INTRODUCTION TO AMMUNITION

BALLISTIC ANALYSIS NOTE #1

BASIC GUN TYPES

•HANDGUNS• RIFLES

• SHOTGUNS•OTHER TYPES

AMMUNITION DESIGN

HANDGUNS AND RIFLES HAVE SIMILAR AMMUNITION DESIGN

SHOTGUNS HAVE SIMILAR DESIGN BUT SEVERAL VARIATIONS

BULLET DESIGN• BULLET: • THE PROJECTILE(S) WHICH ACTUALLY EXITS THE BARREL OF THE GUN WHEN FIRED• THREE MAIN SHAPES: •ROUND NOSE•HOLLOW POINT•WAD CUTTER

THREE MAIN SHAPES OF BULLETS

THREE BASIC COMPOSITIONS OF BULLETS

LEAD HALF-JACKETED JACKETED COATED WITH COPPER FULL

METAL JACKET ON THE BOTTOM

WHAT HAPPENS TO BULLETS WHEN THEYARE FIRED?

Lead bulletGun powderPrimerCartridge case

PULL THE TRIGGER AND . . .

1.A PIN OR HAMMER STRIKES THE PRIMER. THIS CAUSES A SPARK.

2.THE POWDER IS THEN IGNITED CAUSING AN EXPLOSION.

3.THIS EXPLOSION STARTS THE BULLET DOWN THE BARREL OF THE GUN

DOWN THE BARREL

4. AS A BULLET TRAVELS DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN. IT IS TWISTED BY THE LANDS AND GROOVES OF THE BARREL.

OUT OF THE BARREL

5. THIS RIFLING CAUSES THE BULLET TO EXIT THE END OF THE BARREL IN A SPIRAL MOTION.

HIT A TARGET 6. WHEN THEY HIT A TARGET:• MOST BULLETS TEND TO

MUSHROOM• SOME BULLETS NEARLY

DISINTEGRATE.

LEFT ARE BULLET FRAGMENTS FROM A ½ JACKETED HOLLOW POINT.

• NOT ALL BULLETS MUSHROOM THE SAME.

• IT DEPENDS ON THE SPEED AND SHAPE OF THE BULLET, AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TARGET.

• THE STRIATIONS FROM THE RIFLING ARE STILL VISIBLE ON THE RIGHT