care to offer a WAG?????......

[jmoore]

......Wild Ass Guess??????

If a standard 9mm, 115gr round were to fire outside of a weapon (not chambered & no barrel) - any guess or first-hand experience as to how fast the bullet would be travelling initially?

And if Doc is reading this - what would be the approximate fps needed to penetrate skin & skull?

TIA

john

[Abraxas]

......Wild Ass Guess??????

If a standard 9mm, 115gr round were to fire outside of a weapon (not chambered & no barrel) - any guess or first-hand experience as to how fast the bullet would be travelling initially?

And if Doc is reading this - what would be the approximate fps needed to penetrate skin & skull?

TIA

john

It wont really go anywhere.

[Microalign]

With no barrel for the bullet to be pushed through, the only pressure build up will be from the case itself which doesn't do much. The crimp around the bullet isn't tight enough for the charge to generate enough pressure to get much velocity out of the bullet. You'd probably get more velocity out of a Red Rider BB gun.

[pmarc]

If a standard 9mm, 115gr round were to fire outside of a weapon

I recall reading the conclusion of a report by the NFPA, regarding fires in small arms ammo (not HE) depots. The gist of it is that regular protective equipment of firemen is enough to protect against projectiles (bullets and shrapnel)

[viperashes]

It's pretty much been covered. The case would probably just pop, or the bullet would unseat, and most of the powder would just burn. Ammunition just "blowing up" all "zip, zing, zoom" like in the movies doesn't happen. The major part of a bullet's velocity comes from the pressure imparted by the gas trying to expand the case and only having one path of least resistance - pushing the bullet down the barrel.

[rsgard]

The brass goes flying because it has less mass than the bullet.

Seen it happen before. Did not get hit but i think it might leave a lump if it hit you in the melon other than that i think your eyes would be the only thing you need to protect. Probably could get powder burns if you were holding it or something.

[viperashes]

The brass goes flying because it has less mass than the bullet.

Seen it happen before. Did not get hit but i think it might leave a lump if it hit you in the melon other than that i think your eyes would be the only thing you need to protect. Probably could get powder burns if you were holding it or something.

.50 cal bullets are an entirely different story. They kaboom when you use them as a hammer apparently. Who'da thunk it.

Is 'gore' for the sake of education site acceptable?

[ST911]

Dropped rounds that have their primers impacted usually come apart only a few feet (if that), with little force or injury potential. Observed.

[rsgard]

.50 cal bullets are an entirely different story. They kaboom when you use them as a hammer apparently. Who'da thunk it.

Is 'gore' for the sake of education site acceptable?

OP mentioned 9mm. No doubt 50 could do some damage, if you just threw the brass at someone you could hurt them let alone all that powder and the bullet.

though if you using the primer end of the brass as a hammer and it detonated on contact then whatever you were hitting is going to act as a backstop for the brass and all kinetic energy would transfer to the bullet.

[viperashes]

OP mentioned 9mm. No doubt 50 could do some damage, if you just threw the brass at someone you could hurt them let alone all that powder and the bullet.

though if you using the primer end of the brass as a hammer and it detonated on contact then whatever you were hitting is going to act as a backstop for the brass and all kinetic energy would transfer to the bullet.

I know OP was talking about 9mm. I just recently rediscovered an old military warning notice that had pictures of a guy that apparently decided to use a .50 round to try to seat a pindle mount in a turret and blew his hand into 5 types of swiss cheese. I figured at the very least, it was a flimsy excuse to share it.