# Stongest Sword Steel aganist bullets



## Cobra (Apr 28, 2004)

Is there a sword steel strong enough that could stop bullets from peircing through. Like if someone shoots someone and the bullet hits the the sword and falls to the floor and stop.


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## Touch Of Death (Apr 28, 2004)

Cobra said:
			
		

> Is there a sword steel strong enough that could stop bullets from peircing through. Like if someone shoots someone and the bullet hits the the sword and falls to the floor and stop.


Are you feeling OK?


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## Cobra (Apr 29, 2004)

Touch'O'Death said:
			
		

> Are you feeling OK?


What ever do you mean? What is so bad about this question? I've heard in the past of stories of katanas stopping primitive bullets. Why do you think it is wrong to ask a question like that? There might be one steel, it doesn't mean I will go try it out!


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## Touch Of Death (Apr 29, 2004)

Cobra said:
			
		

> What ever do you mean? What is so bad about this question? I've heard in the past of stories of katanas stopping primitive bullets. Why do you think it is wrong to ask a question like that? There might be one steel, it doesn't mean I will go try it out!


Its just that I read your question as th e bullet hitting and then dropping harmlessly to the ground. Its going to bounce off or deflect. There are very slow rounds with no metal jacket that will sort of splat, but that is a round specific phenominon.
sean


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## OULobo (Apr 29, 2004)

There are quite a few cases in the Moro Insurrections where Krag bullets were hitting barongs. The cases vary but there are examples of the bullet piercing or of the bullet becoming inbedded in the blade. You can still occationally find these blades on the ebay auctions with the obvious marks from the bullets. In all the reported cases I've ever heard of though the logical thing happens, the impact transfers the energy traveling with the bullet into the blade and the blade flies. This by the way isn't because the warriors were so good that they could block bullets with their blades, it was because they were getting shot at with so many bullets that a blade like a barong which is quite wide had a good chance of just being in the way no matter where it was held. Older American guns used slow large bullets like the .45ACP that most thick steel of any grade could stop from peircing, but the impact would be intolerable. The European 9mm is a smaller very fast bullet with great peircing ability that would prpbly pass through most steels. The 10mm was actually designed to pass through things like car doors and thin walls.


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## theletch1 (Apr 29, 2004)

If I remember correctly, it was the Moro Insurrection that pushed the .45 into commission.  The .38 that was in use during the conflict wasn't strong enough to stop the drug induced fury of the tribesmen so a heavier round was put into service.  As for the blade stopping the bullet I'd think that the temper of the blade would have a great deal to do with the reaction of the blade/bullet meeting.  Temper too soft and the round imbeds, temper to hard and the blade shatters.  Either way I don't know that I would be able to hold onto a blade that had just been hit.  The force of the round would most probably knock the blade flying.


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## OULobo (Apr 29, 2004)

theletch1 said:
			
		

> If I remember correctly, it was the Moro Insurrection that pushed the .45 into commission.  The .38 that was in use during the conflict wasn't strong enough to stop the drug induced fury of the tribesmen so a heavier round was put into service.  As for the blade stopping the bullet I'd think that the temper of the blade would have a great deal to do with the reaction of the blade/bullet meeting.  Temper too soft and the round imbeds, temper to hard and the blade shatters.  Either way I don't know that I would be able to hold onto a blade that had just been hit.  The force of the round would most probably knock the blade flying.



There are still debates raging for and against the moro/.45 connection. The dates for the adoption of the .45 cal add up, but there is information that says the .45 cal was produced and trialed well before the Moro Wars. Either way, the ability of the Colt .45 ACP semi-auto 1911 to stop a juramentado that was running amok was fairly well documented. 

Tempering of the blade would make a great deal of difference but just in if the bullet would peirce the blade or just dent/indent witinin. Steel at any ambient temperature won't shatter, just crack, bend or break.


***Edit - the .45 cal. cartridge was produced and in use well before the Moro Wars ususally in a revolver design that many saw as obsolete, but the M1911 design and readoption of the .45 cal. cartridge was a direct result of the Philippines conflicts. Ironicly the actual gun (M1911) wasn't approved to be used until 1911 when the scirmishes in the Philippines were already dying out.


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## Saitama Steve (Apr 29, 2004)

Cobra said:
			
		

> Is there a sword steel strong enough that could stop bullets from peircing through. Like if someone shoots someone and the bullet hits the the sword and falls to the floor and stop.



These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along, move along. :jedi1:


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## Bammx2 (Apr 29, 2004)

I do know there was navy seal in the mog(BHD) who took a round from an AK thru the door of the hummer he was in then into thigh...only to be stopped by the blade of his Randall....but I believe that is something RARE and even Randall doesn't recommend trying it at home!
They even turned him down as a spokesperson so people wouldn't get the wrong idea....
It didn't penetrate....but you could see the imprint of that Randall for a LOOONG time!


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## theletch1 (Apr 30, 2004)

How much power did the round lose as it tore through the door of the hummer?  If any of you get proficient enough with a knife to begin parrying bullets with it let me know and I'll come train with ya. :uhyeah:


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## OULobo (Apr 30, 2004)

theletch1 said:
			
		

> How much power did the round lose as it tore through the door of the hummer?  If any of you get proficient enough with a knife to begin parrying bullets with it let me know and I'll come train with ya. :uhyeah:



I am the Last Dragon. I possess the power of the Golden Glow. I don't need a knife for parrying, that's white belt stuff, I just catch them with my teeth.  :uhyeah:


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## theletch1 (Apr 30, 2004)

OULobo said:
			
		

> I am the Last Dragon. I possess the power of the Golden Glow. I don't need a knife for parrying, that's white belt stuff, I just catch them with my teeth.  :uhyeah:


Sooooo, how do you train for something like that?  Start off with a pellet and move up to a .22 and then all the way up to .50? :uhyeah:


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## OULobo (Apr 30, 2004)

theletch1 said:
			
		

> Sooooo, how do you train for something like that?  Start off with a pellet and move up to a .22 and then all the way up to .50? :uhyeah:



Exactly! currently I am mastering the art of playing hacky-sack with morter shells. It is grueling practice.


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## theletch1 (Apr 30, 2004)

OULobo said:
			
		

> Exactly! currently I am mastering the art of playing hacky-sack with morter shells. It is grueling practice.


Wow!! That sounds like a real "blast".  What's next?  Land mines as whoopi cushions? :uhyeah:   ((sorry for hijacking the thread folks but the silliness was much needed this week))


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## OULobo (Apr 30, 2004)

theletch1 said:
			
		

> Wow!! That sounds like a real "blast".  What's next?  Land mines as whoopi cushions? :uhyeah:   ((sorry for hijacking the thread folks but the silliness was much needed this week))



No kidding. have you seen the craziness happening over on the Balintawak thread. Ick. BTW I like the new avatar, what is it?


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## theletch1 (Apr 30, 2004)

The new avatar is the head of a dragon that I found on a site called (I believe) Here be dragons  They had some great dragon pics as well as links to some good fantasy art.  If it wasn't on this site it was on a link from this site.


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## chidarake (Apr 30, 2004)

instead of asking why you need to know probbably titanium steel aloy...hmm you'd need a pretty thick sword and not to mention wide just ask if you wanna know more...


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## someguy (Apr 30, 2004)

Actually I don't remember where I saw this but some people at some college actually took a .22 (i think) and shoot it at a navy seals knife straight at the sharp part.  The bullet split in to and well its kind of hard to explain but it looks really cool.
I wish I could remember where I saw those pics.  I'll look around and see if I can find where it is.  
But then again thats not really a likely situation


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## Bammx2 (May 2, 2004)

Question......

This wouldn't happen to be pertaining to the thought of "takin a knife to a gunfight" would it?!.......................:rofl:


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## someguy (May 3, 2004)

Taking a knife to a gun fight works really well.  THat is of course if its a true gun fight as in you fight with guns not guns and bullets.


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## OULobo (May 5, 2004)

As long as I am within about 20 ft. I'll take a knife to a gunfight everytime.


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## Kizaru (Dec 9, 2004)

Cobra said:
			
		

> Is there a sword steel strong enough that could stop bullets from peircing through. Like if someone shoots someone and the bullet hits the the sword and falls to the floor and stop.


There was a "Ripley's Believe it or Not" type show on Japan Television a few months ago where the theme was "American Colt .45 vs Japanese Katana". I started watching thinking, "holy crap, they're going to destroy a perfectly good sword for the entertainment of the masses?!?! Oh wait, there's GOT to be a nationalistic spin to this..." so I kept watching. They fired a bullet from the "American Colt" (from a fixed position) at the cutting edge of a Japanese katana. The katana itself was held vertically in a fixed position (not by a human). I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the slow motion replay myself, but the bullet was actually deflected by the edge of the blade without breaking the blade; it looked like sort of a "wedge effect". I'd bet money though that if you fired a bullet at the "flat side" of the blade, this "wedge effect" wouldn't come into play and the blade would just break. 

On the "Moro question", I've heard (never experienced personally) that when ammunition is stored in damp conditions for too long (a possibility in the Philipine Islands) that when the round is fired it moves at a much slower velocity (due to the powder being wet) thus having less force behind it. Less Velocity = Less force = possibilty of a bullet hitting a machete and bouncing off. Just a guess.


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