The “80 Joule criterion” reconsidered today

•The 80 Joule criterion was analyzed in Rohne's textbook.•Follow-on literature to this topic was reviewed.•Firing of the M/88 bullet was performed successfully in the 80 Joule status.•A validation of the 80 Joule criterion was not possible.•A recommendation is given to withdraw the criterion entirely today.

The 80 Joule or 58 ft-lb injury criterion first mentioned by Rohne was read in his textbook and analyzed in detail. Additional review of early literature to this topic was performed. Neither Rohne nor ballisticians ten years later gave an indication how the 8 mkg value validates immobilization and how immobilization was defined. The penetration performance of the bullet M/88 was successfully demonstrated in the 80 Joule status when fired in the 100 m/s domain from the Gewehr 88. The bullets were fired into ballistic soap under laboratory firing conditions of today. The evaluation of measured velocities, depth of penetration and the recording with high speed camera and CT scan was performed. An acceptable correlation was found between the kinetic energy deposited and the penetration depth. The soap penetration in the 80 Joule status is surprisingly high and substantiates Rohne's allegation of a human's immobilization from the battlefield. A validation of the criterion was not possible and it is recommended not to use an energy limit value to define any sort of incapacitation.