WINNIPEG (Reuters) – Two 20-year-old men in rural western Canada could be banned from handling firearms after what police on Friday called a bizarre experiment.

It began when one of the men brought a military-style bullet-proof vest back to their Swan River, Manitoba, home. He then asked his room-mate to shoot him in the chest with a 22 caliber rifle.

That done, and pleased with the lack of damage, he asked his friend to shoot him in the back with a 12 gauge shotgun.

This time, the duo decided to stuff a phone book inside the vest for a bit of insurance.

The phone book absorbed much of the blow, but the target still suffered cracked ribs and bruising.

“The biggest question is why and it’s difficult to come up with a logical reason,” said Sgt. Steve Saunders of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Winnipeg.

Neither man faces police charges but the Mounties are seeking a five-year firearms prohibition.