Home › Penetration › .45 ACP vs Packed SandWill a .45 ACP Penetrate Packed Sand?
Yes — defeats a 150 mm packed sand barrier
Penetration depth
171 mm (6.7″)
Impact velocity
260 m/s (853 fps)
Muzzle energy
504 J (371 ft-lb)
Fired at the muzzle, a representative .45 ACP load (14.9 g, FMJ, 260 m/s) reaches roughly 171 mm (6.7 inches) into packed sand. That is enough to defeat a typical barrier of this material — treat anything behind it as exposed.
About Packed Sand
Packed sand (~150 mm), e.g. a single sandbag.
.45 ACP against other materials
See exactly what .45 ACP does to Packed Sand — open in the calculator →
Related
Figures are computed by the BallisticEngine physics engine (Poncelet, Johnson–Cook, orthotropic, Mohr–Coulomb and fibre models) for a representative load at the muzzle. Real-world penetration varies with the specific load, barrel length, range and barrier construction. Educational use only.