11-21-2011, 11:08 PM
When the 5.56 was introduced into South Vietnam with ARPA's Project AGILE, they had US Advisers follow along ARVN units who were destined for enemy contact. They were able to retrieve several bodies, and the wound effects were much different than any high power rifle wounds seen before.
There were casualties who were shot in the chest, and pink frothy foam projectile-vomited out of their mouths. Upon autopsy examination, it was discovered that all their internal organs around the entrance had been jellied basically in an instant. Heart & lungs were blown to unrecognizable structures.
As their buddies looked left and right in horror, they broke contact, and one was hit in the right buttocks. His left glutius violently came apart, and he died instantly from what would normally be a flesh wound.
That was with 55gr FMJ's and light jackets going 3200 fps barely stabilized past 250yds with 1/14" rifling in the Colt Model 601.
The link Bill referenced above shows a lucky guy, considering what would have occurred if he had been hit in the femur. That was from an M16A1 and M193 at close range.
I wish I had pictures of the North Korean who had half his head blown off by the ROK Army soldier and his Daewoo K2 with Korean M855...my first introduction to real-world 5.56 injuries, but the photos were all controlled by our Division G2 weenies, and I doubt they will be available anytime soon. That was in the winter of 1996-1997 on the DMZ in Korea.
There were casualties who were shot in the chest, and pink frothy foam projectile-vomited out of their mouths. Upon autopsy examination, it was discovered that all their internal organs around the entrance had been jellied basically in an instant. Heart & lungs were blown to unrecognizable structures.
As their buddies looked left and right in horror, they broke contact, and one was hit in the right buttocks. His left glutius violently came apart, and he died instantly from what would normally be a flesh wound.
That was with 55gr FMJ's and light jackets going 3200 fps barely stabilized past 250yds with 1/14" rifling in the Colt Model 601.
The link Bill referenced above shows a lucky guy, considering what would have occurred if he had been hit in the femur. That was from an M16A1 and M193 at close range.
I wish I had pictures of the North Korean who had half his head blown off by the ROK Army soldier and his Daewoo K2 with Korean M855...my first introduction to real-world 5.56 injuries, but the photos were all controlled by our Division G2 weenies, and I doubt they will be available anytime soon. That was in the winter of 1996-1997 on the DMZ in Korea.