Experimental validation of a numerical model of the 7.62x39 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.