I just come back from playing around with my M44 and some Albanian Steel core light ball, I took up two blocks of wood each about 12" thick and 14" long anyway to cut a long story short i could only stop one out of eight rounds, even putting the blocks back to back or end on wouldn't stop them, then on my second to last shot i got lucky, entry and exit on the first block but no exit on the second. I split them with an axe and found that when it entered the second block it had penertated about 2-3 inches then curved to the left almost 90 degrees and penetrated another couple of inches coming to rest base first.

From what i can see the bullet is still in perfect condition the base even looks fine, i've got it soaking in a glass of water atm to get all the bits of wood off it then i'll take a pic and post it next to an unfired one. Not exactly a scientific test but i thought it was interesting, I didn't think it was possible for a bullet to turn like that, especially without being bent.

http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=albanian3dd3.jpg

Still hate that ammo? :P

well bullets have done stranger things. probably bounced off a knot in the wood. can you post a picture of the wood by any chance

It could also be the way the block was facing and the way the grain was facing in the wood.

I've always thought that bullet-resistant vests would be far more effective if they tried to deflect bullets rather than absorb them, the same principle utilized by the T-34 tank.

Think about it, an object always takes the path of least resistance, so a deflecting vest might not end up being bulky at all.

Isn't that how helmets are supposed to work?

Body armor designed to deflect rather than stop would be shaped awkward, not to mention present a potential ricochet threat to bystanders if not your own limbs.

well bullets have done stranger things. probably bounced off a knot in the wood. can you post a picture of the wood by any chance

Unfortunatly the block was used to light the fire last night. It was already pretty much cut down into sticks from where i was looking at the different bullet paths. But it had straight grain and no knots.

Still hate that ammo? :P
Well, it's dirty, the primer sealant looks like it was applied by a drunk guy with a paint roller and there's a lot of rejects in each tin......But it's growing on me :D .

Body armor designed to deflect rather than stop would be shaped awkward, not to mention present a potential ricochet threat to bystanders if not your own limbs.

But it would be a lot more reusable, and if done well would it not be a lot more impervious to bullets?

I'm thinking there are some cases where it would be a better choice, but the fact that the bullet would still be a potential threat to others is a big no-no.

I've always thought that bullet-resistant vests would be far more effective if they tried to deflect bullets rather than absorb them, the same principle utilized by the T-34 tank.

Think about it, an object always takes the path of least resistance, so a deflecting vest might not end up being bulky at all.

Isn't that how helmets are supposed to work?

i think helmets can be flexible, torso armor cannot. the torso is also flatter than the head. by deflecting bullets, it would need to be rigid, or else the armor will wrap itself around the bullet, which means it cannot move in any other direction.

a problem will be brittleness. and what happens if a bullet hits the armor dead on? the angle of incidence would be very sharp and the material of the armor will have to be able to deflect it, which is difficult, as materials with that hardness are rare, and most of them are brittle or expensive.

i think helmets can be flexible, torso armor cannot. the torso is also flatter than the head. by deflecting bullets, it would need to be rigid, or else the armor will wrap itself around the bullet, which means it cannot move in any other direction.

a problem will be brittleness. and what happens if a bullet hits the armor dead on? the angle of incidence would be very sharp and the material of the armor will have to be able to deflect it, which is difficult, as materials with that hardness are rare, and most of them are brittle or expensive.

Well it's good that someone though of it before me.

I just wanted to see that we exhausted all options when it comes to armor. It's srs bsns.