Quote:
As posted by Bob A
Perhaps opinions can be developed regarding this barong, purportedly dating from the Phillippine revolt around 1900. The bullet hole appears to be .38 caliber. It was noted at the time that this round did not have adequate stopping power; the wounded would continue to advance. This prompted the move to .45 caliber handguns by the US Army.
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Looking closely at the bullet hole in the blade and scabbard and the way the damage is done I do not believe that this was caused by any pistol round of that era. Even if it was done at point blank range the rounds used for handguns at that time did not have the velocity needed to punch a hole through both scabbard and blade so precisely. It is too clean, round and shows very little spread from impact. It is MHO that this damage was most likely caused by a 30 cal. FMJ with a steel core round fired from a rifle.
Best,
Robert