06-04-2021, 03:09 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Detonating Cord question
The DR of the PVC is not particularly relevant, though being plastic I doubt it makes particularly effective shrapnel. GURPS explosives aren't super well correlated with reality (direct effects of blast on humans are fairly unimpressive, it's mostly the indirect effects that kill people) and I'm not sure det cord will give you a proper blast wave. I wouldn't want to be walking over a line of det cord at the time it was exploding, but I also wouldn't be confident in its ability to disable an enemy. Bangalore torpedos have a lot more explosive in them than det cord.
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06-05-2021, 05:40 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Detonating Cord question
If you double the det cord back and forth through the pipe, you'd wind up with a lot more explosive per hex than a single strand of cord. (Wrapping through the pipe and back down the outside, would get close to having the pipe fully filled, times two for the cord on the outside of the pipe. Leaving an end free so you can attach more non-exploding pipe to push the bomb forward, it'd probably be simplest just to pack the business end full.)
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06-05-2021, 07:16 AM | #13 | |
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Snoopy's basement
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Re: Detonating Cord question
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06-05-2021, 08:55 AM | #14 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: Detonating Cord question
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RyanW - Actually one normal sized guy in three tiny trenchcoats. |
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06-05-2021, 09:23 AM | #15 |
Join Date: Dec 2020
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Re: Detonating Cord question
What about cutting the detcord open, pulling out the explosive and filling it into the PVC tube? Should be posssible for trained soldiers, if the have enough time to prepare. Than just calculate the volume of the tube multiple it with the weight of the explosive per cm3; and you can calculate the damage of the explosion from that point on.
Of course winding the cord around the tube is easier and safer, you just need the outer diameter and can than estimate how much cord you have per hex. If you want damage to people and stuff and not use it to clear mines / a path etc, than the better way damage wise is making your own claymore, which again a soldier should be able to, you donīt need much skill for it. To cut heavier or sturdier material like a steel double T beam, you can improve via a angle iron, a standard trick shown every soldier with a specialisation to explosives. |
06-05-2021, 11:43 AM | #16 |
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Land of Enchantment
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Re: Detonating Cord question
A single strand of detcord probably shouldn't do much damage if it isn't in actual contact with the target, so I think the 1d-3 may be correct. Yes, it can be used to cut things like trees or girders, but that's because of the high brisance of PETN, not it's sheer power.
Remember that REF isn't a terribly scientific value. It's just meant to let engineers convert the blasting formulas that were originally developed with TNT in mind to other explosives. It actually doesn't tell you much about the explosive's properties. IIRC REF values even vary by the exact usage, IRL.
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I'd need to get a grant and go shoot a thousand goats to figure it out. Last edited by acrosome; 06-05-2021 at 11:47 AM. |
06-05-2021, 11:44 AM | #17 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Detonating Cord question
The alternative is to have the PC roll demolitions or traps. On a success, they come up with something effective, on a failure they get something noisy and not particularly effective (there's no question you could do something dangerous with detcord).
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06-05-2021, 02:28 PM | #18 |
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Snoopy's basement
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Re: Detonating Cord question
Well, they'll certainly have to roll regardless.
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06-06-2021, 11:27 PM | #19 |
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: Detonating Cord question
That's a dangerous assumption. Thick-walled PVC is pretty tough stuff and even if it doesn't shatter into fragments the heat of the explosion might be sufficient to melt it. In the latter case, substitute burning fragments for cutting ones. Obviously, explosive force will be lower, though, since PVC will deform or rupture before metal of equivalent thickness.
Last edited by Pursuivant; 06-06-2021 at 11:30 PM. |
06-07-2021, 02:22 AM | #20 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Detonating Cord question
It being a poor choice doesn't make it harmless. Just significantly worse than alternatives.
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