On 1/25/2012 10:43 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Leon wrote:
On 1/24/2012 11:10 PM, Kerry Montgomery wrote:

I think hollywood has distorted the actual results when using one
as a weapon.

Some cartridge firing nail guns are capable of nail velocities of
over 1000 fps. Pneumatic ones much less.
Kerry



I could not disagree, but all energy is spent once the nail looses
contact with the hammer. The heat and expanding gasses do not touch
the nail like they do with a bullet in a gun barrel. I think the
energy loss would be great on a nail

I don't know what the muzzle velocity of a nail is, from any kind of gun,
but muzzle velocity is muzzle velocity. It does not rely upon gasses or
heat, as it is something that is already attained. The gasses would be
instrumental in developing the muzzle velocity, but have no effect once the
projectile leaves the "barrel".


Correct however a barrel helps to define the path that the projectile
will travel and puts a spin on the bullet to help keep it going straight.

Not sure where I am going here. ;~) but I firmly believe the lack of a
barrel on a nail gun is what would cause the nail to loose speed much
more quickly than say a bullet traveling at the same initial speed
through a barrel.

Basically initial speeds being equal I believe the nail speed would be
much fewer feet per second, per second than that of a bullet.