expanding dart.

[mouz]

this is an expanding dart: it is not a hollow point dart, it could called a jacketed hollow point, but i think expanding is more to the point(pun intended)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4749225007_dbda513573_m.jpg

the clay on the end puts the center of gravity forward. it also make it more airo.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4749213385_94db5c30d9_m.jpg

modeling clay is 4-5 times denser than flesh. the penetration is awful, but it shredded the clay for about 1 inch
 (2.5 cm.) around and .5 inches deep (13 mm.)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4749860922_c92151a4a2_m.jpg

it expanded hugely, i made it of a thin aluminum tube about 1/4 inch (6 mm.) around, and sawed an x in it about an inch deep, then taped a cone on the back and bent the strips of aluminum back a little bit to tell them which way to go, then put the lump of oil clay in the end to make it more airo and put its center of gravity forward.

[BoyntonStu]

this is an expanding dart: it is not a hollow point dart, it could called a jacketed hollow point, but i think expanding is more to the point(pun intended)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4749225007_dbda513573_m.jpg

the clay on the end puts the center of gravity forward. it also make it more airo.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4749213385_94db5c30d9_m.jpg

modeling clay is 4-5 times denser than flesh. the penetration is awful, but it shredded the clay for about 1 inch
 (2.5 cm.) around and .5 inches deep (13 mm.)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4749860922_c92151a4a2_m.jpg

it expanded hugely, i made it of a thin aluminum tube about 1/4 inch (6 mm.) around, and sawed an x in it about an inch deep, then taped a cone on the back and bent the strips of aluminum back a little bit to tell them which way to go, then put the lump of oil clay in the end to make it more airo and put its center of gravity forward.

Blowby?

How well does your dart fit the barrel?

The nice thing about using a tight barrel fitting cork on a nail is that after it hits the target and it imparts a large jolt of energy, the nail penetrates the target while the cork slides back.  It works head first or point first.

[mouz]

no blow by. none. the dart is very tight fitting. if you used this as a blowgun you would blow your eardrums right out of your head before moving it an inch. it does more tissue damage than a normal dart. it just goes out instead of in. so rather than making a 1/4 inch hole right through, it make a 1 inch around by .5 inches deep. and its all  shredded.

[BoyntonStu]

no blow by. none. the dart is very tight fitting. if you used this as a blowgun you would blow your eardrums right out of your head before moving it an inch. it does more tissue damage than a normal dart. it just goes out instead of in. so rather than making a 1/4 inch hole right through, it make a 1 inch around by .5 inches deep. and its all  shredded.

There is a shock absorber for helicopter pilots who crash land.

Basically there is a steel wedge that cuts through an aluminum sheet.

If the aluminum dart bends as it strikes the target it may decrease the energy transfer.

Like a rubber bullet.

When I observe the head of a 10d nail (.36 caliber) going through 3 layers of 3/4" plywood, I am confident that any living thing would suffer a lot of injury or death if hit with that energy.

It would be interesting to compare your aluminum dart with a nail dart in a chunk of ballistic gelatin.