title: A method for predicting effects of military rifles.
abstract: Comparative analysis of penetration of military bullets through soap blocks and an average 220 mm long trajectory through live muscle in pigs, at 50 m range, using Yugoslav M 48 cal. 7.9 mm and M 70 cal. 7.62 mm, Belgian FAL cal. 7.62 mm and American M 16 A 1 cal. 5.56 mm rifles were performed. The volume of residual cavity in soap (Z) and the mass of surgically excised dead tissue (G) were inter-related and a power curve G = a Zb was determined, yielding a coefficient of correlation 1.00. Another series of tests using two Soviet rifles - M 1891/30 cal 7.62 mm and Dragunov cal. 7.62 mm with average trajectory length in pigs 160 mm, was effected. Applying the same regression coefficients "a" and "b" from previous studies, a prediction of G from Z was found to be correct with less than 10% error, as compared to really excised tissue by a surgeon. In conclusion, a mathematical model derived from soap tests can be reliably applied for predicting injury made in vivo by standard military rifles.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D008954:Models, Biological; D012915:Soaps; D013552:Swine; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D012915:Soaps