Ever wondered how automotive components would stand up to semi-automatic rifle fire?
Local armoured car specialists SVI Engineering has. In fact, the Bashewa, Gauteng-based company is so intrigued by the subject that they've released a YouTube series called Shoot Through that aims to put all sorts of parts to the test using an AK-47 and a Photron Fastcam SA4 high-speed camera capable of shooting at an incredible 30,000 frames per second. The resultant slow-motion footage makes for fascinating viewing.
“At SVI Engineering, we’re always on the lookout for fresh ways to educate and inform our customers. This fascinating video series does just that, providing valuable information to civilians considering investing in vehicle armour,” SVI chairperson Benny Jiyane said.
In this episode — the second of 14, with a new episode expected to drop approximately every two weeks — the SVI team investigates whether a four-cylinder engine block from the popular Volkswagen Polo can stop a 7.62x39mm conventional steel-core round.
“When it comes to gunfire, it is sometimes said one of the only reliable areas of cover on a standard vehicle is directly behind the engine block. So, is this an accurate claim?” asks Jaco de Kock, CEO of SVI.
“While it depends on exactly where the sample is hit, we decided to carry out our own test, securing a Volkswagen Polo engine block at the end of our underground shooting range, mounting an AK-47 in our test rig and pulling the trigger.”
Hit the play button to see what happens.