09-07-2012, 02:26 AM
There are a lot of things that go into the damage a firearm can do above and beyond simple caliber or millimeter although those are good general basics to start with.
To get a real understanding of what damage a firearm could do you not only need to know the caliber/mm size barrel the weapon has but what individual ammunition you are using in the weapon. Full/Total metal jacket = Greater piercing damage through armor while Soft Tip or Hollow Point = Greater damage to unarmored targets.
Range to target is also a big factor in many standardized cartridges. A standard 5.56x45 NATO cartridge, which is the preeminent cartridge in NATO assault rifles has particular issues when related to muzzle velocity and length down range leading it to not achieve the required velocity for fragmentation. This leads it to produce less than optimal damage in many situations, creating wounds instead of kills.
There are a ton of factors that can be analyzed depending on how deep you really want to go with your systems.
To get a real understanding of what damage a firearm could do you not only need to know the caliber/mm size barrel the weapon has but what individual ammunition you are using in the weapon. Full/Total metal jacket = Greater piercing damage through armor while Soft Tip or Hollow Point = Greater damage to unarmored targets.
Range to target is also a big factor in many standardized cartridges. A standard 5.56x45 NATO cartridge, which is the preeminent cartridge in NATO assault rifles has particular issues when related to muzzle velocity and length down range leading it to not achieve the required velocity for fragmentation. This leads it to produce less than optimal damage in many situations, creating wounds instead of kills.
There are a ton of factors that can be analyzed depending on how deep you really want to go with your systems.