Can a Titanium Captain America Shield Stand Up to Shots From a .45?
There is all kinds of iconic superhero weaponry, but there's really only one iconic shield. In fiction, Captain America's trademark disc of patriotism is made out of the fictional and impossibly strong metal "vibranium" mined in the fictional country of Wakanda. Here in real life, we have to settle for alternatives. But how does titanium fare when it's put in vibranium's place?
Jerry Miculek took it upon himself to find out by crafting a titanium shield that is exactly to spec, aside from the metal its made out of. It's the right size and weighs eight pounds, just like the shield in the comics. And while that's sufficient-overkill, really-for some good cosplay, how does it hold up to bullets from a 1911 Colt .45? Well enough!
The shield doesn't exactly shrug off the projectiles, but it doesn't let them through either. Yes, it would look like a wreck after a firefight, but it would be in one piece. The experiment answers the question of whether a shield like this could stop bullets, sure, but it raises a few others as well. What would that do to your arm? How would it hold up against more/other guns? But most importantly, where would a real-life Cap take his shield for a touch-up between fights? Staying alive is paramount, but keeping your shield looking nice is almost as important.
