
Intact

Fired at the muzzle, a representative .40 S&W load (11.7 g, FMJ, 300 m/s) reaches roughly 1 mm (0.0 inches) into steel a36. It loses its energy before defeating a typical barrier of this material.

About Steel A36

Mild structural steel plate (~6 mm); car bodies are far thinner (~1 mm).

.40 S&W against other materials

MaterialDepth (mm)Depth (in)
Red Brick59 mm2.3″
Concrete31 mm1.2″
Tempered Glass13 mm0.5″
Steel AR5001 mm0.0″
Aluminum 60618 mm0.3″
Run your own numbers in the calculator →

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