Sword Shooting II: Cheness Tenchi
May 28, 2007 17:44:12 GMT
Post by ShooterMike on May 28, 2007 17:44:12 GMT
Shooting Tests of the Cheness Tenchi
Background
In case no one saw the ground-breaking announcement, I bought my first Japanese sword to commemorate little Lana Southren's birth. I chose a Cheness Shura with Bo-Hi as I have read much about Cheness swords and the Shura seemed like my most favorable option. Paul emailed to say Paul Chen was picking me one out and it would be on the way soon. But Mr. Chen good-naturedly suggested that if I was going to be doing the shooting test on this one, I should forego the bo-hi. PERISH THE THOUGHT! This katana was to commemorate little Lana. There would be no testing whatsoever.
But of course, me being the talkative type that I am, suggested that if Paul Chen might really WANT to have a shooting test performed on one of his swords he was welcome to send one. I was joking, of course.
So it was to my considerable surprise and delight when a Cheness Tenchi (without bo-hi) was found to have been delivered to my door! Don't ya just love this forum and how close it brings us to such wonderful sword makers and distributors? I certainly do! ;D
So I set about to do a full-blown shooting test on this second katana. For those of you who are cringing, please relax. When I opened the box, prominently placed on top was this hand-written note:
The Sword
So, I didn't feel so bad about going forward with what I had intended. First up was taking a few shots of the subject sword. It is a very nice sword, beautiful in fact.
Try as I might, I couldn't find a reason for it being a "factory second" until I got the sword to the range. In the clear sunlight I finally noticed two areas on the blade that I would surmise to be the cause of the rejection of this sword. Though hardly visible, there were two areas on the blade that had built up some black stains. I would guess these are where some micro fissures occurred. These spots are indicated by arrows in this photo.
Defects indicated by arrows
Test Setup
The testing was conducted at my shooting range on Saturday 26 May 2007 at around 4:00 pm CST. The conditions were partly cloudy with a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of approximately 85%.
The Tenchi was clamped into a padded vise attached to my cutting stand, and a tire was placed in front of the sword to allow for some movement on impact, but to prevent the sword from posing a hazard if it should work free of the vise. An Oehler Model 33P chronograph was setup immediately in front of the arrangement to capture the impact velocity of each bullet. This was done to record the velocity of each bullet, as velocity is one of the variables that can greatly affect the results of such a test. Three segments were then marked off on the blade by use of tape. This was used as a visual guide on where to aim with each firearm. This allowed for the separation of each type of ammunition so the results would be easier to observe and document.
One regulation IPSC cardboard target was setup immediately behind the sword, with the white backside toward the sword. This target will show the misses as well as the impacts of the shattered or split bullets.
The arrangement from a side view
Angled side view
Shooter's eye view
Test Tools
The test tools consisted of three handguns with representative ammunition and an Oehler Model 33P chronograph for measuring the velocity of each round fired, to ensure consistency in the evaluation of the test results.
Prepping the tools
Smith&Wesson Model 65
loaded with .38 Special 158 grain Hard Cast Semi-wadcutter bullets
muzzle velocity approx. 825 feet per second
M1911A1 .45 ACP
loaded with 230 grain Full Metal Jacket bullets
muzzle velocity approx. 850 feet per second
Smith&Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum
loaded with 240 grain Jacketed Soft Point bullets
muzzle velocity approx. 1,250 feet per second
Results
I proceeded with the testing, firing all three handguns before going to check the sword. At the shots for both the .38 Special and the .45 ACP there was no noticeable movement in the sword blade. From the impacts on the target I could tell that several shots were good center hits on the blade, indicated by jagged holes made on the wide edges of the target, far away from the point of aim. These were the results of bullets cut into two or more pieces by the Tenchi blade. The neat round holes in the center of the target were near misses or glancing blows on one side of the blade.
I only fired one shot from the .44 Magnum. I could see a clean center hit on the blade and large jagged holes on each side of the target, indicating a center hit cleanly splitting the bullet into two halves with a few secondary fragments. However, there was clear damage to the blade so I stopped to examine the results.
And these results were strange indeed. At least at first glance.
Results of the shooting, on both blade and target.
The .45 hits did barely any damage at all. But the .38 Special, firing lighter bullets as a slightly slower velocity caused considerable damage. However, this may not be such a surprise as the .38 bullets struck at the base of the kissaki where the blade is thinner. I think I should have started lower on the blade for the impacts. This would likely have shown far different results from the .38 Special impacts. However, this graphically demonstrates the difference in the strength of the kissaki vs. the thicker portions of the blade.
But the .44 Magnum shows the real story of damage and durability. Mass and velocity do bad things to steel. The impact removed a goodly chunk of the edge. Even though I was expecting to "test to destruction" I must admit to a large lump in my throat upon seeing this damage. Very sad...
Impacts noted and their resulting damage on the edge
However, I feel the results of this test are very enlightening. This blade absorbed a lot of punishment without shattering. Hits on the kissaki would have been expected to do considerable damage. You may notice that the further down the blade these bullets impacted, the less the damage was. The fact that only indentions and a bit of edge rolling occurred in this thin section of the blade indicates to me that this blade has the ability to withstand a LOT of abuse without breaking.
The impacts of the .45 ACP military FMJ hardly did any damage at all, as they struck at a part of the blade exected to handle heavy cutting chores. This is really ourstanding and gives me confidence in this blade material and design.
The shattering effects of the .44 Magnum clearly demonstrate what can happen when a sword blade is pushed far beyond it's intended impact point. Breakage can and will occur in any sword blade if it's abused enough. But if you notice the way the metal was removed from the edge, stopping when the thicker part of the blade was reached, you will see the built-in durability of the design. I did not go ahead and test this area until it broke, though I was sorely tempted. I just didn't have the heart or stomach to inflict any more damage on this lovely sword.
If the foregoing has caused any heartburn or nauscious feelings in the pit of your stomach...welcome to the club.