7.62 / 6.5 / 5.56 vs concrete block

[stanc]

The core separating from the rest of the bullet should be no surprise.

They need to do that so the harder material can do its thing.

Huh? :confused:

It's too early to generalize about the value of mass.

Too early for you, perhaps, but not for me. In similar barrier penetration testing I did in the past, I observed that heavier bullets always outperformed lighter bullets, despite a velocity differential of 300 fps.

Rifle calibers (7.62mm 147gr FMJ vs 5.56mm 55gr FMJ) and pistol calibers (.45 ACP 230gr FMJ vs 9mm 115gr FMJ), the result was the same.

While mass and the KE associated with it makes exciting splashes, one needs the bullet to get through in order to get on the table for effects.

Uh, don't you realize that the "exciting splashes" were caused by the bullets getting through???

The lighter M855 core penetrated as far as anything else and was a lot lighter.

True, but its post-barrier effect was far less than those of the bigger, heavier bullets.

Hence one could also draw the conclusion that there's no substitute for steel, since the M855 was the only round with a steel core.

Incorrect conclusion. Note the difference in post-barrier wound trauma of 5.56 M855 vs 6.8 M855-type bullet.



[SIZE="5"]There is no substitute for mass.[/SIZE]