As I understand the theory, an explosion has three different ways to kill you. I'm probably not using the proper medical terminology here, though.
The first is penetrating or blunt trauma from debris propelled by the explosion, even if the warhead or device isn't specifically designed for fragmentation (though this falls under 2.2 and Reflex's fragmentation damage, not blast damage).
The second is the kinetic effects of the shock wave compressing soft tissue, particularly in the torso's vital organs, which can tear that tissue and/or the embedded blood vessels. This effect may include a secondary possibility of brain or organ damage caused by compression-induced spikes in fluid pressure in the circulatory system.
The third is acceleration of the body (i.e. being propelled away from the explosion's epicenter) causing impact damage to the brain as it bounces around the inside of the skull, just like any other source of cranial acceleration trauma.
Also, I call shenanigans on the .50 caliber rumor until I see scientific proof otherwise. Yeah, it'll kill you if it hits a foot away from your head - if that "foot away" puts the impact in your torso. Hitting scenery a foot away? I don't think it carries enough energy to generate that sort of overpressure in air.
- C.
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