Question from backyard plinker to FORG (Fat Old Retired Guy from Box O' Truth)
"I'm thinking about saving up for some Cabela's Permagel. Reportedly, it's similar to ballistic gelatin but re-usable and not quite so temperature sensitive."
FORG Answers:
"Get some if you wish. But be aware that it is not "similar" to ballistic gelatin in any sense of the word.
Professional ballisticians hate the stuff, as it gives inaccurate results compared to properly calibrated BG."
Reality Intrudes:
Who cares if it isn't similar to Gelatin? Is it similar to skinless pig thigh? Skinless human flesh? Galatin, a simulacrum of a simulacrum, can be used to determine what happens to a bullet fired into Gelatin. Permagel does similar things to bullets. It flattens them out and causes them to expand. Again, who gives a rats ass that the gel boys don't like it? It'll seperate the expanders from the non-expanders, and that's all anyone wants to know.
Unless of course you plan on being attacked by a boneless badguy who bears more than a passing resemblance to gelatin. Not that the stuff is worthless, but it remains backyard science with some fancy degrees making some cash from the deal. NO national or international standards organization recognizes ballistic gelatin testing. Not ASTM, not ISO, not Mil-Spec. To call it "scientific" is to misunderstand science, and an insult to what genuine laboratories do.
A decent enough QC test for ammunition? Sure.
Something to bet your life on? Please now.
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