12 gauge Vs. Cinder block wall question

[Sylvain]

Not sure where to post that.
I have a question related to home defense, I want to know how a wall made of CMUs (cinder blocks) would react to one or two shots of 00 buckshot fired from inside a house (so just a few feet away).

If I have to shoot someone from across my living room and that the wall behind my attacker is made of CMUs, would some of the shots go through the wall?

I have seen shooting tests made on concrete blocks at the range, a blast of 00 buckshot exploded the block.But it was a single block, not a whole wall.
Im not a mason so I dont know if there is a difference between the two, but I would think that a wall would be much stronger than one single CMU alone, especially with reinforcement bars behind and the weight of the other blocks on top and such.


Any mason and firearms expert around?

 

[IndianaResident]

I"ll say that if you try it from a few feet away, make sure you include eyepro in your Bump-in-the-night plan.

 

[Ryno300]

^^^^^^^^
Definitely that!

 

[Sylvain]

I"ll say that if you try it from a few feet away, make sure you include eyepro in your Bump-in-the-night plan.

Well I guess it's more than a few feet, it could be 20 feet or closer, not sure.

 

[Sylvain]

No mason around?

I was also wondering if those blocks are hollow or if once the wall is built they are filled with concrete.

 

[gunman41mag]

Try it on your neighbors house & let's know

 

[smileman]

you are right, the blocks become much stronger as more blocks and more weight are stacked on them.

 

[bluewraith]

No mason around?

I was also wondering if those blocks are hollow or if once the wall is built they are filled with concrete.

From my experience they are left hollow.

Not a mason, but been around several jobs involving cinderblocks over the years.

 

[Sylvain]

Try it on your neighbors house & let's know

I thought about it.
If I do it you might hear it from the news and not from me reporting it here though.
Well I guess it could be an "accident" while I clean my shotgun outside in front of my neighbor's house I guess.
Accidents do happen ...

 

[Sylvain]

From my experience they are left hollow.

Not a mason, but been around several jobs involving cinderblocks over the years.

Yes that's what I saw from some pictures I found online.

 

[Sylvain]

you are right, the blocks become much stronger as more blocks and more weight are stacked on them.

But stronger enough to take a shotgun blast?
That's the question.

I really have no idea if it will punch a hole trough both sides of the block or just through.

We need to find some INGO masons and shooters (finding shooters should be easy) to test that.

 

[BlueEagle]

Wouldn't be that hard. Go buy 10 cinderblocks and some mortar, and give it a shot, (so to speak.)

Maybe stack some sandbags on TOP of your wall once you build it to simulate a structural load.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

"Blocks grow stronger" ? ? ? What?

How does the height of the stack of blocks add to the strength of the blocks? Not including steel-web re-enforcement and concrete in the cavities. Just std mortar. A straightforward question. EBG

 

[lovemywoods]

I don't have the data to answer your question directly. However, I did some testing on brick walls that yielded surprising results. The results may transfer somewhat to block walls.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ing_of_residential_brick_walls_pic_heavy.html


None of the rounds tested penetrated a single layer of brick on the first shot. The brittle nature of the brick absorbed the bullet's energy.

However, on the second shot in the same hole, the rifle rounds tested passed right through.

I would expect buckshot to fracture the concrete block significantly. A follow-up shell in the same place would likely have some penetration.

 

[Sylvain]

How does the height of the stack of blocks add to the strength of the blocks? Not including steel-web re-enforcement and concrete in the cavities. Just std mortar. A straightforward question. EBG

Well the weight of the blocks above, and the blocks around keep the block that gets shot from flying in all direction.
Even if the block shatters into pieces from the first shot, being fixed with mortar and surounded by other blocks, im thinking that the pieces of the block will stay in places and will take a second hit better than one single block just sitting on a table.

How much better, I dont know, that's my question.
But I can see that it could stop a round better than the same block not used in a wall.

 

[dbrier]

There are a few vids on Youtube, but they are all 12ga 00 buck vs. a single block. They pulverize the block in a shot or two.

 

[CountryBoy19]

How does the height of the stack of blocks add to the strength of the blocks? Not including steel-web re-enforcement and concrete in the cavities. Just std mortar. A straightforward question. EBG

A block encased by other blocks and held together with mortar does not have room to expand in all directions when hit. This means in theory it's much harder to fracture that block because for something to fracture, the pieces have to separate. For pieces to separate, there must be room for expansion on the side/sides of the piece away from the fracture. So theoretically, a block in a wall will be stronger than just a single block used for a test-fire.

Regarding filling the block. Unfortunately, most of the time they aren't filled. But you will occasionally get somebody that goes through the extra lengths to interlace rebar both vertical in the voids and horizontal (chip part of the center web out a row of block and lay the rebar in) then fill with concrete.