Home › Penetration › .40 S&W vs Packed SandWill a .40 S&W Penetrate Packed Sand?
Yes — defeats a 150 mm packed sand barrier
Penetration depth
176 mm (6.9″)
Impact velocity
300 m/s (984 fps)
Muzzle energy
527 J (388 ft-lb)
Fired at the muzzle, a representative .40 S&W load (11.7 g, FMJ, 300 m/s) reaches roughly 176 mm (6.9 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.
.40 S&W against other materials
See exactly what .40 S&W 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.