Destructive Sword Test.... Machine Gun vs. Katana

Rivkin · 18th August 2006, 11:00 PM

I think 9mm civilian is by far incapable of penetrating steel targets. Would the results be different if instead of a sword one would use a steel prybar ? I don't know, but I would think that any properly prepared steel bar would do even better than a sword due to its geometry - I doubt if 30 cal rifle with ordinary bullets can penetrate more than 5mm of steel, 20(?)mm if one is using AP.
This reminds of the story a few years ago when a big "sensei" in an american nihonto community seriously damaged reporduction of a XVIth century helmet using a reproduction katana. It was covered as an example of immense quality of japanese style weapons and immense talents of the "sensei". Shortly after it the whole bunch of different "reenactment" people started to squash helmet using axes, warhammers, swords, maheiras, god knows what else. Some failed miserably, some completely wacked their test subjects.

I think the same effect is here - people do not act surprised that bullets are stopped by a synthetic fiber similar to that used in pantyhoses, but we don't see very foten what happens when bullet meets sword.

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18th August 2006, 11:00 PM	#23
Rivkin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 655	I think 9mm civilian is by far incapable of penetrating steel targets. Would the results be different if instead of a sword one would use a steel prybar ? I don't know, but I would think that any properly prepared steel bar would do even better than a sword due to its geometry - I doubt if 30 cal rifle with ordinary bullets can penetrate more than 5mm of steel, 20(?)mm if one is using AP. This reminds of the story a few years ago when a big "sensei" in an american nihonto community seriously damaged reporduction of a XVIth century helmet using a reproduction katana. It was covered as an example of immense quality of japanese style weapons and immense talents of the "sensei". Shortly after it the whole bunch of different "reenactment" people started to squash helmet using axes, warhammers, swords, maheiras, god knows what else. Some failed miserably, some completely wacked their test subjects. I think the same effect is here - people do not act surprised that bullets are stopped by a synthetic fiber similar to that used in pantyhoses, but we don't see very foten what happens when bullet meets sword.