9 mm vs. katana

[Cryozombie]

A friend of a friend who is living in Japan right now posted this in his BLOG, I wanted to share it...

I was watching "Well of Trivia" last night, and somebody wrote in with the following question: Which would win? A katana or a pistol.

So they tested it out by firing a bullet (from a Colt .45) directly at the edge of a newly forged katana, from 5 meters away. If the katana gets cracked, the pistol wins. If the bullet gets split in two, the katana wins.

Debate what you think the outcome was, and I'll post the results later.

And here are the results:

Ok, here's the outcome of the katana vs. the .45:

The katana split the bullet in two.

Despite my love for the things, I was fully expecting the pistol to turn the sword into Christmas tinsel. But several slow motion cameras and a white sheet placed as a backstop showed it. The bullet hit the edge of the sword, there was a small flash (in slow-motion), and the two halves went off in separate directions. And aside from a smudge mark and a couple scratches, the bullet didn't do any damage to the blade.

Impressive.

 

[WLMantisKid]

Ultra cool.

But that will fuel the normal romanticization of the indestructability of the katana with the normal assortment of fanboys.

 

[Ceicei]

And how many who use katanas to defend themselves against an attacker with a gun will have the katana held just right at the right moment to split a bullet?

- Ceicei

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

It's a cute trick of physics; hardened steel vs. soft lead...velocity at impact is immaterial as the force (newton?) is the same on both the striking and the struck...surface area at time of contact, etc. What doesn't chnage is the age old axion: Never bring a kinfe to a gunfight; even if it's a big knife.

D.

 

[someguy]

I saw the same thing with a navy seals knife instead. Its pretty cool looking.

 

[Gentle Fist]

I must say... I didn't expect that outcome. :jedi1:

 

[Phil Elmore]

For similar reasons, the average "bulletproof vest" can stop a bullet but not the point of a knife.

 

[Touch Of Death]

It's a cute trick of physics; hardened steel vs. soft lead...velocity at impact is immaterial as the force (newton?) is the same on both the striking and the struck...surface area at time of contact, etc. What doesn't chnage is the age old axion: Never bring a kinfe to a gunfight; even if it's a big knife.

D.

Oh, I don't know. The 45 only hits what its aimed at. If the swordsman sought the right cover and ambushed the over confident gunman...
Sean

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

Oh, I don't know. The 45 only hits what its aimed at. If the swordsman sought the right cover and ambushed the over confident gunman...
Sean

Good point: "There will always be someone faster than you, stronger than you, but there never has to be anybody sneakier than you." -- Bill Wallace

 

[Phil Elmore]

Oh, I don't know. The 45 only hits what its aimed at. If the swordsman sought the right cover and ambushed the over confident gunman...

You are told you must fight to the death tomorrow morning. You are given the choice of a .45 or a katana.

I own both. I know which one I'd choose. Only an idiot would leave the gun in favor of the sword.

 

[theletch1]

You are told you must fight to the death tomorrow morning. You are given the choice of a .45 or a katana.

I own both. I know which one I'd choose. Only an idiot would leave the gun in favor of the sword.

Only an idiot in a "fair" fight, Phil. The guys that are advocating the katana are talking about an ambush situation. Now, if the guy with the .45 hears them guys with the katanas giggling like school girls behind the barrels, well, all bets are off. I'd just as soon have the .45 in hand and the katana in my belt as a back up.

 

[Touch Of Death]

You are told you must fight to the death tomorrow morning. You are given the choice of a .45 or a katana.

I own both. I know which one I'd choose. Only an idiot would leave the gun in favor of the sword.

I suppose, but a sword lasts longer if you are short on rounds. I'll say one left for the sake of argument. The swords looking better and better.
Sean

 

[Seig]

Think about it for a second. I just fired a .45 round at you. You got your katana up and split my bullet in two! You now have TWO bullet holes in you.

 

[KenpoTex]

You are told you must fight to the death tomorrow morning. You are given the choice of a .45 or a katana.

I own both. I know which one I'd choose. Only an idiot would leave the gun in favor of the sword.

personally, I'd say F*** the .45, give me a 12 gauge (or maybe an H&K G3 in .308)...in other words, cheat

P.S. before you die-hard 1911 fans start whining, I have NOTHING against the .45, I own/carry one myself...just making a point.

 

[Aegis]

Only an idiot in a "fair" fight, Phil. The guys that are advocating the katana are talking about an ambush situation. Now, if the guy with the .45 hears them guys with the katanas giggling like school girls behind the barrels, well, all bets are off. I'd just as soon have the .45 in hand and the katana in my belt as a back up.

Personally I'd still take the gun in an ambush situation. Don't even have to move from your concealed location to kill someone with a projectile.

The only reason I've seen so far to take the sword is if you are very low on pistol ammo (though I'd like to add that you may be such a lousy shot that the guy could stand 3 feet away and still survive), and honestly I'd say that the katana, while it's a great sword and we all love them, is pretty damn useless in comparisson to a loaded pistol in the hands of someone who can use it well.

 

[Bod]

Sword in the right hand gun in the left...

Mind you I wouldn't turn up to the fight in the first place. I'd send my mother with a doctor's note.

 

[TonyM.]

If the bullet hits the katana flat on it's going to break. 800fpds of energy will break any sword if it hits square. A 230 gr 45acp. round makes a dent the size of a grapefruit in a beer keg.

 

[Danjo]

Well....unless we find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic stituation where ammunition for guns becomes a real issue, I'd say that the reality of someone carrying a sword around for a real fight is absurd. It's great excercise and I'm sure it provides wonderful moving meditation to practice with them, but swords are a thing of the past (or post-apocalyptic future for you would-be Mad Maxes ). I would, by the way like to see how the Katana would hold up if the bullets were the steel-jacketed ones that the military used.

 

[Rich Parsons]

If this situation is that the 45 has the drop on Katana, i.e weapon drawn and pointed with good stance, etc., ..., . I would put money on the 45.

If the situation is reversed at 5 meters, I would put the money on Katana. The person with the 45 has to clear and aim their weapon.

If both weapons are holstered / sheathed, and at 5 meters, and both are intent on urting the other, it will be on who clears first. In my opinion.

:asian:

 

[theletch1]

Sword in the right hand gun in the left...

Mind you I wouldn't turn up to the fight in the first place. I'd send my mother with a doctor's note.

and a hickory switch to teach the other guy to play nice. :uhyeah: