Medieval Projectiles vs Modern Armor (How Lethal Was The Medieval Handgonne ???)
This video tests the effectiveness of a medieval handgonne and its projectiles against modern body armor. The handgonne, a crude firearm from the 1400s-1500s, fired wooden bolts with iron tips. Tests included shooting ballistics gel and both soft (Level 3A) and hard (Level 4 ceramic) body armor. The medieval projectiles proved surprisingly effective against soft armor, penetrating both sides, while the lead ball did not penetrate. Against hard armor, the projectiles caused surface damage but did not penetrate.











