Could You Survive Three M16 Bullets to the Chest?

You wouldn't likely survive three .223 rounds (M16) to the chest or three from a 22 caliber rifle or a snub nose 38 revolver or a Glock or really just about any gun. Nor would you likely survive three well places knife wounds to the chest cavity.

With modern medicine and life saving equipment and procedures you are more likely now than ever to survive but three wounds to the chest cavity are likely life ending.

Many factors go into this equation, such as angle of impact, velocity on penetration if any body armor was worn and penetrated through, potential deflection through ribs, critical organs struck, exit wounds or rounds lodged within the body, time/distance to surgery, age of victim. The likelihood of survival for 3 direct GSWs to the chest is low in any scenario, however coincidence of unlikely factors has been known to keep many people alive who under most circumstances would have died.