Wiggum Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Now, lets say a guy wearing the standard U.S (UK) Body armor gets hit by a 5.45x39mm round in the chest, lest say the distance is 200m. What would happen ? I think the bullet will not kill the guy, but is he still able to fight ? Would there be a massive bruise ? And what about a 7.62x39mm round at 200m...or a 5.45x39mm at 100m ? You always read something like "not deadly", but i would like to know if you can continue fighting after get hit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Other Means Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 I've seen youtube footage of just that. I guess if he's in a high-pressure environment he would but if he had a chance to go and have a cup of tea and a ciggy he'd take it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiggum Posted November 8, 2009 Author Share Posted November 8, 2009 I've seen youtube footage of just that. I guess if he's in a high-pressure environment he would but if he had a chance to go and have a cup of tea and a ciggy he'd take it. I saw something too on TV. It was about a insurgency sniper in iraq who shot US Soldiers and recording it. One of the soldiers fell down by the power of the impact but was still alive. He got a massive chest bruise EDIT: Found the Video on Youtube, watch from 1.05 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxGEYRzCyrU 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryujin Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Now, lets say a guy wearing the standard U.S (UK) Body armor gets hit by a 5.45x39mm round in the chest, lest say the distance is 200m. What would happen ? I think the bullet will not kill the guy, but is he still able to fight ? Would there be a massive bruise ? And what about a 7.62x39mm round at 200m...or a 5.45x39mm at 100m ? You always read something like "not deadly", but i would like to know if you can continue fighting after get hit. Because you said "ballistic vest" I'm going to assume your not to familier with the stuff and start from the beginning. Modern body armor is based around large hard armor plates placed in pockets on the vest, generally over the vital organs on the front and back (and sometimes the sides). This can be supplemented with soft Kevlar armor in the vest itself, usually no "tougher" than NIJ Level II or IIa, its meant for shrapnel and can stop 9mm. The soft armor also enhances the effectiveness of the armor plates by providing backing.The BUFOR units in CMSF have armor with plates and soft armor. The plates are the key components of the armor, generally constructed of ceramic (which means they can crack from being dropped or shot). In the case of the US armor, ESAPI plates are used, which are NIJ Level IV, protection up to 7.62 x 63mm M2 armor piercing rounds. I'm not familer with how they perform under real conditions or with the British armor, but the ESAPI should provide protection from every Syrian round short of Russian .50. As far as being able to fight after being hit, keep in mind that when you fire a rifle, the recoil is the opposite and equal force imparted to the bullet. Obviously it's much more focused with the bullet, but while you may get a very nasty bruise and maybe a fracture, I think in most cases someone who was hit could keep fighting, especially with a hit from 7.62x39 or 5.45x39. The plate and soft armor backing is designed to distribute the force. None of the Syrians seem to have armor, SF included, that looks like a load bearing vest. USMC MTV: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Modular_Tactical_Vest_components.jpg 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 As far as being able to fight after being hit, keep in mind that when you fire a rifle, the recoil is the opposite and equal force imparted to the bullet. It doesn't work quite that way with automatic weapons that use the recoil energy for reloading mechanism. The recoil from an assault rifle or LMG is negligible, even when firing at full automatic. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryujin Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 It doesn't work quite that way with automatic weapons that use the recoil energy for reloading mechanism. The recoil from an assault rifle or LMG is negligible, even when firing at full automatic. Your right, though most are gas, not recoil operated. What I was trying to say is that it's not like being hit by a truck or something, by all means its a very hard kick, but odds are you'll still be in the fight. The guy in the video was probably hit by a hunting/sniper rifle, so something around 7.62x51 or 54. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costard Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 You do have to be careful about shock - not so much physical impact as psychological. There are reports from WW1 and WW2 of men dying after being hit by nearly spent bullets that didn't break the skin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuirassier Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Really, the 7.62x54R won't go through the plates? I always thought the body armor was only really effective against the short 7.62 and 5.45. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryujin Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 @costard: True, but probably extremely unlikely, especially since they are wearing the vest and thus not mentally conditioned in the quite the same way as someone from WWII who is expecting much worse results from a chest hit. My theory anyway. @Cuirassier: Not the newer ESAPIs, in that video posted earlier you can see that guy get hit at pretty short range in the chest by a SVD and then get up and stay in the fight. The new ESAPIs are certified to 7.62x63mm armor piercing, which is more punch than the 7.62x54R. Clip about that incident: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 but is he still able to fight ? In all of those Bruce Willis movies it seems if you are virtuous you will be able to keep fighting no matter how often or badly you get shot. But if you're a 'bad guy', expecially one without any dialog, you fall like a sack of potatoes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dietrich Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 In all of those Bruce Willis movies it seems if you are virtuous you will be able to keep fighting no matter how often or badly you get shot. But if you're a 'bad guy', expecially one without any dialog, you fall like a sack of potatoes. In pretty much all action movies (no matter who is playing the hero): - the good guy either doesn't get hit at all no matter how many bad guys are firing M16s/AKs/Uzis/MP5s at him, even at less than 30 meters' range; or the good guy gets hit one or more times but suffers no significant detriment to his combat effectiveness - the good guy drops any given bad guy (especially one with no lines) with a single pistol bullet (the good guy is only infrequently given anything SWAT-worthy), even from more than 30 meters' range; and the hit-by-single-pistol-bullet bad guy is either dead before he hits the ground or dies moments after getting hit 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial Grunt Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 I saw something too on TV. It was about a insurgency sniper in iraq who shot US Soldiers and recording it. One of the soldiers fell down by the power of the impact but was still alive. He got a massive chest bruise EDIT: Found the Video on Youtube, watch from 1.05 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxGEYRzCyrU That soldier was shot by a SVD as well, firing a 7.62X54mm round, more powerful that the standard AK-47/74 round. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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