481
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- Feb 22, 2009
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Lately, I have been testing out the ability of 7.62x39 ammo to get through mild steel plate and have seen it make it through 1/2" plate (12.7 mm), and on some occasions, when using steel core ammo, through 3/4" (19 mm) mild steel plate at close range.
Being the nerdy, "math-geek" type of shooter that I am, when I stumbled upon the THOR armor penetration algorithm-
V[sub]r[/sub] = V[sub]i[/sub] – 10[sup]α[/sup] x hA[sup]β[/sup] x M[sup]γ[/sup] x V[sub]i[/sub][sup]δ[/sup] x (sec Ф)[sup]x[/sup]
-I just had to see how it did when compared to my results.
Using a penetration curve generated by the THOR algorithm, the table predicts the performance of 7.62x39 FMJs against mild steel plate from the muzzle (2330 fps) to 100 yards (2050 fps) and 200 yards (1750 fps) and agrees with a lot of what I have seen so far.
So far nothing has gotten through the 3/4" thick mild steel plate beyond 25 yards (~2275 fps) as predicted by the THOR algorithm and at (much) closer ranges, I have seen the round (most of it steel core, not surprisingly) make it through 3/4" mild steel plate.
For the sake of comparison, here is how .50BMG M2AP (even if it is a bit of a stretch with an L/D of ~4.5) fares against both mild steel and rolled homogenous armor (RHA) according to the THOR algorithm-
*A note of caution and my disclaimer: For those contemplating shooting at any steel plate with any firearm- it is extremely dangerous and should not be done at close range without adequate protection. Rifle bullets (and in many cases, pistol bullets) can rebound from the steel plate face with enough velocity to cause serious injury or death. Just because I am silly enough to do so (behind some serious cover- I ain't that crazy!) does not mean that I recommend such behavior. Neither I, nor THR, is responsible for the injury or death of anyone who elects to engage in this dangerous activity. Please don't do it.
Being the nerdy, "math-geek" type of shooter that I am, when I stumbled upon the THOR armor penetration algorithm-
V[sub]r[/sub] = V[sub]i[/sub] – 10[sup]α[/sup] x hA[sup]β[/sup] x M[sup]γ[/sup] x V[sub]i[/sub][sup]δ[/sup] x (sec Ф)[sup]x[/sup]
-I just had to see how it did when compared to my results.
Using a penetration curve generated by the THOR algorithm, the table predicts the performance of 7.62x39 FMJs against mild steel plate from the muzzle (2330 fps) to 100 yards (2050 fps) and 200 yards (1750 fps) and agrees with a lot of what I have seen so far.
So far nothing has gotten through the 3/4" thick mild steel plate beyond 25 yards (~2275 fps) as predicted by the THOR algorithm and at (much) closer ranges, I have seen the round (most of it steel core, not surprisingly) make it through 3/4" mild steel plate.
For the sake of comparison, here is how .50BMG M2AP (even if it is a bit of a stretch with an L/D of ~4.5) fares against both mild steel and rolled homogenous armor (RHA) according to the THOR algorithm-
*A note of caution and my disclaimer: For those contemplating shooting at any steel plate with any firearm- it is extremely dangerous and should not be done at close range without adequate protection. Rifle bullets (and in many cases, pistol bullets) can rebound from the steel plate face with enough velocity to cause serious injury or death. Just because I am silly enough to do so (behind some serious cover- I ain't that crazy!) does not mean that I recommend such behavior. Neither I, nor THR, is responsible for the injury or death of anyone who elects to engage in this dangerous activity. Please don't do it.
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