Can a .223 (5.56 NATO) 'Split a human in half'?

 

 5.56 Match Ammo  by  mr.smashy,
CC BY-NC 2.0

There's been a lot of noise on Twitter recently about a 'firearms expert' witness providing sworn testimony in California noting that the .223 / 5.56 NATO round fired by the modern sporting rifle, the AR-15, can 'split a human in half'.  While a lurid tale, it's not true or accurate. 

The notion that a .223 rifle round can split a human body in half is a myth. It is not possible for a single bullet, regardless of the caliber or type, to physically split a human body in half. While a high-powered rifle round such as .223 can cause significant damage to the body and even result in death, it does not have the capability to split the body into two separate pieces.

The effect of a bullet on the human body is dependent on several factors, including the velocity and mass of the bullet, the angle at which it enters the body, and the target's body composition and location. When a bullet penetrates the body, it can cause damage to bones, internal organs, and blood vessels, and in some cases, exit the body. However, it is extremely unlikely that a bullet would cause the body to physically split in half.

It is important to note that any type of firearms can be dangerous and should be used with caution and proper training.  If you choose to participate in the shooting sports, please get training on your specific firearm and remember the 4 rules of firearm safety.

Namaskar, and shoot safely,

Will

What are the advantages of the 5.7x28mm cartridge over other pistol cartridges?

 5.7 is enjoying a resurgence with the Ruger 5.7 and the Palmetto State Armory Rock 5.7 pistols beciming widely available in 2022.  But what is this hopped up .22 round getting so much attention?  

The 5.7x28mm cartridge is a relatively new cartridge that was designed for use in firearms such as the FN Five-Seven pistol. It offers a number of advantages over other pistol cartridges, including:

1. Light weight: The 5.7x28mm cartridge is much lighter than other pistol cartridges, which makes it easier to carry and allows for a higher ammunition capacity. This can be particularly useful for military and law enforcement applications, where weight and ammunition capacity are important considerations.

2. High velocity: The 5.7x28mm cartridge has a high velocity, which allows it to penetrate body armor more effectively than other pistol cartridges. This can make it a valuable tool for military and law enforcement personnel who may need to engage targets that are wearing body armor.

3. Low recoil: The 5.7x28mm cartridge has a low recoil, which makes it easier to control and shoot accurately. This can be particularly useful for shooters who may have difficulty managing the recoil of larger cartridges, such as those used in rifles or larger handguns.

4. Versatility: The 5.7x28mm cartridge is versatile and can be used in a variety of firearms, including handguns, rifles, and submachine guns. This makes it a valuable tool for a wide range of applications, from personal defense to military operations.

Overall, the 5.7x28mm cartridge offers a number of advantages over other pistol cartridges, including its light weight, high velocity, low recoil, and versatility. These features make it a valuable tool for a wide range of applications, from personal defense to military operation.

So there you have it - light weight, versatile, low recoil (easy to shoot) and solid penetration for defense work.

Be safe and always follow the 4 rules of safe gun handling!

DO THIS if you’re in police custody after a self-defense incident!

While the USCCA is trying to sell you a membership, the advice given here is just as valid to a non-member as a member. You have contacted a criminal defense lawyer well ahead of time and have their contact information in your phone and hardcopy in your wallet, right?

How to Sight In a Red Dot on your Pistol

Very well explained and useful information. 

Sighting at 10 yards, makes MOA adjustments on your sight simple - if 1 click = 1 MOA (1") at 100 yards, then 1 click will be 1/10th of an inch at 10 yards. Also easier to see the center of target at 10 yards with a non-magnified red dot than at 25 yards.  Courtesy Vortex Optics.

Sig Sauer X-TEN Shooting 220 Grain Underwood Hardcast Rounds

 Got out to the range today for some ballistic therapy; did some video editing later for some geek therapy and came up with my first YouTube vertical 'Short' video.  Captured at 4K60 by the Samsung Note 20 Ultra, cropped, zoomed and color corrected in DaVinci Resolve.  Enjoy a few rounds of 220 grain hardcast lead ammo poking holes in paper!  (Youtube doesn't allow embedding of Shorts, or Blogger can't figure out how to do it, so here's a local copy - like, share and comment on the original at https://youtube.com/shorts/4THznb2YN_8?feature=share

Namaskar!

 

Processing slow motion GoPro video in DaVinci Resolve 18

Got out to the shooting range today with the GoPro Hero 9 Black and captured some 240FPS 1080P video.  Now, all the SlowMo folks on Youtube note that the audio is 'fake' - well, you can actually use a couple of tools to get the audio and video sorted out with slow motion playback of your high framerate video! 

First, in DaVinci Resolve, set your project and timeline to 24FPS:

Next import your clips from your GoPro, and then change the clip attributes to 24 FPS! Yes, this is going to make some very long clips - but they are playing at 1000% slower than realtime.  Set your in and out points, or just drop the clip on the timeline.  Unlink your audio and video by right clicking on the clip, and unchecking the 'Link Clips' bit.

Now you have video, but no audio.  What good is that?  Fine if you just want to lay in a music background track, but if you were doing like I was - shooting with distinct reports you want matching the muzzle flash - you need to stretch out your audio.

In comes Audacity to solve the problem.  Open your MP4 file from the GoPro in Audacity.  Yes, it's an audio editor.  Yes, it opens video files just fine.  You'll see the audio track waveform across the screen.  Now, just a simple retime and export and you have audio to match your video!

Since you are going from 240FPS audio to 24 FPS audio, you'll need to slow it down by 90% - or 0.10 of original playback speed as such:

Export the audio (File - Export) as a WAV, saving it in your source video working directory.  Drop it in the media pool and then drag it to the timeline.  Now you have video and audio at 24FPS!  It will take a bit of sliding the audio file around to match it exactly to the video file; hopefully you have a marker (a clap, a gunshot, something loud and visual) to sync the audio waveform up to the video file. Once synced, you can re-link the new audio clip to the video clip and go about your editing!

Mind you, it's not 100% perfect - you may find the audio drifts out of sync with the video over time, so you will have to make a cut, unlink and readjust the audio, and relink it once re-synced.  I'm sure there are more reliable and repeatable processes out there, but I wanted to share what worked for me tonight. 

With no further ado - a couple of brief videos made from high framerate 240 FPS GoPro footage slowed to 24FPS capturing muzzle flash from a handgun.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the process!  (I've spent almost 5 times longer editing this than actually shooting the video!)

- Will