Ep 7. Son of a Gun

In the seventh episode of season three of Mythbusters, titled "Son of a Gun," hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage take on a bevy of gun-related myths, putting them to the test to see if they hold up to scrutiny.

First up, the hosts tackle the myth that a human being can survive a gunshot to the head if they're standing close enough to the shooter. To test this, they build a ballistic gel head to simulate a human skull and position it in front of a masonry wall to see if a shot fired at point-blank range will penetrate the skull and cause fatal damage.

Next, Hyneman and Savage get creative with gun silencers, which are often portrayed in movies as a quick and easy way to dampen the sound of a gunshot. But do they actually work as advertised? To find out, the hosts construct several possible silencer designs using common household items, such as soda bottles and PVC pipes.

Moving on, the Mythbusters team explores the idea that throwing a gun into the air will cause it to fire, as seen in the movie Lethal Weapon 3. They set up a rig to throw a gun into the air and watch to see if it actually discharges when it hits the ground.

The show then turns its attention to bulletproof vests, which are designed to protect law enforcement officers and others from harm when under fire. But are they truly effective? To find out, Hyneman and Savage put several vests to the test and see how they fare against a variety of bullets.

Finally, the hosts explore the question of whether a bullet can be frozen in a block of ice and still, upon thawing, be fired effectively. To test this myth, they freeze a variety of bullets in ice and place them in a freezer for several days before thawing them out and attempting to fire them.

Throughout the episode, Hyneman and Savage employ their trademark humor and scientific rigor to tackle each myth, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for answers. Whether you're a gun enthusiast or simply curious about how firearms and their associated myths work, "Son of a Gun" is sure to provide plenty of entertainment and information alike.