Re: (TFT) Doing damasge modernly

["Charles Gadda" <cgadda@earthlink.net>]

> >> As far as penetration goes, but unless you are talking about a
> >> modern type of armor that absorbs the kinetic force, AKA kevlar
> >> vest or similar, then the kinetic energy is spent in a direct
> >> force blow, AKA being hit by a sledge hammer or mace at full
> swing.
> >> Which can kill you every bit as dead as the bullet penetrating
> and
> >> bleeding you out.
> >>
> >> That is one of the reasons armor died when guns became more common.
> >
> >Could you clarify the above? I am not quite sure what you were
> trying to
> >say.
> >
> Basically that old style armor is not very efficient at absorbing
> the blow of a bullet as some of the more modern armors are. In
> plate armor for instance even if the bullet did not penetrate the
> metal, the bullet would still expend its energy in a generally
> small area. The resulting bow would closely match that of a sledge
> hammer or mace blow. Such blows are just as likely to kill you as
> a cutting or penetrating blow would, it just may take more time.

Ah. Yeah that's true - to a point. Keep in mind that a breastplate or helmet
is deliberately oversize and well padded beneath. Blunt trauma is not too
much of a worry unless you really get wholloped. A light bullet is not going
to have that kind of power, though.

Blunt trauma is nasty, but not nearly so bad as being impaled through and
through or disemboweled... You can often survive the former, but the latter
is much more problematic.

What really laid low armour was the sheer weight. Even without guns, the
loss of mobility to an increasingly foot bound army was becoming
intolerable. The fact that an iron ball could easily pierce all but the best
"proof" armours was the final nails in the coffin.
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