Shooting At Computer Hard Drives

[billt]

I have had several old desktop computers languishing in my closet for years. One was so old it had Windows 95 in it. Finally my wife wanted rid of them because they were taking up too much space. I didn't want to toss them for fear someone could take the hard drive out and retrieve the information. So I took them out on the patio, pulled them apart, and removed the hard drives.

The other day I took them to the range, along with my Ruger Model 77 Stainless in .30-06. I set them out on a berm at 75 yards, and had at them. The results were all similar to this one. These things are really tough! They're made from a very heavy cast Aluminum housing. The Western Digital models like the one in the photos seem to be the toughest. But the 168 Gr. Sierra Matchking sailed right through, no problem.

The first shot hit just to the left of center, right under the bar code. The next one nicked the edge, but as you can see in the other photo, it blew the whole upper left corner of the housing completely off, exposing the platter and arm. It landed on edge, so I put one edgewise into the right side, and that pretty much finished it off. That last shot blew the unit right over the top of the berm, and I found it about 30 feet on the other side of the berm itself.

The other hard drives all met with a similar fate. It was fun to be able to shoot at something other than paper all the time. And I doubt that anyone will be extracting any information off of them now!

[seez52]

I shot a HDD some year ago with a .45acp. It made one heck of a dent but did not go through.

[Omega]

I pull mine apart and take the magnet(s) out.  I've epoxied them to the back of those magnetic bars Harbor freight gives out now and then.  I stick them to my bench, tool box, deer gambrel etc, to hold my tools and knives.

You can always shoot the leftovers, those hard drive platters make good targets (shiny)

 

 

[DaveTN]

Some duct tape and a good hard drive recovery program will fix those up good as new.

[billt]

17 minutes ago, Omega said:

I pull mine apart and take the magnet(s) out.  I've epoxied them to the back of those magnetic bars Harbor freight gives out now and then.  I stick them to my bench, tool box, deer gambrel etc, to hold my tools and knives.

You can always shoot the leftovers, those hard drive platters make good targets (shiny)

 

 

I had a hard enough time getting the hard drives out of the computer. I can't imagine taking one of those things apart!

[Omega]

7 hours ago, billt said:

I had a hard enough time getting the hard drives out of the computer. I can't imagine taking one of those things apart!

It's relatively easy, just need some hex and/or star bits, maybe a screw driver to pry the magnet off (carefully,  they're brittle) the metal piece.  Since it's not to be put back together, a large hammer might work too 

[Jeb48]

I feel so dumb I just used a drill press to destroy my old drives. I do have an old iPad to get rid of.....

[Ronald_55]

I know a guy that just uses his propane forge. Pop them in and then remove the sludge. 

[DL126]

Tannerite is also quite effective.

[Capbyrd]

18 hours ago, Omega said:

I pull mine apart and take the magnet(s) out.  I've epoxied them to the back of those magnetic bars Harbor freight gives out now and then.  I stick them to my bench, tool box, deer gambrel etc, to hold my tools and knives.

You can always shoot the leftovers, those hard drive platters make good targets (shiny)

 

 

We always keep the magnets as well.   But I just like magnets. 

 

[tnhawk]

When it's time to destroy my hard drives I'll call Hillary.

[gregintenn]

3 hours ago, tnhawk said:

When it's time to destroy my hard drives I'll call Hillary.

She does know a guy.

[Chucktshoes]

4 hours ago, tnhawk said:

When it's time to destroy my hard drives I'll call Hillary.

If I get a hankering to know what was on those drives, I’ll just call the Russians.

[xsubsailor]

Just now, Chucktshoes said:

If I get a hankering to know what was on those drives, I’ll just call the Russians.

Or the NSA 

[Omega]

20 minutes ago, xsubsailor said:

Or the NSA 

Or Weiner

[DaveTN]

42 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

If I get a hankering to know what was on those drives, I’ll just call the Russians.

Oh geeeez don’t say that. Then Mueller will be telling the new AG he needs two more years because some guy in Tennessee might be involved and they need a couple more years to check it out.

[Chucktshoes]

36 minutes ago, Omega said:

Or Weiner

Just be careful what you click on....

[mikegideon]

2 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

Just be careful what you click on....

[Woodstock]

On 11/14/2018 at 1:05 PM, billt said:

I had a hard enough time getting the hard drives out of the computer. I can't imagine taking one of those things apart!

Not that difficult. I've had to take some apart for work because we handled classified info. Just needed really tiny Torx bits. Still have some of the magnets. The magnets are so strong I got a blood blister when two jumped together with my finger in the way.

The most fun was with BIG multi-platter RM-03 disks. We took those out in the yard and used thermite to destroy them.

[hipower]

On ‎11‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 1:05 PM, billt said:

I had a hard enough time getting the hard drives out of the computer. I can't imagine taking one of those things apart!

I did try and disassemble my last desktop pc. It was a pain in the patootie!

Hammers, sledge and otherwise, didn't do much. So I got a huge heavy pry bar and tried to spear it. Not much better.

I finally just busted up what I could until I could pry out the hard drive. Then it got harder! Those things are darn near indestructible! I gave it to a guy I trusted to destroy it.

[Ronald_55]

7 minutes ago, hipower said:

I did try and disassemble my last desktop pc. It was a pain in the patootie!

Hammers, sledge and otherwise, didn't do much. So I got a huge heavy pry bar and tried to spear it. Not much better.

I finally just busted up what I could until I could pry out the hard drive. Then it got harder! Those things are darn near indestructible! I gave it to a guy I trusted to destroy it.

What brand was it? Most of the ones from the last decade use screwless designs. 

[hipower]

24 minutes ago, Ronald_55 said:

What brand was it? Most of the ones from the last decade use screwless designs. 

Probably HP. That I think has been all I've owned.

Don't really remember when I bought my first one, but IIRC, I'm on my 3rd pc now.

[tnhawk]

On 2/8/2019 at 9:48 PM, hipower said:

I did try and disassemble my last desktop pc. It was a pain in the patootie!

Hammers, sledge and otherwise, didn't do much. So I got a huge heavy pry bar and tried to spear it. Not much better.

I finally just busted up what I could until I could pry out the hard drive. Then it got harder! Those things are darn near indestructible! I gave it to a guy I trusted to destroy it.

Next time, just call Hillary.  

[shaftbass]

Old 40gb Maxtor I shot in 2003.  Stopped a .40 cal WWB round, but to be fair, if the hard drive had been secured to something vs sitting upright on a table, it probably would have done much more damage.