SeaCat
Hey, my Halo is smoking
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2003
- Posts
- 15,378
Damn what a question. What kind of damage it causes depends on not only the round, (You mentioned a .40 cal) and where exactly in the shoulder the round hits.
If it hits on the outside of the arm you might see a "flesh wound". This would include a large amount of muscle damage and the possibility of bone involvment. Splinting for the first couple of days at least would be recomended even if there is no bone involvment to limit additional damage to the soft tissues.
If the hit is in the shoulder itself, well,,,,,,
The average human male has a sweet spot of roughly two square inches where the only damage will be soft tissue. (Most likely including nerve damage from the Brachial Plexus though.) Outside of that sweet spot you will be involving the bones of the shoulder girdle, (Humerus, Clavicle and Scapula.) You also are running the risk of damage to the ribs.
Along with this kind of damage you are also dealing with the potential nerve damage to the arm itself as well as vascular, (blood vessel ) damage. Remember the Brachial Artery as well as several veins run through the shoulder.
Any bone damage would most likely involve splintering which will require surgery to repair.
Any muscular damage involved is most likely going to be rather extensive from the type of round you mentioned as well as the range. (Figure this type of round and range the damage is going to be at a minimum four to six times the diameter of the round.)
The human body does not like to be shot. About the only places you can shoot a person with modern rounds without causing major damage is the outside of the arm and the outsides of the thighs. (In some cases of people I know a shot into the head will not cause more than cosmetic damage.)
Cat
If it hits on the outside of the arm you might see a "flesh wound". This would include a large amount of muscle damage and the possibility of bone involvment. Splinting for the first couple of days at least would be recomended even if there is no bone involvment to limit additional damage to the soft tissues.
If the hit is in the shoulder itself, well,,,,,,
The average human male has a sweet spot of roughly two square inches where the only damage will be soft tissue. (Most likely including nerve damage from the Brachial Plexus though.) Outside of that sweet spot you will be involving the bones of the shoulder girdle, (Humerus, Clavicle and Scapula.) You also are running the risk of damage to the ribs.
Along with this kind of damage you are also dealing with the potential nerve damage to the arm itself as well as vascular, (blood vessel ) damage. Remember the Brachial Artery as well as several veins run through the shoulder.
Any bone damage would most likely involve splintering which will require surgery to repair.
Any muscular damage involved is most likely going to be rather extensive from the type of round you mentioned as well as the range. (Figure this type of round and range the damage is going to be at a minimum four to six times the diameter of the round.)
The human body does not like to be shot. About the only places you can shoot a person with modern rounds without causing major damage is the outside of the arm and the outsides of the thighs. (In some cases of people I know a shot into the head will not cause more than cosmetic damage.)
Cat
