Home Defense: Using Household Items As Cover

Love this video... I had to pause it to calm down (laughing my head off) after the guy lost his gun, stove, and refrigerator with only one bullet. I'm thinking maybe his girlfriend may have walked out, too, lolol.

@TexDanm !!! I KNEW IT! Our gazillion books are worth much more than their weight in gold... not only as fallout shelter insulation but bullet insulation as well.

Now back to the video (thanks @TMT Tactical for this interesting find!)


.

 

I have so many books that all of my gazillion bookshelves are double-stacked. The front rows of books are standing up as you normally see them in a library; back rows behind the front rows are stacked up flat sides facing down. So if I were to hide behind one of the bookshelves, the bullets would not stand a chance of hitting me.


.

 

We did some testing many years ago about the penetration of common handgun rounds and the 5.56. Basically very few things in a house or car will be safe to hide behind. Other then my books about the only thing that I have that would stop bullets dependably would be my gun safe. Brick veneer homes are not much more protection than just wood frame houses. A chest type freezer would work if it was full to the top but empty it is almost totally useless as a barrier to bullets. Water in jugs works for a little while. We were pretty amazed at how fast the water absorbs the energy of a bullet. We lined up gallon jugs and after about three we started seeing big differences. Don't grab an iron skillet thinking "poor man's body armor". It didn't work at all.

If things ever go to total crap with people shooting at each other all the time the death count of people that have watched too much TV and movies are DEAD. If you stand beside a window shooting out that window in a frame house they will shoot you right through the wall.

 

How about building an armored plate attached to a movable dolly that has large rubber wheels? One could build two or three of these and use them for some other purpose until needed for defense.

Y'know, build a little wall, say 4' x 4' / 1.4 meter square -- whatever dimensions that are applicable to your home or building. Could make a multi-layer thingy with a metal plate, then ceramic tiles, fiberglass layers, layer of plywood, ... . There are instructions for do-it-yourself bullet-proof shields all over the web.

I bring up the movable wall idea, because these plates can get to be a bit heavy. Roll them to where you need them. Or, instead of a flat wall, make something "V" shaped so that you have deflection to your sides when inside the V. Remember to protect your floor if attackers can get below you to shoot up into you. Brick the floor of an area needed to be secure. Same for above you. You may require a protective roof for your little protective roll-about. If there are attackers on the roof, have a weapon that will go through your ceiling and through your roof -- like 7.62 NATO / .308 FMJ.

Here's a kid making a shield:

Just add some metal sheets to stop a rifle round.

Here's a prepper's info and instructions
https://www.askaprepper.com/how-to-make-bulletproof-body-armor-plate/

 

Most bookshelves don't have a robust back-wall, so just add a sheet of more robust backing, you could go plywood. Edge it and stain it; no one will notice the reinforcements.

You can lay a bookshelf on its back and fill it with bricks or whatever to make a fallout protective roof. This is one reason I say to put a strong back panel on a bookshelf. Common paving bricks soak-up the rads. In event of a nuclear exchange, go dig-up your patio or walkway and build a shelter inside your home. The wife and I built a brick-on-sand patio.

 

As a kid, my dad built a large masonry flower bed on the outside of our home. It was very wide and was located just under our front window. It was 3.5 ft or 4 ft tall. The rectangular stones were of varying colors and quite beautiful in and of themselves. There must have been a ton of black dirt inside that planter. He put weep holes at the bottom to drain-off excess water. The bottom of the bed had 2" gravel. Water control is essential or you will bust the masonry wall and/or cause root-rot to your plants.

If one was asleep on the couch in our living room, taking a bullet from the road was no concern. That planter could have taken a .50 Browning.

 

And then there are gabion walls:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gabian+walls

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=gabion+walls&atb=v140-1&iax=images&ia=images

https://gabionsupply.com/wire-mesh/









https://www.decorhomeideas.com/gabion-planter-ideas/

 

Didn't I mention that in my hardening the home thread? I need to check. If I left that out, my bad.

 

One could have a hardened home, then get burned out or smoked out.

Don't forget how super-important fire extinguishers are. And in a fire, stay close to the floor. The smoke at the top of a room or hallway can get over 800 degrees F.

Have gas masks / escape masks for the smoke off carpet/plastics fires and tear gas canisters.

As have been discussed in other threads, plastics manufacturers such as 3M make films that adhere to glass to make it shatter-proof and difficult to breech. There are films for glass that will keep a brute-sized man with a baseball bat outside pounding on the window for 5 or more minutes. The glass shatters but is held together. A person with a Molotov cocktail won't be able to throw it through your protected windows.

If you have a compound or live in a very unfriendly place (could be overrun by looters, say), then think about having an escape tunnel or a hidden/concealed opening into an adjacent building.

Call me paranoid, however there are some places where I simply wouldn't live. That said, many people live in such places; maybe they are trapped there due to a job's location or maybe they are taking care of family members who are at the end stage of life.

 

Look out of your house in all directions. Identify which objects/trees/rocks/whatever ... potential invaders would seek as cover.

Booby-trap those locations.

Your enemies can attack at night. If you do not have night vision equipment, then buy hanging flares to light-up the night. Get the best high-altitude flares (with parachutes) you can afford.

 

I installed 1/4" Tuffak, a clear polycarbonate, in a jail. One of the guards and I took a piece of scrap out and bounced .38's off of it. Some .357's would penetrate but not most depending on the load and bullet shape. We only tried pistol rounds. Lexan is a similar product.

I've been thinking about building a "library" with the shelving backed by polycarbonate. Also some polycarbonate storm windows.

Six inches of sand will stop almost anything. If you want to understand bullet penetration visit
https://www.theboxotruth.com/the-box-o-truth-1-the-original-box-o-truth/
WARNING: This site is addictive and may not be suitable for all audiences.

 

Ha. Too late to warn me about theboxoftruth.com. Over the years, I have spent more hours there than I am willing to admit...even to myself, lol.

Nothing like seeing the truth with your own eyes.


.

 

When life presented us the opportunity to build a house I went with ICF, 8 inches of reinforced concrete between us and projectiles. In hindsight I wish I'd have added some interior ICF walls to make a saferoom, but finances didn't allow it with all the other little upgrades we were adding.

For cover in the yard and on the driveway we have a couple medium-sized boulders for protection, and I stacked 18-inch paver blocks that I use for lawn furniture end tables. Just looks decorative so they don't draw any attention from guests. Just built my first gabion wall last year, actually a gabion cylinder that is used as the pedestal for an outside workbench and game/fish cleaning table. Going to build more of those I think and place them strategically around the yard. Denying their use by others as
Old Geezer said is critical too.

 

Great points too. When we built our home I added a water spigot inside the attached garage, mostly to aid in firefighting. Inside I added a spigot at the lowest point for filling flush buckets (I fill them for toilet flushing when the batteries are near full to use them when the batteries are low) and to drain the water lines if needed. Keep saying I'm going to add 25 feet or so of garden hose to that inside spigot for fighting a large inside fire, but haven't done it yet. Maybe my next project. Something everyone might consider to.

 

I love Paul Harrell. I have watched all of his videos. Very thorough, and very detail oriented, so you know exactly what he is doing.

I wish he had shown what you CAN use for cover. His demonstrations were good, but I had seen most of those before on other sites, so nothing new. I wonder how a mattress would hold up, or a chest of drawers filled with clothes? Other items of furniture you are likely to have in your house that could be used for cover. Anybody have any suggestions?

 

Well, there's this: https://www.theboxotruth.com/the-box-o-truth-8-the-rags-o-truth/



.

 

See Grizz. He should have put books behind everything. Then he would have been able to recover all of his bullets.

It is not uncommon to find JHP's that don't expand when hitting clothing. The hollow point tends to clog as it goes through. Using denim in front of ballistic gel is a routine penetration test for the FBI. Usually they compare bare gel, and gel fronted by clothing.

It is good to see all the household items he used that didn't stop anything. This could be like a Thomas Edison test. I always loved this quote. " I haven't failed. I just found 10,000 ways that won't work." We keep finding ways that won't work. Let's find some ways that do.

 

Sorry Morgan, your sock drawer isn't going to provide much protection.

My last house was fairly defensible. It is one story above ground post and beam construction with car decking floors. I put a bookcase against the railing upstairs to provide ballistic protection.

This house will eventually have planters around the exterior for ballistic protection, fire resistance, and as raised beds so we don't have to bend over. I will also have steel, outward opening doors for fire, ballistic, and kick protection.

The windows will get protective coatings by 3-M or similar as sold by Uline and polycarbonate storm windows.

 

All good stuff. Besides the bookcase what do you have inside you can use for cover. I am not trying to be nosy. I am just thinking my house through room by room. What would I be able to use for cover? My answer is pitiful little. My bookcases are against the wall. Tables, chairs, sofas won't stop anything. Maybe hiding in the bedroom on the far side of the bed away from the door might be O.K. Maybe behind an upright piano if I could get there. Interior doors won't stop anything. You see where I am going?

If push came to shove this is going to be like the O.K. Coral. We stand there and blast away at each other, and I am betting I am a better shot than they are. There are very few places to hide. Maybe I need to rethink my furniture.

 

The gun safe is the only thing that I'd bet my life on. If rounds came through my pantry, unlikely, and IF they happened to impact canned goods, also unlikely, that could help. Otherwise, all my ballistic protection is in the planning stage.

 

Another upside from being a compulsive book-hoarder is that I have so many bookcases (in almost every room). If I barricaded myself in a room, and if I stay away from the doors, a bullet would not likely penetrate the bookcases lining the walls. (Hmmm...I need to rearrange the bookcases so that any "blank spaces" on one wall would be covered by bookcases on the other side of the wall in the next room.)

Some of my walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases bolted to the wall and are covered with doors that are constructed with thick tongue-in-groove planks of knotted pine wood. Also, have heavy window shutters that are made the same way, and are decorative yet functional. I designed the window shutters with bear-proofing my house in mind. (It's almost like I am ringing the dinner bell every time I make popcorn or cook bacon, gumbo, or fried fish, and I am tired of the bears trying to break in through the windows.)


.

 

Given enough time an impromptu barrier of 5 gallon buckets of beans, rice, wheat, corn, canned goods, etc. would be effective especially with a second row behind it slightly offset.

It is reported that the presidents chair, in the Oval Office, has a bullet proof back. You could add ballistic protection to your furniture though that seems a bit extreme at this point.

 

Great post. I've bookmarked the "Box of Truth" site.

 

When I worked at the gun shop we tested the penetration of different loads using our outdated catalogs.

We found that 8-10" of paper would stop most hollowpoints fired from a handgun at a distance of 3-4 feet.

The catalogs were about 3" thick and just taped together to hold them upright.

357 loads consistently gave the best penetration.

 

Firearm penetration tests on home building materials / walls:

.308 FMJ vs brick wall; solid bricks vs. normal bricks (have interior holes)



--------------------------

The next guy built several different types of walls to test varying firearms loads; the AR-15 in 5.56, shotgun rounds birdshot & buckshot & slugs, and a 9mm. All of these are a joke except the shotgun slug -- ESPECIALLY with masonry walls. Nevertheless one can see that most frame house walls are easily penetrated. Shame that he didn't test real battle rifle rounds such as the 7.62 NATO/.308, .303 Brit, 8mm Mauser, or the 7.62x54R Nagant -- rounds that shoot through houses ... even masonry and heavy boards.

Just skip the first part and watch the second half, because these are frame walls and interior walls that these not so powerful weapons/rounds can shoot through. Again, you have to have something real to bust through masonry walls. The shotgun slug is the big exception. We all know what those puppies can do. They do not use the brass saboted shotgun slugs in their testing. I sure wish they had, 'cause those puppies are penetrators, mighty powerful, and known killers.

This video does show how over-penetrative buckshot is with interior walls. The 9mm & of course the 5.56 went right through interior walls -- exterior frame walls also.


------------

 

"10 Key Tips to Clearing Corners ..."

https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2022/11/clearing-corners-tips/

 

What about outside the house -- perimeter defense? OK

How about defensive shrubs & hedges? What ?!

Well, it is a thorny issue. Here are some pretty, even beautiful, shrubs ... that can draw blood.

Firethorn
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/firethorn/

"A semi-evergreen shrub in the northern climates, firethorn may be evergreen in the south. Firethorn reaches 10 to 15 feet high and wide, carrying shiny leaves that remain long into winter, white spring flowers, and brilliant orange berries in the fall. Often used as a barrier screen because of the stiff thorny branches, it nevertheless makes an attractive shrub because of its persistent winter berries. Can also be trained on a wall as an espalier. Plants can be unruly if not pruned regularly."

Bougainvillea



https://gardendrum.com/2013/12/28/how-to-grow-bougainvillea/

"It’s not one for lazy gardeners, that’s for sure. Ignore it and it will soon become a big problem. The normal pruning required is not a lot of work – if you are the type who is prepared to trim a hedge or prune a few roses on a regular basis, then you’ve got what it takes to properly care for a bougainvillea.

"The key to training and pruning them is to understand their growth habit. Bougainvilleas are programmed to climb; that’s why they produce such thick stems with large thorns that are designed to hook into things as they reach towards the light. Once they get there, they start to produce much shorter, less menacing growth on which their flowers and colourful bracts are formed.

"If you do nothing, they will continue to grow and flower beautifully; however, eventually they may end up a rampant overgrown mess, forcing you to make the inevitable decision to cut them back hard. This is the big mistake."

-------

https://www.britannica.com/plant/crown-of-thorns-plant

"devil’s backbone, (Euphorbia tithymaloides), also called redbird cactus or shoe flower, succulent plant of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), native from Florida to Venezuela. The plant is called devil’s backbone for the zigzag form some varieties exhibit as well as shoe flower. It is also called redbird cactus (despite not being a true cactus) for the shape of the red birdlike whorl of bracts (leaflike structures) below the flowers. The flowers and bracts are located at the tip of the 1.2–1.8-metre (4–6-foot) mostly leafless stems. The stems bleed copious amounts of poisonous milky latex if broken. There are varieties with variegated or reddish leaves.

"Christ’s thorn, any of several prickly or thorny shrubs, particularly Paliurus spina-christi, of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). P. spina-christi is native to southern Europe and western Asia. It grows about 6 m (20 feet) tall and is sometimes cultivated in hedges. The alternate leaves are oval and finely toothed. The very small, greenish yellow flowers, which grow in small clusters, are followed by brownish yellow, leathery fruit. The sturdy thorns are straight or slightly hooked."

--------------------------

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/barberry/barberry-shrub-care-tips.htm

"Wintergreen barberry – Wintergreen barberry (Berberis julianae) is an evergreen shrub with extremely thorny branches. Growing to 10 feet (3 m.) tall, this plant makes an excellent live barrier or hedge. Dark green leaves turn bronze in the winter and yellow flowers follow in the spring. Interesting winter fruits are oval and bluish-black in color.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Barberry Shrub Care: Tips For Growing Barberry Bushes https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/barberry/barberry-shrub-care-tips.htm

"Barberry bushes are hardy deciduous plants commonly used in gardens or as foundation bushes due to their low maintenance requirements and adaptability. Barberries are also frequently used as a hedge because of their uniform growth pattern. There are over 400 species of barberry plants. Many barberries have sharp thorns; however, some are without. Be sure to consider this when growing barberry bushes, especially if you have small children. Also, some types of barberry may become invasive in some regions. Be sure to check into this beforehand."

https://www.verywellhealth.com/barberry-berberis-vulgaris-what-you-need-to-know-89546

"Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a bush native to Europe, North Africa that now grows wild in many regions of North America. The berries of the barberry are traditionally used to make jams and jellies. But the herb also has a long history as a folk remedy for digestive disorders, including constipation, diarrhea, dyspepsia, heartburn, and loss of appetite.


"It was traditionally thought to increase the flow of bile, which is why it was used for liver and gallbladder problems. It was also used topically to treat skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne, and minor wounds."
----------------------------