Why you do not want to get shot with an M16...(Warning: Disturbing photograph)

[cebuboy]

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Viewer discretion advised.




Gunshot wound made by an M16, bullet entered inner thigh, exited through the outer.













The white specks are the fragments of the 55 grain M193 ball ammo.

[mamiyapis]

And this, little kids, is the reason why all the BS about 5.56mm not having enough power is just that, plain BS. People should really learn to differentiate all the marketing talk from the real-deal.

and what do I hear... ahh... silence...

[Blackhand]

Sir C, close range po ba ung shot na un or medjo long range?

Regardless of the range seryosong tingnan ung damage....

[cebuboy]

Shot from across the street, bullet did not even hit the bone, it was shattered by the shock wave. Will let Doc PF expound on this one.

[CrowValley]

What happened here sir? accident? or intended talaga yung bala sakanya? 

[cebuboy]

ahhh that my boy is the result of alcohol + cop + M16. Sorry nalang ang natamaan...

[CrowValley]

ahhh that my boy is the result of alcohol + cop + M16. Sorry nalang ang natamaan...

ooohhhhhhh..... 

[40niner_com]

Bai CB, hope its' ok if i'll ride on your thread regarding terminal ballistics of the 5.56/.223.


A friend had made a few tests using 1-gal containers.  The bullet was stopped at the second container, but the head fragmented into tiny pieces as seen on the x-ray image of CB.  Bullet here was a 60gr JHP.



Photo below is the 'liquifaction' after four inches from the entrance of the bullet.  The banana-trunk was shot with a WCC-M193 (55gr).  Banana would be a lot softer than flesh, but just imagine if it hits an abdominal cavity or lung area... 

[ForceRecon]

How's the guy doing? Did he get to keep his leg?

[airforceless]

5.56 mm BULLET WOUNDING CHARACTERISTICS

 BULLETS CREATE LARGE TEMPORARY CAVITIES.

 BULLETS BEGIN TO TUMBLE AFTER 7cm (2.5 inches) OF TISSUE PENETRATION (EARLIER IF BONE IS STRUCK)

DUE TO THE LIGHT WEIGHT OF THE BULLET AND THE TENDANCY TO TUMBLE IN TISSUE THESE BULLETS  SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY IN TISSUE.

ONCE THE PROJECTILE HAS SLOWED IT IS EASILY DEFLECTED OR REDIRECTED IN TISSUE CAUSING IRREGULAR WOUND TRACKS AND AN INCREASED CHANCE OF MULTISYSTEM INJURY.

[airforceless]

Mods please remove if the pictures are deemed inappropriate.

Viewer discretion advised.

I hope the mods will not delete the pics because it will serve as a reminder. And one thing i will be posting more pics so that we will be aware and be aware of gun safety and wound ballistics 

[prairiefire]

Sir C, close range po ba ung shot na un or medjo long range?

Regardless of the range seryosong tingnan ung damage....

Estimated range was between 5-10 meters. 20"-barreled M16A1 used. At that range, estimated velocity when bullet hit was @ 3200 feet per second.

Entrance wound is on the inner thigh, exit is the huge stellate laceration seen on the outer thigh. Based on the xray view of the femur bone, bone was NOT hit, but broke most probably due to the temporary stretch cavity created by the considerable hydraulic shock wave the M193 cartridge is known to create.

Pics # 5 and 6 show the typical fragmentation that occurs when the M193 bullet impacts human flesh at velocities in excess of 2700 fps.  Since my estimate here is that the velocity was @ 3200 fps, the size of the wound is not a surprise.

Were this hit on the torso instead of the thigh, no reachee hospital. Go to morgue na lang.

What happened here sir? accident? or intended talaga yung bala sakanya? 

According to victim, drunk cop shot him after altercation. According to cop, accident daw.
 

 BULLETS CREATE LARGE TEMPORARY CAVITIES.

A slight correction, sir Air: Bullets travelling IN EXCESS of 2000 feet per second create LARGE Temporary Stretch cavities. Below 2000 fps, the TSC, while present, is usually not significant in the wounding process. By 3000 fps, it is enough to break nearby bone.

 

 BULLETS BEGIN TO TUMBLE AFTER 7cm (2.5 inches) OF TISSUE PENETRATION (EARLIER IF BONE IS STRUCK)

Correct, though such early yawing of the bullet is not consistent. Fragging of the bullet usually reliably occurs within 4" of penetration.

What has caused the large entrance and exit wounds here was the early yaw and fragmenting of this particular m193 bullet. As you can see from the xray pics, the amount of fragmenting was almost total and the secondary wound channels created by the outward-going fragments resulted in significant tearing and shredding of the surrounding tissues.

In fact, if only it was not so macabre sana, you can say that the M193 bullet here performed PERFECTLY.

How's the guy doing? Did he get to keep his leg?

Affirmative on that, Mr. FR. We were able to save the leg. Was touch and go for a while, though. Infection or the threat of it is now the patient's biggest enemy. And even if he recovers, he will be limping for the rest of his life, as over half of his thigh muscles died and we had to excise 'em.

[airforceless]

A slight correction, sir Air: Bullets travelling IN EXCESS of 2000 feet per second create LARGE Temporary Stretch cavities. Below 2000 fps, the TSC, while present, is usually not significant in the wounding process. By 3000 fps, it is enough to break nearby bone.

THanks sir P,

Sir i was discussing a 5.56 bullet. Is there a 5.56 bullet that goes below 2000fps sir? How about subsonic 5.56 sir, normally what is its velocity? It might be deceiving if i have to lecture wound ballistics again if there are 5.56 going below 2000fps.

Anyway sir, is it not the high velocity falls at 1100 fps and above?

[prairiefire]

The 5.56x45mm cartridge was designed originally to be fired in a 20" barreled weapon in order to be able to reach velocities in excess of 3,000 fps, as such a small bullet depends on a lot of velocity to make it effective as a combat round.

It is possible to make the 5.56mm round go below 2000 fps, as when the range to the target is in excess of 500 meters or so, or if the bullet had to pass intervening barriers, or if the cartridge was used in a weapon with a very short barrel. Examples of these are the notorious "Infantas", ultra-short m16s with barrels less than 10 inches.

When the barrel of a 5.56mm weapon is shorter than 7", velocities of less than 2000 fps are now possible, at the cost of atrocious blast and flash.

Subsonic 5.56mm ammo, per their name, go at less than 1050 fps. At this velocity, wound ballistics will be like .22LR na lang.

In the surgical world, the accepted threshold for separating high power from low power projectile injuries has been set at 2000 feet per second. That velocity has been chosen because more than that, the hydraulic shock wave creates na a temporary stretch cavity severe enough to disrupt surrounding tissues significantly . Below that, and the TSC is not a factor to contend with, surgically speaking.

[airforceless]

Roger on that sir,

This is how we differentiate between a low and a high velocity missile (Mil term)

Low velocity if it is slower than the speed of sound in air (1100fps), typically found in handguns and sub-machine guns,  bullets tend to be large in diameter and heavy ( 115-245 GRAINS) with wound characteristics such as larger permanent cavity, increased penetration into tissue due to weight, but fairly stable in tissue (wounds are more predictable)

High velocity if its 1100fps or higher,bullets vary greatly in weight (55-184 grains) thus creating a large temporary cavity.

In the surgical world, the accepted threshold for separating high power from low power projectile injuries has been set at 2000 feet per second. That velocity has been chosen because more than that, the hydraulic shock wave creates na a temporary stretch cavity severe enough to disrupt surrounding tissues significantly . Below that, and the TSC is not a factor to contend with, surgically speaking.

I agree with that sir, it will not only disrupt the surrounding tissues but this  temporary cavitation when it struck elastic tissue such as the lungs and intestines it simply pushes these organs aside causing minimal immediate damage but when solid organs are struck this causes the organs to tear apart or explode such as the liver, speen heart and kidney.

Which do you prefer sir, high or low velocity?