Power Armor and Small Arms Fire

[Elok]

I understand that bulletproof vests do not work like in the movies; they do, in fact, slow down or stop the bullet (depending on caliber, speed, etc.), but all that does is spread the impact out over a broader area. You still feel like you got kicked by a donkey, will probably fall down, and may suffer substantial bruising around the point of impact.

Could powered armor, or other special systems, mitigate the donkey-kick factor somehow? For example, suppose a suit is equipped with some sort of spring suspension in the back of legs, could the springs eat some of the force? Or would a sufficiently massive suit just be so damn heavy that the suit itself would absorb more of the punch? I have little grounding in physics, or getting shot, but things like that intuitively feel like they ought to work. Which probably means they won't.

[DinoDoc]

[KrazyHorse]

the impact of the bullet on you is the same as the recoil of the gun fired by the shooter. Bullets do not knock people down; people get hurt and fall down out of shock or inability to stand.

[Lorizael]

A person wearing power armor has about a two in three chance of avoiding injury in most situations. This doesn't apply, however, if the enemy is making use of plasma weaponry, cannon-sized lasers, or similar implements. This can be improved to about a five in six chance, but that's gonna slow you down.

[Guynemer]

Also depends on what sort of perks you've been taking, and if the shooter got a lucky crit.

[Elok]

the impact of the bullet on you is the same as the recoil of the gun fired by the shooter. Bullets do not knock people down; people get hurt and fall down out of shock or inability to stand.

I actually recall reading something like that; I got my pop-sci articles mixed up. So, getting shot in a vest just feels like getting punched? Any downsides besides the things being bulky, hot, heavy and generally uncomfortable?

[Hauldren Collider]

Generally the ceramic plates can only take a few hits before shattering if the rounds are armor piercing, iirc.

[SlowwHand]

A bruise of any intensity isn't jack****.

[regexcellent]

I understand that bulletproof vests do not work like in the movies; they do, in fact, slow down or stop the bullet (depending on caliber, speed, etc.), but all that does is spread the impact out over a broader area. You still feel like you got kicked by a donkey, will probably fall down, and may suffer substantial bruising around the point of impact.

Could powered armor, or other special systems, mitigate the donkey-kick factor somehow? For example, suppose a suit is equipped with some sort of spring suspension in the back of legs, could the springs eat some of the force? Or would a sufficiently massive suit just be so damn heavy that the suit itself would absorb more of the punch? I have little grounding in physics, or getting shot, but things like that intuitively feel like they ought to work. Which probably means they won't.

It can't reduce the overall impulse imparted into you (mass of projectile * velocity) but it can reduce both the force and pressure. Force is going to be limited by the thickness, and pressure by thickness and how efficiently the armor spreads the impact.

Generally the ceramic plates can only take a few hits before shattering if the rounds are armor piercing, iirc.

They're designed to shatter. They will shatter from normal rounds. Armor piercing bullets may go right through ceramic plates.

[The Mad Monk]

[kentonio]

A bruise of any intensity isn't jack****.

Tell that to this guy..

[regexcellent]

A bruise is another name for internal bleeding. Which you can (and many people frequently do) die from.

[Sava]

hockey pucks and paint balls are the worst bruises i ever had

[SlowwHand]

Yes, bad bruising but he can talk about it.

[DaShi]

A bruise of any intensity isn't jack****.

You only say that because you're ancient.