Bullet Stopping Kevlar? II
Catagory: wood-shed
e|drumline vs. Kevlar
It was a day like any other in the edrumline.com lab. Boom-Boom, Jimmy, Mark, myself, the picture of Charlton Heston and our very own intern sat around imagining how nice it would be if someone would walk to the refrigerator, and return with delicious treats.
Boom-Boom, in one of his more ambitious moments screamed aloud, “I have an idea for our next feature!”
...the round traveled through the Remo kFlam head like a hot knife through warm butter.
Everyone glanced up to see the fat guy grab his Vater Nightsticks, take ten paces back, and chuck it with all his might at the newly refinished Premier HTS284. The sticks careened off the shiny, new black Tendura head and planted themselves firmly into our wall.
“If that happens to a drumstick, just think what a bullet could do!” he continued.
I gave Jimmy a quizzical look and shrugged my shoulders.
“Come on guys, Kevlar is used in bullet proof vests – it’s used in our drum heads – put two and two together and you get five! It’s not hard to see that Kevlar heads are bullet proof, lets prove it!”
Everyone nodded as they pondered what Boom-Boom had to say. After all, the big guy had a point.
A few days later, we took a look in the Official e|drumline Chest-O-Contraband to pick out our supplies. Included in the take was an M1911 .45 pistol, a box of high velocity ammo, and ten Kevlar heads.
The entire drive to the shooting range consisted of Boom-Boom talking about wearing the drum heads like a suit of armor, with us egging him on. After an hour of his jabbering like a guardie, we pulled up to the gate. Jimmy and the intern took turns tossing drum heads at trees while Markus, a picture of Charlton Heston, and I prepped the gun and laid out the first target head.
Everything was set, we were ready to get to the truth. Were the ancient drumline stories of Kevlar drum heads saving lives truth or fiction?
Round I: Bullet vs. Remo kFalam II
Markus took the first shot. BANG... BANG, BANG, BANG. The rounds traveled through the Remo kFlam head like a hot knife through warm butter.
Round II: Bullet vs. Premier Tendura
It was my turn, BANG… BANG, BANG, BANG. Once again, the bullet traveled through the head. It was as if the bullet never heard the old drumline stories.
After some discussion, it was decided that we should take all the surviving drum heads, go home, and forget the whole thing.
“Those who give up and walk away, get to keep their drumheads for another day!” I remarked.
My comment provioked a rather sad look on Boom-Boom’s face. It was remenicent of a sad little puppy.
Boom-Boom picked up the Charlton Heston picture book and said, “I really wanted to make a suit of armor. Now I’ll never get my chance. You know, Charlton Heston wouldn’t just give up.”
Not willing to see the grown man cry, and certainly not wanting to let down our hero Charlton Heston, we asked Boom-Boom what had to happen to make him happy.
Boom-Boom’s reply, “Lets duct tape like five, no ten of these kevlar drum heads together and try shooting at them!”
I looked down at my nice new 14” Remo kFlam, and then thought about Boom-Boom’s feelings, or rather about having to listen to him whine during the car ride home. I tossed him my heads, all te while feeling sad to see them go.
Boom-Boom got all excited, ran to the center of the field, and put the snare drum heads in place.
Round III: Bullet vs. Ten Kevlar Heads
All ten Kevlar heads were lashed together… BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG.
Five rounds were fired and four made it through the gauntlet. The fifth was stopped! Now hold on thee drumliner, don’t get too excited just yet. The bullet wasn’t stopped by the Kevlar. The bullet came to a stop after traveling through the first two metal hoops. It became lodged in the metal of drum head number three – a 14” Premier Tendura.
For wasting my precious skins, I knocked Boom-Boom upside the head with the handle of the gun. “Hey Dim wit, why don’t you make your bullet proof suit now? We could test it out tonight!” After regaining control of my `lost head` anger, I proceeded to pack for the ride home, albeit a few skins short.
The Conclusion
In conclusion, Kevlar heads are not bullet proof vests, regardless of the many stories we were told at band camp. Sure, these drum heads may take a stick with ease, but bullets go much – much faster.
Remember Kids – Guns don’t kill people, bullets do. Guns just get those bullets going really fast.