Midgetman’s request will be answered. Specifically why medium caliber sniper rifles are not going to be the the answer to the proliferation of body armor on the battlefield.
Do you have or know of a good write up about about this myth that will not die?
I would like to see more on the subject of sniper (and service rifle) vs body armor.
The SAPI plates that I am familiar with are rated to withstand M80 ball and ESAPI (what I wore on deployment) M2 AP (30-06, not 50 BMG) ammunition fired from a conventional rifle at close range. Wikipedia actually has a decent but brief write up on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Arms_Protective_Insert
Sniper rifles, firing sniper cartridges, generally have bullets impact the target at distances longer than what we would consider “point blank” range. This means that the impressive muzzle energy numbers of a 338 Lapua or 300 Win Mag are not present for the impact at 800 meters and beyond.
If we use the most generous standard for M80 ball, a 147gr FMJBT at 2,800 fps (German loading for their machine guns) we get a muzzle energy of 2,572.5 ft/lbs of muzzle energy (3490.9 Newton Meters to my metric friends) and 8.151 Newton Seconds of momentum.
If we look at a 338 caliber bullet with muzzle velocity of 2,800 fps, we see it drop down to the momentum of M80 ball before 1,300 meters. Clearly using these numbers the 338 Lapua launching a 300gr SMK must defeat the ESAPI plate? No, not so much.
The 30-06 M2 Armor Piercing bullet is steel cored. The steel penetrator does not deform on contact the way soft core in the lead of match bullets does, and it still does not penetrate due to the composite design of ESAPI plates.
When you look at bullets capable of defeating ESAPI plates, you are looking at either larger than 50 caliber (such as 20mm cannon) or you have to use exploding bullets like a Raufoss in a 50 cal sniper rifle.
As of right now, I know of no country actually issuing bullets specifically designed to defeat body armor to their snipers. Match Kings, Scenars, and Lockbase bullets are not going do defeat plates at distance that were designed to stop M2 AP at point blank.
So what can you do to defeat ESAPI plates? Well you can get close with your 50 cal sniper rifle and shoot at close range: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdgQ0OSZqOo
You can use bullets like the Mk211 Raufoss which blast away the ceramic and have a follow on penetrator to get through. This will work sometimes, but even if it doesn’t the target will still have a very bad day.
For service rifle verses body armor, don’t bother trying to defeat the body armor with a service rifle. Aim for the hips and face.
But if I have not convinced you dear reader that intermediate sniper rifles (at least not with the bullets that are being issued to snipers) are not the answer to the proliferation of body armor on the battlefield, please explain why in comments.
http://randomthoughtsandguns.blogspot.com/2015/06/military-body-armor-and-small-arms.html
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. ..don’t forget thighs. Oh wait, that’s not part of the song. Armor is effective but makes a slower target. Aim for the part they don’t use if they commit treason and follow orders without question. That’d be the head.
Don’t forget the other part of the song:
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose…. 😉 Heads and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
So what can you do to defeat ESAPI plates?
If they aint wearing it on their head,,,,,
Can punch a cantaloupe at 1k
it’s about the amunition, not the caliber.
a 5-7 round will penetrate armor but that load is not sold to the public.
the FMJ was designed to penetrate steel.
it works by liquifying the copper case against the target causing softening, the steel then follows and penetrates the plate.
modern armor takes this into account by using high-temperature composite metals or added layers of ceramic.
you need a round that can shatter or split ceramics and yet put enough energy into a metal plate to soften the impact point before it slows down.
titanium, carbon-steel, stainless-steel, cobalt etc.
you will have to make them yourself because they will be totally illegal to own or sell.
it’s probably simpler to shoot the target in the neck – like any pro sniper is trained to do.
The ATF outlawed .458 dangerous game bullets because they punch esapi.
Barnes had to remove their solid copper .458 bullets designed for the .458 socom from the market because of this. I recently destroyed an ESAPI plate using one of my last Speer 500 grain Dangerous game solids. It had a tungsten core, and worked quite well from my Marlin guide gun. Even when they were available, they were rediculously expensive. I don’t have any to try in a socom. This just makes me want to buy a metal lathe.
Buy the small combo mill/lathe from Grizzly, can finish out 80% lowers with it