TOPIC 12 | The Bullet

• Bullet


  It is a metallic (lead) or non-metallic (e.g., ice bullets, plastic, rubbers), cylindrical projectile from a firearm by means of the expansive force of gases coming from burning gunpowder.
• Bullet


  A solid projectile propelled by a firearm and is normally made from metal.
• Lead


  It is the major component of a bullet.
• In contrast to a shell, a bullet does not contain explosives, and damages its target by imparting its kinetic energy upon impact.
• Projectiles propelled from smooth-bore weapons are termed "shots" or "pellets". The largest size of shots are called "buckshot".
• Bullet is derived from the French word "boulette" which roughly means "little ball".
• Rifled weapons propel bullets.
• Bullet


  It is the part that acts as the projectile. It is responsible in causing damage to the target by imparting its kinetic energy.
• The bullet plays an important role in firearm identification as it receives the fingerprints (i.e., the abnormalities, rifling, striations) inside or from the barrel of the gun.
• Normally, bullets fired from a handgun are rounded. It is not pointed in comparison to that of rifles.
• Bearing Surface


  This portion of the bullet collects/receives the fingerprint of the gun because it is the one that gets in contact with the barrel of the gun. It is also known as the periphery. Furthermore, it is the part of the bullet that should never be marked or altered during collection and investigation.
• The bullet is the negative of the barrel because it absorbs the abnormalities of the barrel in the form of striations.
• Ogive


  Technical name of the nose of the bullet.
• Cannelure


  Two Types:

  1. Shell cannelure - to prevent the bullet from being pushed inside the barrel.
  2. Bullet cannelure - commonly found in lead bullets.
• Cannelure


  It contains lubricant so that as the bullet passes through the gun, it oils or smoothen the barrel to protect it.
• Parts of a Rifled Bullet

  A) Meplat

  B) Ogive

  C) Head or Ogive Length

  D) Shoulder

  E) Cannelure

  F) Bearing Surface

  G) Boattail

  H) Base

  I) Heel

  
• Parts of a Handgun Bullet

  A) Meplat

  B) Tip

  C) Ogive

  D) Nose

  E) Bearing Surface

  F) Base

  G) Heel

  H) Cannelure

  
• Originally, bullets were stone balls or round metallic objects used in a sling as a weapon and for hunting.
• Contrary to the fast improvement of firearms, projectiles changed very little from 1500 to 1800, remaining as a simple round (spherical) lead balls, called "rounds", differing only in their diameter.
• The development of the hand culverin and matchlock arquebus brought about the use of cast lead balls as projectiles.
• In 1826, Delvigne, a French infantry officer, invented a breech with abrupt shoulders on which a spherical bullet was rammed down inside the barrel deforming the bullet.
• Among the first pointer or conical projectile was the "bullet-shaped bullet" designed by Capt. John Norton of the British Army in 1823. Norton's bullet had a hollow base which upon firing, expanded under presser to engage with a barrel's rifling.
• In 1836, English gunsmith William Greener invented a bullet similar to Norton's bullet except that the hollow base was fitted with wooden plug which forced the base of the bullet to expand and catch the rifling.
• In firearm identification, we put the labels either on the nose or on the base of the bullet but never in its bearing surface.
• In 1847, the soft lead Minie Ball was first introduced by Claude Etienne Minie, a captain in the French Army. This bullet, nearly identical to the Green Bullet, was conical in shape with a hollow cavity in the rear fitted with a little iron cap instead of a wooden plug. When fired, the iron cap force itself into the hollow cavity at the rear of the bullet, thereby expanding the bullet to engage the rifling.
• In 1855, the British adopted the Minie ball for their Enfield rifles.
• Whitworth Bullet


  It is a bullet designed by Joseph Whitworth that fit the grooves of a rifle mechanically.
• By 1857, Joseph Whitworth proved that smaller bore of barrel and elongated bullet are more advantageous.
• In about 1862, W.E. Metford carried out a series of experiments on bullets and rifling. He invented light rifling with increasing spiral as well as hardened bullet.
• Copper Jacketed Bullet


  Invented by Maj. Eduard Alexander Rubin in 1882, it is an elongated bullet with a lead core in a copper jacket. This is recognized as the first jacketed bullet.
• Spitzer Bullet


  A German name for tapered, aerodynamic bullet design used in most intermediate and high-powered rifle cartridges.
• By the beginning of the 20th century, most world armies begun to adopt spitzer bullets.
• Spitzer Bullet


  These bullets reach greater distances more accurately and carried more energy with them. Combined with machine guns, these bullets greatly increased the lethality of the firearms.
• The latest advancement in bullet shape is the boat tail — a streamlined base for spitzer bullets. This design reduces the drag by allowing the air to flow along the surface of the tapering end.
• The vacuum created as air moves at high speed passes over the end of a bullet slows the projectile.
• Classification of Bullets

  According to Composition

  1. Jacketed Bullet [Full Metal Jacket, Totally-Metal-Jacketed, Semi-jacketed]
  2. Lead Bullet (Non-jacketed bullet) [plain lead bullet, bullet coating, solid bullet]

  According to Color and Finish

  1. Armor-Piercing
  2. Frangible
  3. Incendiary
  4. Tracer Bullet
  5. Wadcutter Shapes
  6. Metal Point Bullets
  7. Pointed Types
  8. Conical Bullets or Conoidal Bullets
  9. Hollow Point Bullets
  10. Flechette
  11. X-bullets
  12. Wax Bullets
  13. Poisoned Bullets
  14. Gas Check Bullet
• Bullet composition refers to the materials used in the fabrication of a bullet.
• Lead Bullets (Non-jacketed Bullets)


  This bullet is plain; its main composition is exposed. This may also be referred to as the naked bullet.
• The most common material used in the manufacture of non-jacketed bullets is lead.
• Lead bullets are usually an alloy of lead and antimony which is added to give the bullet some additional hardness.