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[shadowdragon]

as stated in several forums regarding weapons, particularly size and power comparisons, we all know there is no such thing as hydrostatic shock from bullet impacts on human flesh. I recently found this video and cannot understand the side effects of these impacts. shouldn't the bullets go right through without damaging any other part of the test object, and leave just a pair of holes? the banana and the water bottle are particularly confusing....

help? i am trying to come up with realistic damage tables for firearms and this video seems to demolish some of the truths of bullets vs. flesh we all know.


here is the video in question:

google video

 

[far-trader]

I haven't checked the video (dialup sucks) but I've seen the like often enough.

I'm guessing it has to do with pressure and containment.

A water bottle, and maybe even a bananna, both present a liquid (semi liquid for the bananna) in a sealed container (or one with a very small opening in some cases). The sudden pressure causes the explosive result. The same thing doesn't happen to a body becuase there is not so much liquid and a lot more room for the pressure to expand into without ill effects.

That's just a quick layperson's take on it.

 

[deadlock]

Greetings and salutations,

There is a book that handles firearms damage amazingly well, but is a little involved. Look for something titled, Edge of the Sword. It has a table in the back that will help convert to the game system you use.

Hope this helps.

 

[far-trader]

Try this home experiment BUT I am not responsible for any mess or injury. It might help explain it.

Experiment 1 - Take a full bottle of water with a sealed cap in hand. Give it a hard fast squeeze. Give it all you've got. What happened? Unless you are some olympic level body builder the answer is probably nothing. Now take the same bottle but remove the cap. When you're done cleaning up the water that sprayed everywhere go on to Experiment 2.

Experiment 2 - Take hold of your forearm with the opposite hand. Give it the same hard fast squeeze. What happened? Your arm yielded a bit didn't it, but nothing sprayed out anywhere did it. You didn't even feel an increase in pressure anywhere did you?

 

[deadlock]

Actually, if you ever had a blood pressure taken, Experiment 2 has been done to you already. Do you remember what it felt like to have that BP taken?

 

[aramis]

"hydrostatic shock" is an improper technical term for what most bullets do.

Bullets do cause a stretch cavitation which can result in tissue damage. The pressure waves do do damage; the interior of the chest is definitely a constrained area with fluid contents (remembering that fluid includes liquids and gasses).

Most of the damage from hydrostatic shock will be localized. (Lasers cause quite a bit... as the wound channel gets a steam explosion with only 1 or two exit points of very low diameter). Stretch cavity damage, however, can be spectacular.


Hell, deep muscle bruises are a form of hydrostatic energy transfer... the gelatinous liquid which is flesh is mostly water...

 

[shadowdragon]

tanks Aramis! dat vas a vuhnderful hexplanashun.
mahking moor cents now.

 

[Pickles]

Try this one - fruit explodes different to what humans do.