From:	Paul Jonathan Adam <Paul@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Knock Back
Date:	Mon, 10 Apr 1995 02:21:15 GMT

> ... But from
> the sounds of what you are saying, no one would ever suffer knockback at all,
> unless they got hit with something BIG. You argued that if a projetile had
> sufficient momentum/energy to knock someone over when it hit them, then it
> would have knocked over the firer because of the action-reaction thing.

The difference is when I fire my .45, the slide and barrel recoil. That
buffers energy in the recoil spring to cycle the action, and the recoil force
is dissipated up my arm over a relatively long period. Also the force is
applied over a relatively large area (my hand) as well as a long time: so
a nice long push rather than a sharp kick.

The target doesn't get knocked back because it's only paper :-) If something
solid and mobile were hit (like a person) they would get a very solid blow
concentrated in a very small area and acting in a very short time: a very
high impulse offering a good chance of knocking them back or down. By no
means guaranteed, though.

--
When you have shot and killed a man, you have defined your attitude towards
him. You have offered a definite answer to a definite problem. For better or
for worse, you have acted decisively.
In fact, the next move is up to him.

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk