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Sword cuts bullet
- Thread starter Ring
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2006
- Messages
- 274
Hadn't seen that one before, pretty cool vid though.
Doesn't surprise me. I recall reading a field ballistics test performed by a GI in Germany after WWII. He used a steel pot helmet as his target and the firearms he tested included a 1911A1 and a Walther P-38 that he captured. There may have been a Luger as well, but I'm not sure on the later. He used 230 grain USGI ball in the .45 and some sort of captured 9x19mm ball in the 9's (I would bet German). The testing medium was a steel pot helmet as was typical for soldiers of the day to wear in combat. The 9x19 cleared the helmet, but the .45 only dented it- not even passing through the first side.
Now bear in mind that a sword blad is most likely of hard steel, and any steel can cut lead. Copper is also not especially hard either, and is also softer than steel. This is a sharp edge, and the bullet is pushing 850FPS and has an awful lot of force behind it. If the blade hit an amalegamation of lead an copper with that amount of force, it should be split. Same edge, same wedge principal, same force. To be expected.
Now bear in mind that a sword blad is most likely of hard steel, and any steel can cut lead. Copper is also not especially hard either, and is also softer than steel. This is a sharp edge, and the bullet is pushing 850FPS and has an awful lot of force behind it. If the blade hit an amalegamation of lead an copper with that amount of force, it should be split. Same edge, same wedge principal, same force. To be expected.
- Joined
- May 28, 1999
- Messages
- 2,606
The impressive one is where they pit a katana against a .50 cal ( or was it 20mm) machine gun. While the ammunition was unspecified (soft point or steel tipped) the sword survived an impressive 5 or 10 shots before it splintered and shattered revealing the lamination of the blade.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,116
When I got my SOG Tigershark, long ago, they had a brochure out showing it splitting bullets like that sword did. I think they had fired at it multiple times, like 7 times, or maybe it was 12, 14 times. I think the bullets were fired from a pistol and they may have even been jacketed.
I have heard it isn't hard to deflect / fragment a bullet. They do the same thing when they hit bone, etc, so why should we be that impressed that a sharp piece of metal would do the same?
I have heard it isn't hard to deflect / fragment a bullet. They do the same thing when they hit bone, etc, so why should we be that impressed that a sharp piece of metal would do the same?