Hydrostatic Shock
Definition
The contested hypothesis that a high-velocity bullet generates a remote pressure wave through body fluids sufficient to produce immediate neurological incapacitation without direct CNS contact. Supported by Courtney + Courtney (2007-2015); disputed by MacPherson (1994) on fluid-mechanical grounds. Not confirmed by NATO, DSTL, FBI, or Indian DRDO as a clinical-threshold phenomenon.
Related terms
- FBI 10% Gelatin Protocol
- The standard medium for law-enforcement ammunition testing, adopted after the 1986 Miami shootout. Ten percent by weight porcine gelatin calibrated with a...
- Permanent Cavity
- The lasting wound channel produced by the bullet's direct crushing and laceration of tissue. Diameter approximates expanded projectile diameter. At handgun velocities,...
- Sectional Density (SD)
- The ratio of a bullet's mass to the square of its diameter. Higher SD values predict greater penetration depth in a given...
- Temporary Cavity
- The transient radial tissue displacement produced by a bullet's passing. Caused by the transfer of kinetic energy to surrounding tissue via compression...
Explained in
- Penetration Mechanics and the Hydrostatic-Shock ModelThe contested hypothesis that a high-velocity bullet generates a remote pressure wave through body fluids sufficient to produce immediate neurological incapaci...