Experimental validation of a numerical model of the 7.62 x 39 m43 projectile

Both in military and in law enforcement operations, the most commonly found small caliber threat is the ubiquitous Kalashnikov, also known as the AK-47 (or simply AK). For that reason, a detailed experimental and numerical study of the 7.62 x 39 M43 projectile was made. In this work, 7.62 x 39 mm mild steel core ammunition was fired against a rigid wall, made of a high-hardness steel plate of sufficient hardness and thickness to respectively avoid denting and bulging, to characterize the projectile core deformation and damage as a function of impact velocity. The validated projectile finite element model can now be used to study more complex impact problems where experimental measurements are complex or impossible. A good qualitative and quantitative correlation between numerical and experimental results for the considered ammunition was achieved.