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Old 04-02-2009, 09:40 PM
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Legbreaker Legbreaker is offline
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Location: Tasmania, Australia
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That's almost exactly my own thoughts there Jester. The aim with most EOD missions is not to cause the charge to go off, but rather damage the mechanism and components in such as way that it can't go off. At this point the device can be removed to a location where it can be properly disposed of (usually in a safe area where it can be destroyed with a controlled charge).

As you say, modern explosives such as Comp B, etc take a hell of a lot of energy to set off which is why they require a detonator and primary, or "booster" charge. Remember these things "burn" at around 4,000 metres per seond and up, up, up! A .50 BMG is only moving at approximately 850 mps and despite it possessing a hell of a lot of kinetic energy, I just don't think there's enough transfered over into a secondary charge to se it off.

This would be why the target for the sea mines has to be the prongs, or with all other munitions, the very unstable and extremely volatile detonator (the warmth of a persons hand can set them off which is why we were trained to hold them by the end like a ciggarette).

With regard to mortar rounds and other larger munitions, I believe they aren't actually fused until the last few moments before firing (at least that's how it worked on the few occasions I was arround the mortar plattoon). This, in addition to the safety mechanisms mentioned by Jester, renders the rounds very, very safe from small arms and shrapnel hits (although a nice large HE round would probably do the job).

And so, I repeat, while it is possible to set off a grenade or other explosive with a gunshot, in practise it's virtually impossible, especially in a combat situation where the shooter is extremely unlikely to be able to aim properly.
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