How Do Armor Piercing Bullets Work?

“The famous example of such a blunder was the assassination attempt on US President Ronald Reagan that took place on March 30, 1981. Then, the shooter used an armor piercing bullet with a normal revolver, which actually deprived the bullet of its ability, contributing to the bullet missing the heart by less than one inch and piercing his left lung instead, which likely spared his life.”

This is incorrect. Reagan was not wearing his vest that day.

See:

http://www.ronaldreagan.com/march30.html
and (from the book Remembering Reagan)
http://books.google.com/books?id=8HJf1be87bgC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=reagan assassination vest&source=web&ots=Fi26_WMPxS&sig=lk68e3x_nDRxnsZlPiiLBp2SG7U#PPA24,M1

The comment is misinterpreted in that a "Regular" bullet would have expanded to much larger than its initial caliber possible inflicting a "Fatal" wound instead of a mere "hole" that the non-expanding "AP" bullet inflicted.

An "AP" round typically does not expand like "Regular" projectiles do and therefore are less likely to inflict "Hydrostatic shock" or increased wound-channel sizes that are common with regular lead based projectiles.

he never said that he was wearing his vest

well armor percing bullets were made too not go threw morden bodyarmour the term bulletproof exist for example a SHIELD OR BODYARMOUR ,CAR, or glass the reason why it isn't bulletproof most of the time is that it was just made too defeat that threat level. the highest threat level system is LEVEL 5 can stop rounds that are very matched with LEVEL 4 bodyarmour. LEVEL III LEVEL 4 AND LEVEL 5 are all hard bodyarmour. that was which made too stop RILFE BULLETS. LEVEL III can't stop steel core or armour percing rifle rounds level 4 can stop armour percing rifle rounds in the other hand. LEVEL 5 is more like LEVEL 4 but it has a better threat level system then LEVEL 4 now bulletproofvest is more like what the name is called BULLETPROOF> alot of people say no too this but it is true that is is bulletproof but the threat levels make it not 100% bulletproof. now you were talkign about armour percing pistol rounds 1st it is ILLEGAL too ahve and very hard too get your hands on if you are not iussed by law enforcment armoury and 2 armour percing shells deflict sometimes. liek what you said of course ARMOUR PERCING pistol ammo was made too go threw soft bodyarmour LEVEL III-A it would go threw because it is only made out of KEVIAR but KEVIAR is 2nd gene it is rarely used FULLY now and days they make LEVEL III-A ballistic protection made out of a potheylene called Spectra a 3nd gene of soft bodyarmour. it slows down armour percing bullets and defeats UNUSAL pointed ammo. but pinncale armour a more up graded morden company have plates called III-A+ a 12x14 protection plate inside the LEVEL III-A ballistic pack. it would protect you from 50.AE and deafeats ARMOUR percing rounds. BALLISTIC PROTECTION EXPERT JESTER!


FULL BODYARMOUR is also real bodyarmour that is coverd head too toe lets name those things (FOREARM PROTECTORS ,SHOULDER PROTECTOR. NECK PROTECTOR, VEST. GROIN PROTECTOR , UPPER LEG PROTECTOR, SHIN PROTECTORS. EBLOWS AND KNEES ARE ALSO BALLISTIC. SHOES ARE BALLISTIC III-A , BALLISTIC mASK WITH BALLISTIC GOOGLES. BALLISTIC BACLAVA NORMEX AND KEVIAR. BALLISTIC HELEMT WITH A MODDED LEVEL III PROTECTION. the chest is also MODDED WITH LEVEL III-A+ AND LEVEL IV pLATES THE REST OF THE BODY IS ALL LEVEL III-A) HIT ME BACK IF YOU WNAT MORE INTELL!

Thank you for your comments Jester. Who do you think offers the best combination of protection vs weight/moveability in a vest product that wears under a jacket?

Jester...

that was...helpful...there is some good information in your post; however, please work on your English, spelling mistakes, and overuse of capitalization. It is called Kevlar, w/ an "l," not an "i". From your spelling of the word armor, I can only guess that you're English, which is fun b/c you don't even know your own language. The word "threw" is through, unless of course you meant to use a verb as a preposition. Your post would be extremely helpful to anyone who can understand such a jumbled mess and obliteration of all the rules of the English language. It is sad, considering you seem to be knowledgeable in the area, but are completely and utterly unable to convey your ideas b/c of your horrible grammar and syntax. For your ignorance...I am sorry...And one can only hope that you do not speak as you type/write.

Amen Will. I could not have said it better.

I do like your rant, it was good. Although i am going to through one little funny detail out there since you want everyone to type with perfection, you used your ellipsis wrong twice. You need a space after the actual ellipsis (for those of you that do not know what the ellipsis is, it is the ...), and along with that space you do not capitalize the first letter of the next word. I absolutely love pricks such as yourself because your type always messes up at least gramatically within their rambling.

Will, you shouldn't make fun of the fact some people can't write as well as others. It's a blessing to be able to type properly in ones native tongue.

i am a ballistic engineer i have been one for over 40 years i know if someone creates new and improved body armour someone will create a bullet to defeat it. As far as keeping safe in a job like law enforcement the best protection is training and precedure in other words use your brain and never take anything for granted. For the grammer in the article anyone who can read on a elementry level can understand the article and anyone who knows anything about ballistics can tell this man knows what he is writing about. Good job jester and the idiot who slammed the grammer it is fools like you who can not read and understand what they are reading preventing your tiny little narrow way of thinking to a subject that does not belong here. This is not a grammer or typo forum. Jester is talking about ballistics and stopping the energy of a bullet. One more thing to add the vest or military are wearing can only stop one round after that all the ceramics bust up and will not stop the second .

Colt47, it is almost impossible to read the post by Jester. I understand that some people find writing does not come as naturally as others, but that still doesn't excuse more or less random capitalisation. I couldn't read what may or may not have been an interesting comment because I simply couldn't get through the text and make sense of it.

would you please quit bashing jester i mean gosh its sorta annoying and it does not retain to this helpful artical which was amazing by the way but you know everybody makes mistakes when typing even the best of us do it oh and at least he's trying to be helpful. and writes a review that at least retains to the artical

Mesa, are punctuation marks against your religion?

Maybe Will has a hard time reading, Jonny admitted he can't.

Will,

tut tut tut.

Armor is the bastardised American spelling of the British word Armour.

You picked him up on "threw" but missed "talkign."

I personally think he knows his stuff but had had a little too much liquid refreshment before typing.

No need to flame him for that, assault his points on body armour instead, if you are able.

Jester,

Thank you for taking the time to compose such an informative post. You obviously know your stuff.

As to the readability of what you wrote, what I find much sadder is that rude behavior has become an acceptable form or commentary in this country.

Will, being arrogant makes you seem jealous and petty. I will admit that there were a few lines that required me to re-read them. However, I was able to grasp his explanations on my second attempt. I would think that someone like yourself who is trying so hard to appear smart would have been able to comprehend this post just as easily as I did.

You made a conscious choice to be snotty. Rather than ask for a clarification of what Jester meant you throw all decorum out the proverbial window and become the literary Simon Cowell of internet posting. Which, by the way, might have been fine if Jester was writing a paper for school, attempting to earn a million dollars or perhaps about to be voted off Grammar Island rather than using his expertise to provide some useful information.

Next time a simple thank you would suffice.

Thanks again Jasper.

Imthemomster

Like Nick said, you are pathetic for defending someone that types like a 6 year old. If I walked up to you on the street and talked like a * retard you would ignore me, or at least try to avoid me. If I was polite and made sense you might listen to me. Same goes for online. Just because you are typing does not exonerate you from portraying your thoughts legibly. If you cant do that, don't type.

Can I type like this;
"eye duntz needz no stoopid grammerz. only nerdz use speling and grammers! I iz to cool to bee riting ledgable. Me likes to sound likez a fukinz more-on whenz i typez" ??!

Or is there some ambiguous acceptable grammar line you go by?

Don't give into idiots and their idiotic ways, to do so lowers you to their pathetic level.

What's pathetic is that you people are actually supporting Jester. His writing is atrocious and the fact that you find this acceptable is saddening. I'm tired of this "oh it's not for school or anything important" crap. Do things to the best of your ability or accept that it makes you look unintelligent and lazy. English isn't even my first language, German is, and my sentence structure, spelling, and grammar is far superior to his. Will had ever right to get "snotty" with the train wreck that was Jester's post.

Right on Nick!

Please stop insulting each other. I bet Jester is laughing very hard upon reading all your comments. His knowledge on the subject matter denotes intelligence that is higher than the average joe. I bet he is just f@!%$n with you.

1 question does russian 5.45 by 39mm ofers better bodyarmour penetration over the 5.56 by 45mm

As of now, I believe the best body armor is called "Dragon Skin". Supposedly it can protect the wearer from a direct frag grenade blast, as if you had jumped on it to save your comrades.

never used AP rounds. Usually, i use hollowpoints packed with either Ricin, or Potassium Cyanide. Most effective. Potassium Cyanide results in asphyxia in about 30-45 seconds. Ricin is much quicker resulting in violent, severe hemorrhaging. Ive tried using Croton oil, but it is a liquid and therefore, will evaporate upon discharge from the barrel. My absolute favorite chemicaly augmented round is a 50 magnum hollowpoint round containing Strychnine. It isnt the fastest acting poisin, but it ceartianly is the most horrific. One round to the leg usually is no big deal, but with Srtychnine, the victim will suffer from tremors, violent convulsions, agonizing cramping, and severe bloodloss from virtually every orifice on their body (eyes included) Death occurrs due to complications such as dry land drowning as the blood pools into the lungs.

Sure you could put a hole into someone, but why do that when you could make them suffer? Any shot to the chest, abdomen, thigh, or groin will garuntee systematic failure