Module 3 – The Ammunition
THE AMMUNITION
THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF CARTRIDGE AND AMMUNITION
The first forms of ammunition consisted of loose powder, carried in a flask or horn, and various projectiles which were loaded into the barrel from the muzzle end. These early projectiles were often irregularly shaped stone balls or arrowlike objects.
By the fifteenth century, ammunition had become fairly standardized and consisted of ‘black powder’ propellant (a mixture of charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate), followed by some wadding, a spherical lead ball, and further wadding to retain it all in place. Materials other than lead had been used for the projectile, and it was recognized from an early period that the lighter the material, the higher the velocity.
However, due to its ballistics properties and the ease of casting it into spheres or bullet-shaped projectiles, the lead remained the preferred material. Elongated bullets with hollow bases (to move their center of gravity towards the nose of the bullet) and pointed noses had been experimented with for some time, but they did not receive any real favor until the mid-1800s.
During the later part of the sixteenth century, as a result of the need for rapid reloading, pre-measured powder charges were introduced. These were contained in small paper bags which were torn open and the contents poured down the barrel. The paper bag followed this as did the wadding. The bullet, which was carried separately, was hammered into place last of all.
A Cartridge is a self-contained casing that is composed of a bullet, propellant, and primer. Cartridges are the most common form of ammunition for most firearms today. Before the invention of cartridges, gunpowder was loaded directly into the chamber of the gun, followed by a wad and a bullet.
The guns were usually charged through the muzzle end of the barrel. The charge was ignited using a percussion cap that was struck by an external hammer. Towards the end of the 1600s, the bullet was tied into the top of the powder bag resulting in the first ‘self-contained’ cartridge (see the drawing preceding the above illustration). These early ‘self-contained’ cartridges still required an external priming method to provide a flash to ignite the main propellant charge (an improvement occurs in a more convenient container that is better than paper and can stand against weather inclement as illustrated above). It was not until the introduction of the breech-loader, where the ammunition was loaded from the rear of the barrel, that true self-contained ammunition appeared. For more orientation regarding this topic, try to watch the video below: (1. about muzzleloading of a modern rifle.
(Another 2 short video is all about the making of paper-cartridge for modern revolver and how it is loaded in the firearm)
These guns are called muzzleloaders and are still are available today. Now with today’s modern conveniences, most of the guns built and sold are guns that fire modern cartridges. The cartridge itself is usually made of brass. When combustion of the propellant takes place, the casing directs the energy of the expanding gases to the bullet. Before the design of the modern cartridges, reloading a rifle took much longer and did not give as high of reliability and consistency.
FROM MATCHLOCK TO WHEEL LOCK THEN FLINTLOCK: All of this though in some years still work change the event in the history of the firearms and ammunition when “PERCUSSION CAP was introduced: see how all this LOCK SYSTEM of firearms works:
1. Matchlock
2. Wheel Lock
3. Flint Lock
See and read the important event in the history of firearms and ammunition in this LINK.
Flintlocks lasted a remarkably long time, but they were eventually replaced by a lock and ignition system called the percussion cap. The percussion cap was easier to load, more weather-resistant, and more reliable, so by the time of America’s civil war, both Union and Confederate armies used percussion-cap guns exclusively.
The percussion cap was made possible by the discovery of a chemical compound called mercuric fulminate or fulminate of mercury. Its chemical formula is Hg(ONC)2 — it is made from mercury, nitric acid, and alcohol.
It was not until the introduction of the breech-loader, where the ammunition was loaded from the rear of the barrel, that true self-contained ammunition appeared. Early attempts at including the priming charge within the cartridge include the volcanic, lip, cup, teat, annular rim, needle, pinfire, and rimfire systems. Most of these had a very short life span and, with the exception of the rimfire, only the pinfire attained any degree of popularity (See illustration below).
The pinfire was at its most popular between 1890 and 1910 and was still readily available on the continent until 1940. It had, however, fallen out of favor in the United Kingdom by 1914 and was virtually unobtainable by 1935.
THE MODERN CARTRIDGE
Ammunition includes a variety of devices used to deliver an explosive, chemical, or pyrotechnic charge to a target. Military ammunition includes aerial bombs, mines, torpedoes, missiles, and a broad spectrum of explosive and non-explosive projectiles. Common usage limits the term to devices designed to be ejected from a firearm, cannon, or mortar.
Under this module is a discussion of the basic elements of the ammunition, the container, the primer (detonator), the propellant, and the projectile.
The Republic Act 10591 and Ammunition
The Philippine law defined “AMMUNITION” refers to a complete unfired unit consisting of a bullet, gunpowder, cartridge case, and primer or loaded shell for use in any firearm.
In our discussion in the first part of this module is the historical account of the development of ammunition which is not solely confined to it because during those times most of the guns are muzzleloaders. At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of firearms and ammunition was so progressive that entails problems for those who are not prepared for the war. When war passed out, most of the guns are used for banditry and crimes and the development of FORENSIC BALLISTICS came in.
Basic Terminology in this Module:
A round of ammunition. Generally refers to a single, live, unfired, cartridge comprising the missile, cartridge case, propellant, and some form of primer. The term is also applied to live blank and tear-gas ammunition.
The primer is basically the means for igniting the propellant.
[1] In rimfire ammunition, the explosive priming compound is spun into the hollow rim of the cartridge case.
[2] In centerfire ammunition, there is a small cup, called a primer cap, containing the priming compound. This priming cap is inserted into a recess in the center of the cartridge case.
[3] In percussion weapons, there is a small cup, very similar to the primer cap, which contains the priming compound and fits onto a hollow nipple screwed into the breech end of the barrel. (watch again the video for rifle muzzleloader)
In all of the above, once the primer has been struck by the hammer, the priming compound explodes with great violence, sending a flame into the propellant thus igniting it.
The propellant is a chemical or mixture of chemicals which, when ignited, produces a very large quantity of gas. This gas, when confined within a barrel and behind a missile, provides the propulsion to drive the missile down the bore and out of the barrel. (see how it works below)
A cartridge case refers to the ammunition case and primer and does not include the bullet. It can be either a ‘fired cartridge case’ or a ‘live cartridge case’. A live cartridge case has a live, unfired, primer, but there is no propellant or bullet present. (Brian J Herd, Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics, Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence, 2nd Edition, 2008, John Wiley and Sons Ltd)
A bullet refers to the missile alone. It can be either a ‘fired bullet’ or an ‘unfired bullet’.
Pellets can be either the individual lead or steel balls found in shotgun ammunition, or the lead pellets for use in air weapons. ‘Lead slug’ is also sometimes used to describe air gun pellets, but this is not the correct term for this type of missile.
The shot is another term for the lead or steel balls in shotgun ammunition, that is, ‘lead shot’. This is an acceptable alternative to ‘pellet’.
CARTRIDGES ACCORDING TO TYPES OF FIREARMS
(1) Revolver Cartridges
(2)Pistol Cartridges
(3) Rifle and Hunting Cartridges
(4) Shot Cartridges
(5) Caseless Cartridges
FUNCTIONS OF CARTRIDGES
During the period where cartridges are not yet invented, firing a gun is not only dangerous but inconvenient. During the 14th century war, the prominence of using paper cartridges was already recorded and the first army to use it was the Poland Army under Stephen Bathory.
1808, Paris, France, a collaboration of Jean Samuel Pauly, a Swiss gunsmith, and Francois Prelat, a French gunsmith, created the first fully self-contained cartridges, with igniter (primer), powder, and projectile all in a single unit. The cartridges came in either brass or paper (cardboard) cases. The action was a needle gun, a sharp needle pierced the soft copper base of the cartridge, setting off a mercury fulminate igniter.
THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM CARTRIDGE: 1570s, cartage, "case of cardboard, tin, etc., holding a charge of gunpowder" (also with the bullet or shot in firearms), corruption of French cartouche "a full charge for a pistol," originally wrapped in paper (16c.), from Italian cartoccio "roll of paper," an augmentative form of Medieval Latin carta "paper" (see card (n.1)). The notion is of a roll of paper containing a charge for a firearm. The modern form of the English word is recorded from 1620s. Extended broadly 20c. to other small containers and their contents. Cartridge-belt is by 1832.
The invention of the percussion cap (1834) probably revolutionized the development of metallic cartridges, so that in 1847 a Paris gunsmith, Benjamin Houllier, patented the first cartridge (Patent No. 1963), capable of being fired by the blow of the gun’s hammer. In some books, it states that pin-fire cartridges were invented by Lefaucheux Brothers in 1835, and rim-fire by Nicholas Flobert in 1845. In one type, a pin was driven into the cartridge by the hammer action; in the other, a primer charge of fulminate of mercury was exploded in the cartridge rim. Later improvements changed the point of impact from the rim to the center of the cartridge. Many developments follow and now modern cartridges are used with ease and convenience. Cartridges serve important functions in the use of firearms, they are the following:
[1] It serves as a means whereby the other components like gunpowder, bullet or primer, are assembled into one unit known” as cartridge or ammunition;
[2] It serves as a waterproof container for the gunpowder;
[3] It prevents escape or evaporation of gases to the rear as the sidewalls of the cartridge case are forced against the walls of the chamber by pressure; and
[4] It serves as a gas seal at the breech of the barrel.
PART OF THE CARTRIDGE
[1] Rim – the projecting rims of rimmed and semi-rimmed cases serve the purpose of limiting the forward travel of cartridges into their chambers and thus also limit the clearance, if any, between the heads and supporting against the chamber or cylinder.
[2] Primer Pocket – primer pocket performs the following functions:
(a) holding primers securely in a central position
(b) providing a means to prevent the escape of gas to the rear of the cartridge; and
(c) providing solid support for primer anvils, without which the latter could not fire.
[3] The Vent or Flash Holes – this is the hole in the web or bottom of the primer pocket in which the primer “flash” makes the gunpowder ignites. It is the canal that connects the priming mixture with the gunpowder.
[4] The Head and Body – it holds all components and constitutes the cork that plugs the breech of the barrel against the escape of gas.
[5] Neck – the part of the cartridge case that is occupied by the bullet. In the case of the bottleneck, the neck is apparent. But in the case of “straight” cases that involve only a slight taper, it is not.
[6] Cannelures – the serrated grooves that are sometimes found rolled into the necks and bodies of the cases at the location of the bases of the bullet to prevent the bullet from being pushed back or loosened.
[7] Crimp – the part of the mouth of a case that is turned in upon a bullet. Its functions are:
(a) aids in holding the bullet in place; and
(b) it offers resistance to the movement of the bullet out of the neck which affects the burning of the gunpowder.
[8] Base – The bottom portion of the case that holds the:
(a) the primer that contains the priming mixture;
(b) the shell head that contains the headstamp, caliber, and year of manufacture
[9] Shoulder – a portion that supports the neck.
[10] Extracting Groove – the circular groove near the base of the case or shell designed for the automatic withdrawal of the case after each firing.
THE PRIMER
THE PRIMER is the chemical compound or (priming mixture) contained in the primer cup. This mixture is highly susceptible to friction.
TYPES OF PRIMER
THE BERDAN PRIMER
The Berdan primer was designed in 1866 by Colonel Berdan of the US Army Ordnance Department. In this system, the anvil is actually part of the cartridge case in the form of a small peg in the primer pocket. Around the anvil are a number of small flash holes to permit the passage of the ignition flame from the primer to the propellant. Due to the ease and low cost of manufacture, Berdan primers are used mainly in military ammunition.
Look at the difference between a Berdan and a Boxer primer:
THE BOXER PRIMER
The Boxer primer was developed in 1866 by Colonel Boxer of the Laboratory at the Royal Woolwich Arsenal, England. In this type of primer, the anvil is a small bent disc of steel that fits into the cup making the primer completely self-contained. The flash hole in the cartridge case is centrally located and as it is of relatively large diameter (approximately 1.5mm in pistol ammunition), it is thus quite easy to push out the fired cup with a thin rod for reloading purposes.
THE BATTERY CUP
The battery cup system consists of a plain cup with no anvil, which fits into a slightly larger inverted flanged cup containing its own anvil. The flanged cup provides rigid support for the primer cup and anvil. This self-contained assembly fits into a recessed pocket in the base of the cartridge case. Battery cup primers are used exclusively in shotgun ammunition.
TYPES OF CARTRIDGES
THE RIMFIRE CARTRIDGE
In rimfire ammunition, the firing pin crushes the soft hollow rim of the cartridge against the rear of the barrel to explode the priming compound.
This is the most simple form of modern cartridges. This is devised from the fact that this type of cartridges can be fired only if the cartridges case is struck by the hammer or firing pin on the rim of the case. In this type of cartridges, the [priming mixture] is contained or located in a cavity inside and around the rim of the cartridge which is a very sensitive area.
Rimfire cartridge may be identified by a smooth base of the cartridge case, which may or may not have a headstamp imprinted on it. These headstamps are merely letters or designs placed on the cases by the manufacturer to identify his products, This rimfire cartridge is found in caliber .22s.
THE CENTERFIRE CARTRIDGE
In centerfire cartridges, the priming compound is held in a cup at the base of the cartridge case. In modern CENTERFIRE ammunition, there are basically three ways in which this is achieved. These are called the Boxer, Berdan, or battery cup priming system.
In this ammunition, the firing pin blow on the cartridge, which is at the center of the primer, which then crushes the priming mixture between the primer cup and the anvil of the primer. In effect, the flame passes through the vent or flash hole and this ignites the powder charges. The firing pin must strike the center area of the primer because a blow to one side or another will- not sometimes crush the priming mixture between the anvil and the cups.
THE PINFIRE CARTRIDGES
Casimir Lefaucheux developed the first pinfire cartridge in the 1830s, and they enjoyed a brief period of popularity among civilian shooters in the mid-19th century, particularly in France. The pinfire cartridge attracted little interest from military buyers, who found the idea of ammunition that was “always primed” inherently dangerous (a problem that also dogged needle guns) and hesitate at the idea of equipping soldiers with rounds that stood a good chance of discharging while being carried.
Pinfire cartridges are an unusual, obsolete type of early unitary metallic firearm cartridge. Their principal feature was that a firing pin was integrated into each cartridge rather than being part of the gun.
TYPES OF AMMUNITION
Rimfire ammunition consists of a short brass tube, generally 0.22in. in diameter, closed at one end. The tube contains a charge of propellant and has a bullet at the open end. The closed end of the tube is formed into a flat head with a hollow rim that contains the priming compound. The round is fired when the firing pin strikes the rim, crushing and thus exploding the priming compound.
Centerfire ammunition is also generally made from brass, but the head is thick and heavy with a central recess or pocket for the primer cap. A hole leading from the primer pocket into the cartridge allows the flash from the priming compound to reach the propellant thus igniting it.
Caseless ammunition consists of a bullet with the propellant formed around the bullet as a single solid piece, and there is no cartridge case. The primer is generally located at the rear of the propellant and is not enclosed in any metallic cup. This type of ammunition has not found any real favor due to problems with making the propellant strong enough to withstand rough treatment.
Blank ammunition is exactly the same as bulleted ammunition except for the omission of the missile. In blank ammunition, the case mouth is sealed by either crimping the metal or inserting a wax plug or paper disc. The wax or paper is usually colored white or sometimes black. These cartridges are only used for military training, starting races, or theatrical purposes, and are only intended to produce a sharp crack on firing. Blank ammunition is available in all calibers.
Tear-gas cartridges are the same as blank ammunition except they contain a small quantity of a lachrymatory/sternutatory substance which is either chloracetophenone (CN) gas or o-chlorobenzalmalonitrile (CS) gas. In tear-gas ammunition, the case mouth is never crimped but is closed either with a card disc, wax plug, or plastic cover which is invariably red or yellow in color.
Power tools, nail driving, or stud gun cartridges are very similar to blank and tear-gas ammunition, and it is quite easy to mistake one for the other. In general, they are 0.22, 0.25, 0.32 or occasionally 0.38″ calibre. The mouth of the cartridge case is either rolled over onto a card disc or crimped. A color-coding system, either colored lacquer over the crimp or a colored disc, is used to designate the strength of the cartridge. Care should be taken not to confuse a power tool cartridge using a red-colored card disc with a tear-gas cartridge.
Grenade launcher cartridges are only encountered in military rifle calibers and, as the name indicates, are designed for the discharge of a grenade from a normal service rifle. The case mouth is invariably crimped, and some color code, for example, the case painted black, distinguishes this type of cartridge from standard blank ammunition.
Dummy cartridges have neither primer nor powder and are only used for weapon functioning tests or for practicing the safe loading and unloading of weapons. These cartridges are normally chromium-plated or painted a silver color.
Snap caps are for the practice of firing a weapon without damaging the firing pin and lock mechanism by firing it without a cartridge case in place. This is generally called ‘dry firing’. Snap caps usually have a piece of rubber or hard plastic in place of the primer, and the case is chromium- or nickel-plated for identification purposes. Although snap caps are available in all calibers, the most commonly encountered are in shotgun calibers.
THE SHOTGUN AND RIFLE CARTRIDGES AND AMMUNITION
THE SHOTGUN CARTRIDGE AND AMMUNITION
A shotgun cartridge is a single ammunition for the shotgun. It consists of a tabular case, either in paper or metal, with a metallic base, containing the primer, propellant or powder, wads and shot or pellets.
It is in general larger than those used in pistols, revolvers, and rifles; it is to function from smoothbores capable of withstanding far less pressure, it is necessary for shotgun shells to have fast burning powder that will not be too high on initial pressure.
In SHOTGUN the entire round is larger and wider to accommodate a larger primer, more powder, a wad, and shot. A shot, which can come in a number of different sizes, takes the place of a bullet. This produces multiple small projectiles instead of a single bullet. In order to achieve good exit velocity, a wad is used to provide a uniform pressure on the shot when the gun powder explodes. A much larger primer is used to burn the larger amount of powder quickly. Although the base of most shotgun rounds is brass, the main body is usually plastic.
A shotgun shell can sometimes also contain only a single large solid projectile known as a slug, fired usually through a rifled slug barrel (see above illustration). The shell casing usually consists of a paper or plastic tube (although in some cases and in the case of the smaller gauge are also in brass/copper tube) mounted on a brass base holding a primer, and the shots are typically contained by a wadding/sabot inside the case.
THE RIFLE CARTRIDGES AND AMMUNITION
Rifle bullets have a variety of characteristics, ranging from relatively low kinetic energy density (KED ) types, such as the Kalashnikov AK47, to more penetrative types such as 5.56mm projectiles of the M16 and SA80 assault rifles.
The design of rifle rounds is extremely similar to that of handguns. The most obvious difference is the amount of gun powder in the casing as compared to the size of the bullet. Many rifles fire the same bullets as handguns. Rifles however are designed to fire bullets farther distances with greater accuracy. This requires more muzzle velocity which is accomplished by an increase in gun powder and a longer barrel.
Bolt actions and semi-automatic rifles work much as semiautomatic handguns do. Lever action rifles work similarly to revolvers. These similarities are reflected in the lips of the shell design. Another most prominent difference is the “BULLET DESIGN” which is elongated, pointed, and longer than ordinary handguns.
Bullet design for a rifle is aimed at penetrating or destroying the target of any kind using its small arms missiles or projectiles. Such small arm missiles or projectiles are the following:
[1] Ball Bullet – this kind of bullet has soft cores and is used against personnel only.
[2] Armor Piercing Bullet – a kind of bullet that has a hardened steel core and is fired against vehicles, weapons, and armored targets in general.
[3] Tracer Bullet – contains a compound, usually similar to barium nitrate, which is set on fire when the bullet is projected. The flash smoke from the burning permits the flight of the bullet to be seen.
[4] Incendiary Bullet – contains a high charge of explosives. Because of its small size, it is difficult to make a fuse that works reliably in small arms ammunition. For this reason, the use of high explosives bullets is usually limited to 20mm and above.
TYPES OF CARTRIDGE CASES
Cartridge cases generally come in one of three shapes (or combination):
(1) Straight cased where the case diameter is approximately the same along its length.
(2) Bottle-necked where a wide-bodied case is, just before the case mouth, reduced in diameter to that of the bullet. This permits a very much larger volume of propellant to be used, and consequently higher velocities to be obtained than in straight-sided cases.
(3) Tapered case where a wide-based cartridge case is gradually reduced in diameter along its length. These tend to be in old European sporting rifle calibers and are seldom encountered.
The cartridge case can be subdivided further into five categories according to the configuration of its base:
(1) Rimmed. These have a flange at the base which is larger than the diameter of the body of the cartridge case. This flange is to enable the cartridge to be extracted from the weapon in which it is used. When describing rifle ammunition and the metric method of designating the ammunition is used, these are often identified by an ‘R’ after the case length measurement, that is, 7 × 57mmR. The vast majority of revolvers are designed for use with rimmed ammunition.
(2) Semi-rimmed. These have a flange that is slightly larger than the diameter of the cartridge case and a groove around the case body just in front of the flange. When describing rifle ammunition and the metric system is used, these are identified by ‘SR’ in the cartridge designation.
(3) Rimless. In these, the flange diameter is the same as the case body and there is, for extraction purposes, a groove around the case body just in front of the flange. There is generally no letter system to designate this cartridge base type. Self-loading pistols are almost invariably designed for use with semi-rimmed or rimless ammunition.
(4) Rebated. This has an extractor flange that is less than the diameter of the cartridge case. The designation used in the metric system is ‘RB’. This type of cartridge case configuration tends to be reserved for high-powered cannon ammunition.
(5) Belted case. These have a pronounced raised belt encircling the base of the cartridge. This belt is for additional strength in high-pressure cartridges. The metric designation is ‘B’. This type of cartridge case is generally only found in very high-powered rifle cartridges or military cannon ammunition.
BULLET
The bullet is a metallic or nonmetallic, cylindrical projectile propelled from a firearm by means of the expansive force of gases coming from burning gunpowder. The bullet is a part of an ammunition cartridge, the object that contains the bullet and that is inserted into the firearms cylinder, magazine, or chamber. Under this definition, the term may also include projectiles propelled from shotguns, although strictly speaking these projectiles designed for shotguns are called “shot”, “slug” or “pellets”. From a layman’s point of view, a projectile fired from a firearm is called a “slug” although what he actually means is a BULLET.
“Bullet” is derived from the French word boulette which roughly means “little or small ball.” The original musket bullet was a spherical lead ball wrapped in a loosely-fitted paper patch that served to hold the bullet in the barrel firmly upon the powder. The muzzle-loading rifle needed a closely fitting ball to take its barrel’s rifling grooves. This made loading difficult, particularly when the bore of the barrel was dirty from previous firings.
In law enforcement terms, a BULLET may be called SLUG which has the same meaning. The projectile of most small-arms ammunition primarily means a projectile from the rifled arm that is a cylindrical or cylindro-conoidal in shape as opposed to a round projectile which is more known as either a ball or shot. Click here to read more about bullet and ammunitions analysis.
Originally, a bullet was a simple lead sphere that worked well with the smooth-bored muzzle loading early firearms. The sphere, however, has a very poor ballistic shape, and it rapidly loses velocity. With the introduction of rifling came the ogival-shaped bullet (basically the profile of a pointed arch) which had a length in excess of twice its diameter.
This provided an easily stabilized bullet with excellent accuracy and a good shape for penetrating the air.
Modern ammunition comes with a bewildering variety of bullet profiles, materials, and construction to cater to every conceivable circumstance. To attempt to cover all the available varieties is beyond the scope of this module, probably when you attempt to step towards specialization you would be able to discover them. The following though limited, will, however, covers the basic types of the bullet which may be encountered in investigating crimes.
BULLET ACCORDING TO MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION
In this module we cover two types of bullet only according to mechanical construction:
The Unjacketed Bullet (Lead Bullet)
The lead will be alloyed with varying quantities of antimony to give it hardness and tin (if it is a cast bullet) to assist in the moulding process. Plain lead bullets can be manufactured either by casting from molten metal or swaged from a lead wire. In swaging, the lead wire is cut into the appropriate length then cold forged with hydraulic pressure into a die with the correct dimensions and shape of the finished bullet. Nowadays, virtually all commercially manufactured lead bullets are swaged.
The Jacketed Bullet (Metal Jacket)
Jacketed bullets have a plain lead core covered with a thin layer of a much harder material (an illustration below). This can be a copper/zinc alloy (gilding metal), a copper/nickel alloy (cupronickel), or plain steel coated with either a copper wash or a thick coat of lacquer to prevent corrosion. Jacketed bullets are used for a variety of reasons, that is, to grip the rifling more in high-velocity bullets, to prevent bullet damage and feeding jams in weapons with a self-loading mechanism, and to prevent bullet break up in hunting ammunition when used on the heavy or thickskinned game.
NYCLAD is a variation on the jacketed bullet theme that is to coat plain lead bullets with a thick layer of black nylon.
LUBALOY or “Golden Bullet” is a wash of copper over the lead. This coating is intended to reduce the deposition of lead on the inside surface of the barrel. Lead deposition in the weapon’s bore effectively reduces the internal diameter, giving rise to an increase in the internal pressures and a loss of accuracy due to a drop in the efficiency of the
rifling.
TEFLON COATED BULLET is a metal piercing bullet. A bullet design that consisted of a steel core, with an outer jacket made of hardened brass. This hard layer did not engage the handgun’s rifling very well and the friction caused the barrels to wear out prematurely. To reduce the barrel wear, the inventors coated the outside of the bullets with Teflon, because Teflon is very slippery and is one of the best lubricating substances known to man.
BULLET SHAPES (NOSE/OGIVE) CONFIGURATION
Apart from the normal Round-nosed configuration, properly called ‘ogival’, the list of bullet shapes is almost endless and man continues to design more. However, our discussion here in this module will again about those bullets that are already in the market and is commonly encountered again by the investigator in the investigation of crimes. Some of the more common shapes include:
Wadcutter – flat-nosed bullet with a sharp shoulder. Generally used by the target shooters and designed to produce a clear-cut punched-out hole in the paper target.
Spitzer – a German term applied to an elongated ogival bullet with a sharp point.
Soft point or semi-jacketed – a jacketed bullet with the jacket cut back at the nose to reveal the lead core.
Hollowpoint – generally in a semi-jacketed bullet, the nose of which has a cavity. This is designed to expand on impact with soft targets, thus increasing the wounding effect of the bullet (below are all hollowpoint, except Blazer which is a round nose).
Dum-dum – a 0.303″ rifle bullet design developed in the Indian arsenal of Dum-dum in 1894. This initially consisted of a standard 0.303″ rifle bullet which had the front of the metal jacket trimmed back to expose the lead core. It was designed to expand rapidly on impact causing a massive wound and was first used against the ‘savage tribesmen’ at the battle of Omdurman in 1898. Whilst it was very effective, it did have one major drawback. As the modified bullet was a standard 0.303″ bullet with the lead core exposed at the base, there was a tendency for the lead core to be blown out of the jacket, making it all but impossible to load the next round.
Rifled slug – generally plain lead (but can also be steel and lead or plain steel) projectile for use in smooth-bored shotguns. To impart spin, and therefore stability, to the projectile, wing-like helical ribs are formed on the outside surface. These fins, however, have been found to impart little or no spin to the projectile. It is generally intended for use against the large soft-skinned game, such as deer, but is also used by police and security forces against cars and taking the locks from doors.
Saboted bullet – a sub-caliber (i.e. smaller than the bore of the weapon) bullet surrounded by a lightweight sheath, generally of plastic, which is discarded as soon as the missile leaves the barrel. By using a smaller, much lighter bullet in a larger barrel, exceedingly high velocities can be obtained. Whilst most calibers have been manufactured, only the larger rifle calibers have ever become popular, and these are generally referred to by the trade name ‘Accelerator’. Solid steel saboted missiles are available in 12-bore shotgun caliber
for penetrating cars, but this type of ammunition is generally restricted to police and security forces.
Flechette – a thin nail-like missile, stabilized by fins. Originally designed as extremely high velocity, single projectile saboted loadings for rifles developed by the US military in the 1950s, they proved to be rather inaccurate and unreliable. Multiple missile loadings in 12-bore shotgun cartridges proved to be much more satisfactory, and this version is in general use with the US Army as the 12-bore Close Assault Weapon.
There are other types of bullets that were not listed here, but you can find them on some websites and blogs posting about forensic ballistics and firearms identification. For purposes of keeping you aware of some unusual ammunition and bullet, here are some of their illustration and names:
Shot Shells for Small Ammunition
Glaser Safety Slug Ammunition
Controlled Fracturing Subsonic Bullet
9mm RIP Ammunition
And many more….
BULLET BASE CONFIGURATION
While most small arms bullets have a base that is the same diameter as the body, long-range rifle bullets have the rear section of the bullet tapered. This is to reduce base drag and is referred to either as a boat-tailed bullet (US nomenclature) or a streamlined bullet (British nomenclature). These bullets are generally military, but can also be encountered in commercial ammunition. A heeled bullet is one in which the rear portion of the bullet, which fits into the cartridge case, is reduced so that the case diameter is the same as the driving surface of the bullet. While this type of bullet is now only encountered in 0.22″ rimfire ammunition, in the past, virtually all revolver ammunition was of this type. Our illustration below will further support our understanding of “bullet base construction”.
The shape of a bullet would tell the aerodynamic and terminal ballistics of the bullet. Most manufacturers always seem to be aware of the type and shape of bullets according to use. They are trying to find the right combination of materials and shapes to make the bullet perfect.
But because a man never stops to discover and introduce a new bullet, we surely state that the perfect bullet was not discovered yet. If you are a firearm enthusiast, you will notice that bullet manufacturers produce a variety of bullet shapes within one caliber. So generally, what are shown below are just the common characteristics of the bullets according to shape and styles:
THE GUNPOWDER
Gunpowder, explosive powder used in ballistics, specifically, black powder, an explosive mixture of about 75 percent potassium nitrate, 15 percent charcoal, and 10 percent sulfur. Gunpowder was the first explosive known. The formula for gunpowder appears in the writings of the 13th-century English monk ROGER BACON, but it seems to have been discovered by the Chinese, who had used it in firecrackers several hundred years before his time. Gunpowder was probably introduced into Europe from the Middle East. BERTHOLD SCHWARZ, a German monk of the early 14th century, may have been the first person to employ gunpowder for propelling a projectile.
Whatever the precise dates and identities of its first discoverers and users, it is certain that gunpowder was manufactured in England in 1334 and that powder-manufacturing plants existed in Germany in 1340. In the time of Elizabeth I, queen of England, the manufacture of gunpowder was conducted as a monopoly of the crown. Regulations relating to gunpowder in England date from about 1623. It was the only explosive known until the discovery of fulminating gold, a powerful explosive first used in 1628 in European wars.
CLASSIFICATIONS AND COMPOSITION OF PROPELLANTS
[1] Black powder – this is the oldest form of propellants, The standard ingredients of black powder are: potassium nitrate (60 – 78%), sulfur (10 – 18.5%), and charcoal (12 – 21%). Black powder relies for its explosives properties on 3 qualities which are typical of all explosives;
(a) When ignited, it will burn by itself without aid from the outside air, this burning is rapid.
(b) In burning, it gives off a large amount of gas; and
(c) A considerable amount of heat is also evolved.
Blackpowder is one of the most dangerous explosives to handle and store, because of its quality that it can easily ignite by heat, friction flame, or spark. It is subject to rapid deterioration on the absorption of moisture, but if keep dry it retains its explosive properties definitely.
(2) Smokeless powder – this powder does not give off a huge cloud of a white cloud of white smoke like black powder. This is commonly used in modern cartridges and is considered the most powerful propellant. Their main classes are:
a. single-base or nitrocellulose, and
b. double base or nitroglycerine
The term smokeless powder is a misnomer for they are neither powder nor smokeless. The powder is said to be smokeless only because this does not give off the huge cloud of white smoke like black powder. This is the most commonly used propellant for small arms ammunition. It is one of the best and most powerful propellants.
END OF MODULE 3!
Be ready for the QUIZ!