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Rob D


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Melbourne Australia
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Saw
Not trying to be controversial here, but wouldn't your description of a "manstopper" bullet fit a target-round "wadcutter" perfectly?
I've never heard of them being called "manstoppers" - or have I missed something?
Rob
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The Zulus apparently were unimpressed with revolvers, missing more than hitting, but they'd need a bit of clout ammo-wise on impact.

I think it was Pope or Godwin-Austen had hit a Zulu three times but didn't stop him.
Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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Rob, not a bit like a "wad cutter". which is simply a bullet with the nose flattened. Imagine a car with more weight in the back than in the front. If it were to hit a solid wall, the light front would stop more quickly than the heavy back, which would continue moving forward and smash the front outward as well as forward-- a very messy automobile accident for the wall. The Webley MK III "manstopper", being dramatically hollowed out in the nose, has a lot of lead in the back and little in the middle of the front, causing the nose to spread outward as well as continue forward on impact. Basic Newtonian physics.
I believe there are modern military rounds that are made of less dense materials in the nose than in the tail for the same reason. A clean entry wound, but a very nasty exit wound and a lot of damage between. In the wars of Victoria's reign, a "cross" cut with a bayonet in the nose of a bullet would have somewhat the same effect. That was often done in the field. Alternatively, just shoot bullets made at the Dumdum arsenal in India.

"The civilized soldier when shot recognizes that he is wounded and knows that the sooner he is attended to the sooner he will recover. He lies down on his stretcher and is taken off the field to his ambulance, where he is dressed or bandaged. Your fanatical barbarian, similarly wounded, continues to rush on, spear or sword in hand; and before you have the time to represent to him that his conduct is in flagrant violation of the understanding relative to the proper course for the wounded man to follow�he may have cut off your head." Barbara Tuchman "The Proud Tower"
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Rob D


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Melbourne Australia
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Saw
OK, fine.
I was responding to your writing "a genuine manstopper enters the breech of the pistol already flattened" rather than to the follow-up "(or worse, dramatically hollowed)".
I still think that a wadcutter round would fit the first part of your description.
Rob
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Officer's revolvers
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