NOTES IN FORENSIC BALLISTICS MAPFILES

THE AMMUNITION 1. Rim: this is the part of the cartridge case serves to limit
the forward travel of cartridge into the chamber and the clearance
between the head are supporting
THE CARTRIDGE CASE
2. Primer Pocket: this part has three functions: to hold the
CONCEPT primer in central position, to prevent gas from escaping to the rear
of the cartridge, and to provide solid support of primer anvil.
Cartridge case for small arms ammunition is also called shell and
casing. Cartridge case can be defined as the tubular metallic or non- 3. Vent: Also called flash hole, this part provides a passage
metallic container that holds together the bullet, gunpowder and of heat and flame from the primer pocket towards the gunpowder
primer. It is the ammunition component that is automatically ejected chamber.
from autoloading firearms during the firing process. However, for
4. Body: This is the ‘cork’ that plugs the breech to prevent
non – auto loading firearms, the shell is manually extracted from the
gas from escaping at the rear of the gun barrel. For bottleneck
chamber. This remains at the scene of shooting incident unless
shaped cartridges, the cork includes the shoulder and the neck.
collected by the shooter or other persons involved in a crime. This is
the ballistic evidence that can help trace the particular firearm from 5. Neck: this is the part that is occupied by the bullet, which
which it was ejected. is true for rifle and machinegun cartridges

A. FUNCTIONS OF CARTRIDGE CASE 6. Cannelure: this is composed of serrated grooves found

at the interior surface of the neck which has a dual function: to serve
The cartridge case of center-fire ammunition has three important
as lubricant groove and to prevent the bullet from being pushed or
functions, which are as follows:
pulled.
1. To hold the bullet, gunpowder and primer thus assembling
7. Crimp: this acts as the lip since it is found at the
them as one unit;
periphery of the mouth of the cartridge case. It has also two
2. To serve as waterproof container for the gunpowder; and functions: to aid in holding the bullet in place and to resist the initial
forward motion of the bullet while the gunpowder undergoes
3. To act as ‘gas seal’ at the breech end of the barrel during combustion.
firing.
8. Shoulder: the part that supports the neck of the shell
The shell of a center-fire cartridge prevents the escape of gases which is true to rifle and machinegun cartridges.
towards the rear of the chamber. As the body of the shell is forced
against the walls of the chamber by the pressure of expanding gases, 9. Base: this is the bottom part of the case that contains the
the shell is suddenly pushed back towards the bolt. As the base of primer, rim (shell head), and headstamp.
the cartridge case comes in contact with the breech face, it received
10. Headstamp: the bottom surface of the shell that contains
unique marks in addition to the impression already put by the firing
engraved data such as the manufacturer’s ID, caliber and year of
pin, such marks are distinctive characteristics stamped by the
manufacture.
firearm on the shell.
11. Extracting groove: This is the circular groove near the
B. ANATOMY OF CARTRIDGE CASE
base of the shell designed for automatic withdrawal after each firing.
Standard cartridges of center-fire ammunitions have a shell that is
C. TYPES OF SHELLS ACCORDING TO SHAPE
usually made of brass – 70% copper and 30% zinc. Some other
special cartridges are coated with of plastic varnish, zinc, copper or 1. Straight case: This description of shell is true to pistol and
tungsten. Some are made of plastic and hard paper, such as the revolver ammunition. This is the casing of all rimmed-cartridges for
tubes for shotgun shell. revolvers and all center-fire pistol ammo that are now manufactured.

The parts of the cartridge case are as follows: 2. Bottleneck case: This description is always true to rifle
ammunition. This is the casing of most modern center-fire rifle

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ammos. This is the type of shell that provided the greatest power The primer of center-fire cartridges refers to a small metallic
capacity commensurate with over all case length. ignition cup at the center of the cartridge base. When the striker hits
the base of the cartridge, a distinctive mark is placed by the gun on
3. Tapered case: This is an obsolete type of case. It is very the primer. This mark is known as the firing pin impression which is
rare but presently being used in magnum jet cartridge of caliber .22 very useful to firearm examiners.
firearms.
Once the primer is hit by the firing pin, the priming mixture burns
D. TYPES OF SHELLS ACCORDING TO RIM sending flame or spark though the flash-hole. This hole, also called
vent, is the passage of heat and flame that ignites propellant loaded
This classification of shell is based on head-form or base design. The
in the gunpowder chamber.
5 basic base designs of cartridge cases are as follows:
The primer of center-fire cartridges for handguns, rifles and
1. Rimmed case: This type of shell is designed for cartridges
shotguns is shaped like a cup that is made up of three main parts;
of revolvers, shotguns and some single shot rifles. This the earliest
ignition chemicals, a cup and an anvil. In refilling cartridge cases, the
type of shell. The diameter of the cartridge base is wider than the
used primer is removed from the primer pocket and replaced with a
diameter of the body. It provided for easy extraction from the
whole new primer.
chamber, however, it is not suited for automatic feeding from box
magazine. Revolvers and shotgun ammos normally have rimmed The history of primers for ammo of modern small arms goes
shells which stops them from sliding through the breech upon loading back in 1807 when a Scottish Presbyterian Minister name Alexander
in the chamber. John Forsythe conceived the idea of using detonating chemicals to
ignite the gunpowder contained in the cartridge case. He simply
2. Rimless case: Shell of this type has a base with the same
applied the principle of percussion to improve firearms and
diameter as that of the body. This case design allows smooth feeding
ammunitions. The first successful priming mixture that he invented
from magazine to the chamber. The case length and shoulder allow
is composed of potassium chlorate, charcoal and sulfur in powder
proper head spacing. Since rimless case is the shell design of
form.
cartridges for semiautomatic pistols and auto loading rifles, it has
extracting groove to allow automatic extraction. The primer is designed in such manner that once the priming
mixture is compressed, it undergoes rapid combustion thus
3. Semi-rimmed case: this type of shell is designed to
producing flame or sparks to ignite the propellant loaded in the
combine the advantages of the rimmed and rimless casing. However,
cartridge case.
it never became popular. Examples of ammunition with this type of
cartridge case are the 6.5x50mm Japanese cartridge and the .220
caliber Swift cartridge, which are loaded in pistols and submachine
guns. A. PARTS OF THE PRIMER

4. Rebated case: This is a special type of shell developed to 1. Primer cup: This is the container of the priming mixture.
allow a firearm to fire a new cartridge with a bigger caliber using It is composed of brass and copper or any other gilding metal.
existing bolt of standard design but smaller caliber. In other words,
the rebated shell a body with a wider diameter compared to its rim. 2. Anvil: it is a thin but rigid metal strip where the priming
The .284 Winchester and .40 S&W are examples of this design. mixture is crushed once the firing pin strikes the primer cup.

5. Belted case: The belted case attempts to combine the 3. Primer pocket: It simply refers to the space at the center
smooth feeding characteristics of the rimless case with the bottom of the shell where the primer cup, priming mixture and anvil
consistent head spacing of the rimmed hell. Most common usage is occupy.
in the magnum rifles cases. The belted case was designed to provide
4. Disc: This is small piece of paper or disc of tin foil which
positive head spacing and allow magazine feeding.
is pressed over the priming mixture. Its dual purpose is to hold the
THE PRIMER priming mixture in place and to exclude moisture that might degrade
the quality of the priming mixture.
CONCEPT

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5. Priming mixture: this is the chemical component of the Edward Munier Boxer and was patented in June 29, 1869. Although
primer. the process of manufacturing it seems to be quite difficult, it became
more popular because of its adaptability in reloading cartridge cases.

B. THE PRIMING MIXTURE

THE GUNPOWDER
The primer is a volatile (highly sensitive) chemical in powdered form
contained in the primer cup. Once its volume is compressed, it CONCEPT
automatically undergoes rapid combustion.
Gunpowder is chemical substance of varied compositions,
sizes, shapes, and colors that function as propellant. Although it
burns rapidly upon ignition, it is classified as low-explosive mixture.
The priming mixture is usually made of lead styphnate, barium nitrate, There are two main types of gunpowder: the black powder and the
and antimony sulfide. Lead, barium and antimony elements are so-called smokeless powder. Almost all modern guns use smokeless
typical in primers of center-fire cartridges. powder.
There are 2 classes of modern priming mixture: Whatever type of gunpowder is used, the main function is the
same. Gunpowder serves as the sources of energy to propel a
1. Corrosive primer: this type is primarily composed of
projectile. Once it is burned in a confined place, it produces large
potassium chlorate. If this is ignited, it produces potassium chloride
volume of heated gases that expand thus generating energy capable
which draws out moisture from the air and this moisture speeds the
of pushing through the gun barrel and launched it to fly towards a
corrosion of metal. Its ingredients are:
target.
a. Potassium chlorate – 45% (initiator and fuel)

b. Antimony sulfide – 23% (fuel element)

A. THE BLACK POWDER
c. Mercury fulminate – 32% (initiator)
Most historians agree that it was the Chinese alchemists who
2. Non-corrosive primer: This is the improved class of first developed the black powder sometime in the 9th century during
priming mixture. It has barium nitrate instead of potassium chlorate. the Han Dynasty. The formula for black powder first appeared in the
writings of the 13th –century English monk Roger Bacon.

Gunpowder was probably introduced in Europe from the Middle

C. TYPES OF PRIMER East. Berthold Schwarz, a German monk of the early 14th century
whose real name is Constantin Anklitzen, may have been the first
According to number of vents, there are two types of primers: person to employ gunpowder for propelling a projectile.
Berdan and Boxer. The difference between these two lies in their
internal construction. The discovery appears to have been by accident by alchemists
seeking the elixir of immortality, and the first references to
The Berdan primer is the European type. It was invented by Hiram gunpowder appear as warnings in alchemy texts not to mix certain
Berdan and was patented in March 20, 1886. The anvil, which is materials together. By the 10th century, gunpowder began to be used
actually a part of the cartridge case, is sticking out from the center for military purpose in China in the form of rockets and explosive
of two or three flash holes. Special tool is required to remove the bombs fired from catapults.
primer. Thus, Berdan primed shells are not generally reloaded.
The first reference to cannon that used black powder dates
The Boxer primer is the American type which has a single vent. back in 1126 when oil bamboo tubes were used to launch missiles at
Its anvil is V-shaped separate little piece of brass, thus this is also the enemy. Eventually bamboo tubes were replaced by metal tubes.
called separate anvil type. The flash hole is located at the center of From China, the military use of gunpowder appears to have spread to
the primer cup. The Boxer type primer was developed by Colonel Japan and Europe. It was used by the Mongols against the Hungarians

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in 1241 and was mentioned by Roger Bacon in 1248. By the mid-14th In 1887, Alfred Nobel also developed smokeless gunpowder which
century, early cannons are mentioned extensively both in Europe and he called ‘ballistite’. Nobel’s gun powder is composed of 40%
China. nitroglycerine and 60% nitrocellulose, a powder easier to handle and
more powerful than Poudre B. In same composition with that of
Whatever the precise dates and identities of its first Nobel’s powder.
discoverers and users, it is certain that black powder was
manufactured in England in 1334 and that powder manufacturing Smokeless powder allowed the development of modern semi-and-
plants existed in Germany in 1340. full automatic firearms. There are two main advantages of smokeless
powder over black powder. Minimal smoke is produced when
Black powder can be prepared following this optimum smokeless powder is burned. It is much more powerful than black
proportion: powder giving an accurate rifle range of up to 1000 yards.

1. 11.85% sulfur: This is main fuel component of the gun The term smokeless powder is a misnomer for this propellant is
powder. neither a powder nor smokeless. Most smokeless powder used as
propellant appears as flakes. When they are burned, they produce
2. 74.64% saltpeter: Scientifically known as KNO,
smoke but not as many compared to huge cloud of white smoke
)potassium nitrate)
produced by black powder.
3. 13.51% carbon
C. COMPOSITION OF MODERN GUNPOWDER
The basic ration is 2 parts sulfur, 3 parts charcoal and 15 parts
The modern gunpowder is primarily composed of nitrocellulose.
saltpeter.
Nitrocellulose-base smokeless gunpowder was primarily the
propellant used during the first two world wars.

The three disadvantages of black powder that were tolerated before Smokeless powder consists of almost pure nitrocellulose (single-
the invention of modern gunpowder as follows: base powders), frequently combined with up to 50% nitroglycerin
(double-base powders), and sometimes nitroguanidine (triple-base)
1. It produces large cloud of white smoke. corned into small spherical balls or extruded into cylinder or flakes
using solvents such as ether.
2. It leaves a thick, heavy fouling which is both hygroscopic
and corrosive. Smokeless powder burns only on the surface of the granules.
Larges granules burn more slowly, and the burning rate is further
3. It attracts moisture hence it must be stored properly. controlled by flame-deterrent coatings which delay burning. The
intent is to regulate the burning rate so that a more or less constant
pressure is exerted on the propelled projectile as long as it is in the
B. THE SMOKELESS POWDER barrel so as to obtain the high velocity. Fast-burning pistol powders
are made by extruding shapes with more area such as flakes or by
In 1886, Paul Vielle in France developed the first smokeless flattering the spherical granules. Drying is usually performed under
gunpowder called Poudre B. This was made from gelatinized a vacuum. The solvents are condensed and recycled. The granules
nitrocellulose mixed with ether and alcohol, it was passed through are also coated with graphite to prevent static electricity sparks
rollers to form thin sheets, which were cut with a guillotine to flakes from causing undesired ignitions.
of the desired size. Vielle’s powder was used in the Lebel rifle that
was adopted by the French Army in the late 1880’s. Smokeless powders today can be in various shapes. Sheets of
smokeless powder are cut into:
The French Army was the first to use Poudre B but it was not long
before other European countries followed their example. Vielle’s 1. Discs
powder revolutionized the effectiveness of small guns and rifles.
2. Flakes

3. Balls

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4. Tiny cylindrical shapes smoothbore weapons. Pellets, more often called shots, may also
refer to skirted projectiles used in pellet guns.
D. THE 4 MAIN CLASSES OF PROPELLANTS
As opposed to shell launched by artillery guns, bullets do not
1. Single-based propellant: This is composed of pure contain explosives thus they are not self-propelling. Shells are
nitroglycerin gelatinized with nitrocellulose. capable for self-propulsion. These are the projectiles fired from
missile or grenade launchers.
2. Double-based propellant: This type is composed of
nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin mixed with any or all of the following The bullet, just like the primer and cartridge, is another
minor ingredients: ammunition component significant to firearm examiners. Once it
goes through the barrel of a firearm, the bullet is marked by the
Centralite, Vaseline phathalate esters, and inorganic salts. This type
rifling. In this manner, unique characteristics of the firearm is
appears as gray-green to black in color and the grains are similar in
passed on to the bullet. Thus, a bullet recovered from the crime
size and shape to single-based propellant.
scene can be traced to the firearm where it was propelled using the
3. Triple-based propellant: This is composed of three rifling marks impressed on its surface.
principal ingredients, which are nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine, and
nitroguanidine. This type of propellant was developed in attempting
to compromise the low-power single-based propellant and high- A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF BULLETS
power but excessive heat of double base powders. Tripe-based
propellant contains small percentage of nitroglycerine but sufficient The first bullets were much like crossbow arrows fired from
to provide added power. Nitroguanidine is added to lower the flame ancient guns immediately after the introduction of gunpowder in
temperature while still adding active explosive element. One Europe. Large guns and cannons initially fired stone balls until the
significant characteristic of triple-based propellant is it is practically mid-15thn century when metal balls began to be cast.
flash-less and does not generate the amount of smoke produced by
the other types. The development of the hand culverin and matchbox harquebus
brought about the use of cast lead balls as projectiles: the original
4. HIT (high-ignition temperature) Propellant: The main musket bullet was a spherical lead ball twice smaller than the bore,
ingredient of this class of propellant is the RDX (cyclonite) group of wrapped in a loosely fitting paper patch which formed a tight seal so
high explosives. It was developed by the Dynamite Noble of Germany the full pressure of the expanding gas would propel the rounded
in conjunction with Heckler and Koch. This type of propellant is loaded projectile.
in caseless cartridge such as the ammo of the modern German rifle
called G11K2. As firearms became more technologically advanced from 1500 to
1800, the bullets changed little. They remained simple round lead
balls, differing only in size. Even with the advent of rifling the bullet
didn’t change, but was wrapped in a leather patch to grip the rifling
THE BULLET grooves.

CONCEPT Among the first ‘bullet-shaped’ bullets was designed by Captain

John Norton of the British Army in 1823. Norton’s bullet had a hollow
A bullet is a metallic or non-metallic cylindrical projectile
base which expanded under pressure to catch the rifling grooves
propelled from a firearm by means of the expansive force of gasses
once fired but the British Board of Ordinance rejected it only because
coming from burning gunpowder. In layman’s term, the bullet is
spherical bullets has been in use for the last 300 years.
called slug. The word bullet came from the French word ‘boulette’
which roughly means little ball. In 1836, an English gunsmith named William Greener invented the
Greener bullet. This was closely similar to Norton’s bullet except that
As distinguished from pellets, bullets are slugs that have pointed
the hollow base of the bullet was fitted with a wooden plug which
tip or cylindrical nose loaded in cartridges for rifled guns while
forced the base of the bullet to expand and catch the rifling. Tests
pellets are small spherical projectiles loaded in shot shells for
proved that Greener’s bullet was extremely effective but it was

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rejected because it was judged as too complicated to produce since lead bullet may cause the rifling to strip, reducing the spin imparted
it is made of two separate parts. to the bullet, and eventually destroying accuracy. A gas check may
be used for some lead bullets, but are only useful up to a certain
The soft lead bullet that came to be known as the Minie ball was speed, as they only protect the base of the bullet from melting, not
first introduced in 1847 by Claude Etienne Minie, a captain in the the sides. Normally, a gas check is a very thin copper disc covering
French Army. It was nearly identical to the Greener bullet. As the base of the bullet. In the late 1950’s engineers noted that a
designed by Captain Minie, the bullet was conical in shape with a reverse ogive on the rear, a boat-tail increased range on supersonic
hollow cavity in the rear end, which was fitted with a little iron cap bullets. At one point in the 1960s, it looked as though flechettes might
instead of a wooden plug. When fired, the cap would force itself into replace bullets, but bullets proved to be more economical, and no less
the hollow cavity, forcing the sides of the bullet to expand and engage destructive. Modern bullets can be of different types according to
the rifling. In 1855, the British adopted the minie ball for their Enfield metallic composition. Bullets are classically molded from a mixture
rifles. of lead and tin. Lead is usually the core of bullets. Some bullets are
jacketed with copper or steel to make them harder. Steel jacketed
Between 1854 and 1857, Sir Joseph Whitworth conducted a long
bullets are actually copper-dipped so that the steel will not damage
series of rifle experiments. He was able to prove the advantages of
the gun’s rifling. Bismuth bullets are coated with tin or copper alloys
a smaller bore and an elongated bullet. The Whitworth bullet was
and are used to prevent release of toxic lead into the environment
made to fit the grooves of the rifle mechanically. The Whitworth rifle
since neither tin nor copper are toxic to mammals. Rubber bullets
was never adopted by the government although it was used
are designed to be non-lethal, for example for use in riot control. Wax
extensively for match purposes and target practice between 1857 and
bullets are often used by quick draw shooters for their own safety.
1866, when it was gradually superseded by Metford’s invention.

About 1862 and later, W.E. Metford carried out an exhaustive series
of experiments on bullets and rifling, and invented the important PARTS OF STANDARD BULLET
system of light rifling with increasing spiral and a hardened bullet. In
December 1888, the combined result of the above inventions was the 1. Base – the portion of the bullet that receives the thrust
adoption by the British Army of the Lee-Metford small-bore .303 rifle and heat from the burning gunpowder.
capable of firing lead bullets. The Lee-Metford was the predecessor
of the Lee-Enfield rifle. 2. Heel – the part where the base and bearing surface meet

B. THE MODERN BULLET 3. Bearing surface – the cylindrical side of the bullet that
comes in contact with the barrel rifling
The next important change in the history of the rifle bullet
occurred in 1883, when a Swiss military major named Alexander 4. Cannelure – the groove around the body of a bullet to
Rubin invented the small-caliber rifle, one of whose essential features receive the case crimp; for lead bullets, this part is better known as
was the employment of an elongated compound bullet, with a leaden lubricant groove
core in a copper envelope.
5. Jacket – a metal covering of the bullet’s lead core which
The copper jacketed bullet has higher muzzle velocity than lead could be made of copper, brass, steel, aluminum, or an alloy of these
bullet because of three basic reasons, which are as follows: metals; it may partially or completely cover the lead core

1. Copper has much higher melting point than lead; 6. Core – bulk of mass in the bullet; the main component of
the bullet that is usually made of lead but sometimes alloyed replace
2. It has greater specific heat capacity; and with other metals for special purposed such as deeper penetration
and tracing
3. It is harder and more difficult to disintegrate
7. Shoulder – the part where the parallel sides end and the
Lead bullets fired at high velocity may suffer surface ogive begins
melting due to hot gases behind and friction with the bore. This can
allow the expanding gasses pass the bullet inside the barrel, 8. Ogive – the radius of curve between the bearing surface
deforming it and spoiling its accuracy. Very rapid acceleration of a and the point usually stated with respect to the caliber

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NOTES IN FORENSIC BALLISTICS MAPFILES

9. Tip or Nose – the most forward point of the ogive 3. The bullet must accomplish its mission: penetrate the
target and inflict the maximum damage intended by the shooter.
10. Head-height – the length of the bullet from the shoulder
to the tip Bullets either cut tissue, or damage it by causing a hydrostatic
shockwave. Since subsonic bullets lack a shock wave, the biggest
possible hole is placed at the bullet’s nose in order to maximize their
damage. One way is to drill the front of the bullet, creating a hollow
C. BULLET FUNCTION AND DESIGN
point bullet. When the bullet hits the target, it will unfold and expand
The bullet is the main ammunition component that is intended to into a sharp-edged flower that cuts through flesh. Dum-dum bullet,
inflict damage to the target. However, the gunpowder and barrel just like the hollow-point, is also an expanding bullet. It has a hard
must effectively do first their respective functions before the bullet metal outer shell, and a soft lead interior and hack. When it hits a
can accomplish its mission. target, the lead cracks the metal shell, and flows into a wide,
mushroom shape.
When a bullet is launched, some ballistic problems may take place
that can affect the performance of the projectile. These ballistics Armor-piercing bullet is another specially designed projectile that
problems can be minimized or eliminated by the specific design of the can inflict maximum intended damage to its target. The Russian
bullet. Basic bullet designs that can solve ballistic problems are as introduced ammunition for the AK-47 which had a bullet with a hard
follows: steel shell, soft lead interior, steel penetrator, and a bubble in the
nose. Before it reaching the target, the bullet is dynamically stable.
1. The bullet must seal the gun’s bore. After it hits, the interior lead deforms to cause the bullet to unbalance
and tumble. The tumble is designed to cause the bullet to make
If the bullet cannot tightly seal the bore, the gas from the exactly two flips in 40 cm, almost like the thickness of human body.
gunpowder will blow right by. There are two types of seals or gas This maximizes hydrodynamic shock but does not violate the Geneva
checks commonly used. One is slight indentation at the back of the Accords on Humane Weaponry. This design was copied by the NATO
bullet. Gas pressure forces the metal lip against the bore. Another in the form of the 5.56mm NATO standard ammo. The Americans have
type is a basic labyrinthine seal whereby one or two bands or raised since improved the design to increase it’s effectiveness against
material go around the bullet. armor. They produced the SS109 bullet that can pierce about 7 cm of
armor plate due to the Tungsten penetrator design which still tumbles
in soft tissue contact.
2 The bullet must not wobble or tumble in flight.
Subsonic bullet with rounded nose often glance-off the target if it
Wobbling and tumbling eventually leads to yawing and also cause strikes the target at an angle. To prevent this, many people use flat-
dramatic loss of speed and energy. Thus, to minimize or eliminate nosed bullets (wadcutters or semi-wadcutters) or hollow-point
serious loss of velocity, some bullets are designed to be supersonic, bullets with a concave nose. The flat nose interferes with feeding an
transonic and subsonic. auto-loading Gun. Full wadcutters are only fired from revolvers or
single-shot guns. A variation is to have a ring of small teeth, covered
Supersonic bullets are pointed, smoothly sloping back to the rear. by a soft plastic nose so that the bullet will feed correctly in auto-
The longest range supersonic bullets have a boat-tail. This is refers loading guns. The teeth engage a sloping surface.
to a narrowing and rounding-off toward the end to reduce vacuum on
the back of the bullet. Transonic bullets, such as deer slugs and air—
gun pellets are double cones, going wide too narrow to wide.
4. The bullet must engage the rifling without damaging the
Basically, the narrow waist prevents auxiliary shockwaves from
bore surface.
forming, and tumbling the bullet. This ‘coke-bottle’ shape is also
apparent in high speed aircraft. Subsonic bullets generally have To accomplish this, lead bullets are the typical design choice of
rounded fronts or nose. ordinary gun users for target shooting since bullets of this kind are
relatively cheap, expand well, and can be hardened via the use of tin
and antimony.

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For special jacketed bullets, usually there is a raided band of Some European ammo manufacturers use steel as jacket material.
material around the middle part of the bullet’s body. This is made of Jacketed bullets are traditionally for semi-automatic pistols and high
soft material such as copper, tin, plastic, or lead which prevents wear velocity rifles. Some jacketed bullets are also called expanding
and tear of the barrel’s interior surface. Armour-piercing bullets bullets because when the jackets are stripped uncovering the core,
made of bronze, hardened steel, tungsten, and depleted uranium the metal jacket on both ends flatten thus the bullet stays inside the
usually cause drastic wear of the barrel if they are not covered. person’s body creating internal damage. This situation provided less
These are covered with bands of different materials called ‘driving danger for bystanders or non-targets because the bullet will not exit
bands’ since they drive bullet around the rifling. the target person and possible not an innocent bystander.

There are two types of jacketed bullets:

D. CLASSIFICATION OF BULLETS a. Full-Metal Jacketed Bullets (FMJ) – for military

ammunition
There are two general groups of bullets according to composition:
lead and jacketed. b. Semi- Jacketed Bullets – for hunting rifles and semi-
automatic pistol ammunition
1. Lead bullets: These are made of pure lead or alloyed with
tin and antimony. Lead alloy is slightly harder than pure lead. Bullets are jacketed with various metallic materials or alloys because
Traditionally, lead bullets are for revolvers and caliber .22 rim-fire of the following purposes:
cartridges. Lead bullets with copper gilding are used in caliber .22
high-velocity rim-fire cartridges. Pure lead bullets are not 1. To prevent adherence of lead on the barrel’s rifling (main
satisfactory for use when high velocities are involved. During purpose)
acceleration, their softness permits deformation by air resistance,
2. To keep the bullet intact when it hits the target
adversely affecting ballistic performance outside the gun barrel.
Besides, leads bullet maybe damage by loading mechanism of 3. To prevent deformation while the bullet is in its path
automatic weapon, and may cause jamming. Today, lead bullets are towards the target (lead bullets are deformed at very high bullet
used only in caliber .22(5.56mm) rim-fire ammunition and some velocities)
revolver cartridges, particularly those used in target shooting.
4. To control expansion once the bullet hits the target
Lead bullets can be further classified according to shape. Base on
shape, the types of lead bullets are as follows: 5. To prevent bullet damage while inside the weapon

a. Lead Round-nosed bullets – solid round-nosed lead bullet Standard pistol and revolver, including carbine bullets,
are short blunt cylinders with rounded noses. They are fired at lower
b. Lead Wad-cutter bullets velocities (usually subsonic) and are meant for use at shorter ranges,
so refines shape is not necessary.
c. Lead Semi-wad-cutter bullets
Bullets fired from handguns can be of the
d. Lead Hollow-point bullets – solid hollow-point
following types:
e. Rifles Slugs – slugs for shotguns
1. FMJ – full-metal-jacketed bullet

2. FMC – full metal cone bullet, also called truncated cone

2. Jacketed bullets: Metal-jacketed bullets are the types of bullet
bullets with lead core covered by soft brass or copper-plated soft
3. JSP – jacketed soft-point bullet
steel jacket. The core is composed of lead-antimony alloy for hunting
and for military anti-personnel cartridges. In military armor- 4. JHP – jacketed hollow-point bullet
piercing bullets, the core is composed of hardened steel or tungsten
carbide. 5. SJHP – semi-jacketed hollow-point bullet

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6. LWC – lead wadcutter bullet continues to penetrate the armor after the jacket and filler have been
stripped away by contact with a resistant surface.
7. LSWC – lead semi-wadcutter bullet
4. Expanding bullets: These are soft point bullets
8. LRN – lead round- nosed bullet (mushroom) bullets and hollow point bullets (sometimes called
dumdums after the British arsenal in India where they were designed
9. Hydra – shok bullet
and first manufactured). The Hague Conference of 1899 outlawed the
10. Nyclad use dumdum bullets in times of war.

Standard rifle bullets are usually slender cylinder with ogival (curved Expanding bullets have metal jacket at both ends that flattens on
taper) points. Rifle bullets are fire at velocities in excess of the speed contact with living tissue and produce internal damage. All soft
of sound, up to 4,000 fps (1,219 meter/sec). At these velocities, the bullets, split-nose bullets, hollow-point bullets, and jacketed bullets
ogival cylinder is necessary to reduce drag due to the atmosphere. with the core exposed at the tip are of expanding type of bullets.
Today, they are used for big-game hunting because of their great
Bullets fired from rifles can be classified in the following manner: stopping power. Soft point bullets expand on striking an object and
therefore produce much more serious shock and have
1. Round-nosed rifle bullet correspondingly greater stopping power when fire from high velocity
rifles, these bullets expand upon striking a flesh until it looks like a
2. Spire-pointed rifle bullet
mushroom. However, bullets of these kinds when fired from
3. Boat-tailed bullet handguns have lesser penetrating effect than full jacketed bullets
because velocity is too law to cause the bullet to expand.
4. FMJ – full metal-jacketed rifle bullet
Hollow-point bullets, sometimes called express bullets, have cavity
5. FMJ-BT – full metal-jacketed rifle bullet with boat-tail in the nose designed to increase the expansion when they hit their
target. They are designed to provide rapid expansion while soft-
6. HP-BT – hollow-point rifle bullet with boat-tail
points are designed to provide deeper penetration before expansion.
7. SP – soft-point rifle bullet However, this performance may vary depending on the design of the
bullet and the impact velocity.
8. Partition bullet
5. Incendiary bullets: These are military bullets used for
Bullet can be classified also according to specific use or purpose. starting fires in inflammable targets. They certain mixture of
Based on this criterion, there are various types of bullets which phosphorous and other chemicals that can be set on fire upon firing
include but not limited to the following: the target. They are used against targets sock s aircrafts or gasoline
depot.
1. Target-shooting bullets: Bullets designed with sharp
shoulder to cut clean holes in target paper. 6. Tracer bullets: These are bullets that have chemical
compound (usually barium nitrates) at the base that burns brightly
2. Hard balls (HB): These bullets have full metal jacket so the shooter can observe its path. There are special pistol traces
composed of copper sheath over a lead core. These are the standard bullets with which downed aviators can signal their positions. Usually
projectile type, expanding very little, but giving good penetration. this is a mixture of magnesium, perchlorate, and chromium, to yield
a bright red color. A new design involves the use of LED, but the cost
3. Armor piercing bullets: These are bullets designed to
and complexity would seem to negate any advantage.
perforate thin layers of armor and retain enough velocity to injure
personnel or destroy equipment. Example is the PGU-14 API 30mm 7. Fragmenting bullets or frangible bullets: These are
ammo that is made of DU (depleted uranium). Armor-piercing bullets similar to hardball round with stress lines manufactured into slug.
for small arms are of similar material to the standard bullets. The result is that the bullet splits into fragments when hitting soft
However, in addition to lead and antimony / filler, they have hardened tissue, creating a bigger wound. However, they tend to retain their
steel (tungsten chrome steel) cores. The hardened steel core form when penetrating an armored target.

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8. Pointed bullets: These are bullets that are more effective

than the round ball of the same weight because there is lesser
surface that hits the air and thus the speed of the bullet is not
reduced to quickly.

9. Flechette: this is a special type of pointed bullet with an

arrow-shaped tip. Spitzer bullet is the term used by the American
and British sportsmen when referring to a pointed bullet.

10. X-bullets: These are solid copper projectiles, heat treated

for extra toughness with no separate jacket or lead core. These
bullets are famous for deep dependable penetration. A deep forward
cavity causes the nose to peel back into four razor-edge petals.
Viewed in front, the appearance of the four petals gives the x-bullet
its name. This was introduced in 1989 as hunting bullets and has
developed a reputation for delivering quick 1-shot kills on a wide
variety of game.

11. Wax bullets: These are bullets intended for quick-draw

shooting exercise or competition.

12. Ice bullets: Tracer bullets have a hollow back, filled with
a flare material.

13. Poisoned bullets: Theoretically, a caliber .177 bullet (the

smallest bullet in general use) can carry enough poison to kill a large
animal. A bullet with this caliber can allow small but lethal guns. A
protein poison such as alfatoxin or ricin, with tiny lethal doses and
easy low-cost availability, is used in tiny assassination weapons in the
past.

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