BLUEHAWK orrrrrrrrr...

[reconeil]

...any other veteran members (non-veterans also) familiar with weapons, shooting, ammo & not timid or fearful of posting or replying here on Patfiles, answer me this: Are Jubilant Arabs All Nuts???

TV news showing Libyans shooting their AK-47s straight up in air (longtime arab norm since most ammo state or zealot leader supplied)) while celebrating Qaddafi's Death, raises some serious questions. Well, for me anyway. None others seem to care or give a-rat's-a-- about such.

Don't any of such big caliber rounds coming back down ever cause arab casualties or deaths?

Or, and if do, why are many such quite stupidly unwarranted wounds just never reported?

Do ammo manufacturers & large scale sellers of ammo to arabs have that much pull with press?

Neil

[82Rigger]

Neil,

Projectiles fired upward at a high angle will travel upward until their energy is expended.

They will then slow down, arc over, and fall to earth by simple force of gravity.

Being struck by such a bullet would be the same as being struck by a hailstone of the same weight.

Probably would be unpleasant to have one drop on your head. but unlikely to cause any damage.

AK-47 bullets (139 grains) are lighter in weight than 7.62 NATO bullets (150 grains).

[reconeil]

Steve,
All things being equal about small objects (about size of large caliber bullets) dropping faster & faster about 2 miles back to earth, I think a small chunk of frozen rain hitting anyone on the noggin wouldn't be near as dangerous as being hit by a similar sized heavy lead slug.

If talkin-about a record type .5 kilogram or 1.1lb. hail stone,...well that's a whole different story.

Regardless, hope neither of us ever experience either way. Either way must smart.
Hell. I don't even like birds softly pooping on my head.

Neil

[82Rigger]

Neil,

AK-47 bullets and other 30 caliber bullets aren't that heavy...less than a third of an ounce.

In free fall objects are subject to air drag and will reach a terminal velocity and fall no faster. For small objects that is usually about 110 miles per hour.

You are right, however, about larger objects.

Falling bullets of 20mm or larger have much more weight and could cause serious or fatal injuries.

That is exactly what happened at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941.

A number of citizens of Honolulu were killed by falling AA shells fired upward by the American ships in the harbor.

Steve