Plate Carriers, Armor and Spalling

[Hush]

Great write-up and pics!:thumbup:

 

[wahsben]

Thank you for doing this. It looks like denim is the easiest,least expensive and most effective of the methods you've tried.
I was wondering how built up layers of rubber cement might work.
Also there are the mats that Cycleops and others sell to put their cycling trainers on. I wonder if the material these are made of would be effective if taped to a plate or bonded to a plate.
Again thank you for sharing the info of your tests.

 

[Admin]

Nice work

 

[atilla]

god damn, can't rep you moar yet--but that was fun as hell. this most recent round was disgustingly effective. if you take five hits center mass you're simply doin' it wrong. this most recent test passed the awesome mark with flying colors.

had a blast, sorry 'bout the mags. we'll meet up again soon.

200 yard SKS, 'merica. well, russia. 'merica for us.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

I wish I could have joined you guys. Great work!

 

[atilla]

I wish I could have joined you guys. Great work!

a third guy was supposed to come we thought, but he bailed. next time you've got to come--you would have loved the M1A that xtry had. first shot he popped a clay at 200 yards offhand with irons. rifle on easy mode.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

I <3 M14's.

 

[neum69]

Thanks again for doing all this experimentation. It's really helpful.

I'd like to make sure I understand the final configuration. In order of assembly, your anti-spall sammich consisted of:

One Plate
Four layers of denim
One Layer of Gorilla tape
Four layers of denim
One Layer of Gorilla tape

Is that right?

 

[exo]

If the pants are big enough (the ones I'm using are 40x30) for overlap, be mindful of where the leg seam is. It can bunch up at the corners a bit.

 

[xtry51]

Thanks again for doing all this experimentation. It's really helpful.

I'd like to make sure I understand the final configuration. In order of assembly, your anti-spall sammich consisted of:

One Plate
Four layers of denim
One Layer of Gorilla tape
Four layers of denim
One Layer of Gorilla tape

Is that right?

This is correct. I run the tape one layer at -45deg and the next at +45deg so the seams don't line up.

 

[coastie]

How thick are these with the denim?

 

[xtry51]

About .400". Thinner than a ceramic plate.

 

[coastie]

Sweet!! Now I have to go dig through the rag bag and see if any jeans are in there.

 

[neum69]

Sweet!! Now I have to go dig through the rag bag and see if any jeans are in there.

Or..<<horrors>>...go visit Jo Ann Fabric. I wonder how they feel about open carry in there...

 

[coastie]

Or..<<horrors>>...go visit Jo Ann Fabric. I wonder how they feel about open carry in there...

But then I dont get the short shorts after I am done. It is a 2 for 1 type deal.

 

[Smash05]

I'm wiling to donate some m193 next time around,

 

[xtry51]

I'm wiling to donate some m193 next time around,

M193 will not cause as much damage. The lead liquifies on contact. I have plenty and it doesn't even leave a mark on plates, nor does it tear up the covering.

 

[Smokewagon]

This is very informative, thanks for doing the hard work. Pretty neat to see how resourceful folks here at NES are.

 

[coastie]

M193 will not cause as much damage. The lead liquifies on contact. I have plenty and it doesn't even leave a mark on plates, nor does it tear up the covering.

That is interesting. It runs counter to what I have read where the m193 penetrates due to higher velocity.

 

[xtry51]

M193 is great for zipping through soft armor or plain steel. It will go through 1/4" mild steel.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

This is very informative, thanks for doing the hard work. Pretty neat to see how resourceful folks here at NES are.

This is the reason NES is such a great community. Used to be a lot more of this and a lot less crying and whining about everything under the sun.

 

[Hush]

When SS109 has been documented as penetrating steel armor, its been found a that it's not the projectile itself that penetrates, rather it knocks a "plug" out of the plate.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

When SS109 has been documented as penetrating steel armor, its been found a that it's not the projectile itself that penetrates, rather it knocks a "plug" out of the plate.

Call me crazy, but I doubt that.

 

[usp45ct]

Not sure if this is the case for rifles, but this is the theory behind some anti tank rounds where the projectile did not actually penetrate the tank but rather caused a blister on the inside that caused the inside armor to spall and the spalling armor would rich octet around the armor tank until it found something soft to stick in...like humans.

 

[xtry51]

Both M193 and M855 (SS109) liquify mild steel plate on contact. The resulting "double crater" hole clearly shows this occurring. If a plug were being knocked out in the same fashion as a punch press works, one side of the impact's rim (entry) would be rounded in and only the exit would show burr. This is not the case in real world testing. I might have a 1/4" mild steel plate with rounds put through lying around here somewhere. If not I'll take one to the range next trip and post pics.

 

[exo]

Hmm, so I cut so far up on my first set of anti-spall pants that the remainder is actually a skirt, not short-shorts.

Not gonna find a picture for that one.

 

[xtry51]

Some vids from a quick youtube search.



1/4" Steel and M855 @ 200yards. Clean through.

 

[xtry51]

Hmm, so I cut so far up on my first set of anti-spall pants that the remainder is actually a skirt, not short-shorts.

Not gonna find a picture for that one.

 

[exo]

 

[exo]

More seriously, M193 vs mild steel at 200y with ballistic gel behind it. Starts at around ~3:15.