markfh11q wrote:I was really referring more to the rate of fire and accuracy, (a .38" Special revolver is one of the most accurate pistols there is out to 40 meters!).
You are right about energy. A 130 grain, (8.4 grams), .38 round moving at 810 fps, (246.9 m/s), is about 256 Joules of energy. A 20mm steel bearing, (I calculated it to be around 33.6 grams if it is 316 stainless steel), going around 200 m/s, is around 672 Joules.
It's not quite as fast as 200 m/s - it's closer to 150, but that's still a good 50% more energy than the .38 special.
And if the the Taylor stopping power equation is anything to go by, then the high weight and bore size make it pretty nasty (about 24 at a quick estimate).
Of course, a spudgun wouldn't stand up to a .38 special at range, or for rate of fire, but for each single hit, I'd bet the spudgun would do more.
Maybe sometime I'll experiment with water boxes and stuff to see what might really happen...
Disclaimer: I do not promote shooting people with spudguns - or anything dangerous for that matter.