Handgun Stopping Power? LOL NO! Bump It Up A Notch Or Two!

[DougGuy]

290693

26-inch thick armor from a Japanese Yamato class battleship, pierced by a US Navy 16-inch gun. The armor is on display at the US Navy Museum.

[ioon44]

I wonder what the power factor is for that 16" gun ?

[sharps4590]

Probably inadequate for today's armor plated deer.......[smilie=1:

[Finster101]

Probably inadequate for today's armor plated deer.......[smilie=1:


Too funny! :drinks:

[JSnover]

Ok but if the magazine doesn't hold 17 or more rounds it's worthless.
On the other hand if it can fire more than one round it's an "assault weapon" and should be confiscated.

[badguybuster]

I always find it kind boggling how ships that heavy can float. Physics are amazing

[Wayne Smith]

Aw, com'on, Doug. That's hardly a handgun! Those pics sure are impressive, though, aren't they? A shell the size of a VW bug going at speed will do a lot of damage.

[Finster101]

Aw, com'on, Doug. That's hardly a handgun! Those pics sure are impressive, though, aren't they? A shell the size of a VW bug going at speed will do a lot of damage.

Not to pick bones with you Wayne but it's the weight of a VW Bug not the same size. We need a heck of a catapult for that.

[alfadan]

And from,I don't know, 20 miles away on a moving target in rolling seas? Nice shootin' Tex!

[358429]

Nice target shooting Dougguy. How much labor time is charged to throat that barrel to shoot cast boolets?

[Thumbcocker]

Can we get a picture of the shoulder rig for that gun?

[Cast_outlaw]

Not to pick bones with you Wayne but it's the weight of a VW Bug not the same size. We need a heck of a catapult for that.

If we are picking bones, then it has the same mass, not weight. as weight is a product of gravity, mass is a constant. so a vw bug weight is less if it is on the moon, but the mass is the same.

[Bigslug]

A link to the story behind that photo: http://www.byronhartshorn.com/2014/09/29/iowa-vs-yamato-the-ultimate-battleship-showdown/

A photo from the other extreme: This is the impact crater from a Japanese 5" equivalent on one of the U.S.S. Iowa's turrets

290718

I'm guessing that photo was taken before conservation efforts got underway at Iowa's current museum berth in San Pedro. The hole has a fresh coat of gray paint over it and it looks more like a casting/forging flaw or rust pit than battle damage. You'd barely notice if not for the yellow arrow and tour guide plaque.

But the funniest bit:

290720

I'm reasonably confident a 16" HE round would cause "reproductive harm".

[gwpercle]

A link to the story behind that photo: http://www.byronhartshorn.com/2014/09/29/iowa-vs-yamato-the-ultimate-battleship-showdown/

A photo from the other extreme: This is the impact crater from a Japanese 5" equivalent on one of the U.S.S. Iowa's turrets

290718

I'm guessing that photo was taken before conservation efforts got underway at Iowa's current museum berth in San Pedro. The hole has a fresh coat of gray paint over it and it looks more like a casting/forging flaw or rust pit than battle damage. You'd barely notice if not for the yellow arrow and tour guide plaque.

But the funniest bit:

290720

I'm reasonably confident a 16" HE round would cause "reproductive harm".

If I could only get a holster for that !

[Finster101]

Can't imagine what that did inside the vessel.

[Mk42gunner]

I wonder what the power factor is for that 16" gun ?
Lets see if I remember the stats right or not.

Weight of projectile: 16"/50 cal AP is 2,700 lbs.
Initial Velocity: Not sure but 2,600-2,650 fps was fairly standard for naval gunnery. (It varies according to temperature.)

I do know the FC's used the last three days powder magazine temps to figure IV for our 5"/54.

Robert

[scattershot]

Time to go rabbit hunting’, I guess.

[Harter66]

MG you forgot the BC advantage of something like 5 or 6 .

The 16" Howie on the Iowa , 1 of which I got to fondle before a slab was cut off for a little museum out in the Nevada desert , had an 80 mile range . 10-20,000 yd was chip shot ranges on standing targets .

An electronics guy that did part of the last generation targeting gear on the Iowa told me that with the Rocket Assisted projectiles they could shot 105 miles and keep the shells inside a football field grid per turret . Can you imagine ? That's the same as "a little vertical stringing but I can still cover 3 with a half dollar at 1000 yd" ...... Lots of electronics and drive motors involved . He also told me that a top gun crew in WWII could do the same consistently but only at 50 miles and they used the whole stadium . In any case it was a fair bit of shooting .

[waksupi]

That would absolutely ruin the hide and meat.

[DougGuy]

Nice target shooting Dougguy. How much labor time is charged to throat that barrel to shoot cast boolets?

I seriously doubt you could shoot cast in one of those 16 inchers. Cast and machined bronze maybe, but anything softer would just slug up upon firing, the base of the boolit would be moving before the nose moves, prolly make a helluva pressure spike, and I bet you could bulge one of those barrels if you tried!

I wonder how much freejump there is in there before the shell engages rifling?

[Finster101]

290766

[Gator 45/70]

Handgun stopping power? I'd say check with that Baldwin fellow ?

[Wayne Smith]

If you don't know this when they re-built the battleships for Vietnam the computers were not as effective as the machine computers build before and during WWII. For that reason the computers (machine comuters) were left in the battleships to aim the guns.

BTW, Doug, living here in Hampton Roads the local library has (or had) a book on how to build a battleship. I got it and read it years ago and it has dozens of pictures like the one you posted from multiple sizes of cannon and multiple types of armor. WWI and before armor and post WWI armor were vastly different. From the 12" guns used in WWI on the US Texas (and WWII, btw.) to the 16" guns of WWII. Facinating and interesting book to read, at least for me. I'm curious about almost everything.

[sharps4590]

And to think the Yamato had 18 inch guns!!!

[Mk42gunner]

...I wonder how much freejump there is in there before the shell engages rifling?

That I can answer. NONE.

The copper rotating band is engaged by the rifling upon loading. Kind of a fast and violent form of breech seating.

The 16" guns are what is known as separate or bag loading; i.e. the projectile is rammed first, then the powder bags in their tray are lowered into position and rammed. I believe the primer is inserted in the breechblock.

My 5"/54's were semi-fixed ammunition. A capped (electrically primed) powder container and a separate projectile, but they were rammed as one unit, with the projectile slamming into the origin of rifling.

3"/50 or the 76mm/62 (IIRC) were the largest guns with fixed ammunition when I was in.

I think some of the 4 and 5" that were used pre WWII were also fixed. Think the small (in naval usage) deck guns used on submarines.

Robert