Bullet: Warrior's Code, Study in Lethal Precision

By Fouad Sabry

What is Bullet

A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made in various shapes and constructions, including specialized functions such as hunting, target shooting, training, and combat. Bullets are often tapered, making them more aerodynamic. Bullet size is expressed by weight and diameter in both imperial and metric measurement systems. Bullets do not normally contain explosives but strike or damage the intended target by transferring kinetic energy upon impact and penetration.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Bullet

Chapter 2: Rifle

Chapter 3: Cartridge (firearms)

Chapter 4: Muzzleloader

Chapter 5: Rifling

Chapter 6: Caliber

Chapter 7: Terminal ballistics

Chapter 8: Muzzle velocity

Chapter 9: Smoothbore

Chapter 10: Gun barrel

(II) Answering the public top questions about bullet.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Bullet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 21, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Bullet

A bullet is a kind of kinetic projectile that is fired from the barrel of a handgun. Bullets are also a component of firearm ammunition. The phrase originates from the Middle French language, where it is a diminutive of the word boulle (boullet), which may be translated as little ball. nevertheless, the targeted target will be struck or damaged as a result of the transfer of kinetic energy upon collision and penetration (see terminal ballistics).

It is possible to purchase individual bullets (for use in muzzle-loading and cap-and-ball rifles, for example), the case (which is responsible for keeping everything in place), the propellant (which contributes the bulk of the energy needed to launch the projectile), and the primer (which ignites the propellant). This use of the word bullet (when attempting to describe a cartridge) sometimes leads to misunderstanding when a cartridge and all of its components are expressly referred to as being something else. In turn, the cartridges may be stored in a magazine or on a belt if desired (for rapid-fire weapons).

The muzzle velocities of several different types of bullets are higher than the speed of sound when they are discharged from the cartridges.

Bullets fired from weapons may be used for target practice, but they can also be used to damage or kill humans, as well as animals. The loss of blood, injury to important organs, or even asphyxiation might result in death in the event that blood gets into the lungs. In addition to bullets, the following projectiles may be fired from weapon imitations: BBs from BB guns, airsoft pellets from airsoft guns, paintballs from paintball markers, and tiny pebbles from slingshots. Bullets are not the only kind of projectile that can be fired from firearm imitations. In addition to these, there are grenade launchers, flash bangs, tear gas, RPGs, missile launchers, flare guns, potato guns (also known as spud guns), rubber bullets, tasers, bean bag rounds, grenade launchers, and RPGs.

The fire lance, which was a bamboo tube that discharged porcelain shrapnel, gave way to the first genuine gun with the creation of the metal hand cannon some time about 1288. The Yuan Dynasty employed this weapon to achieve a decisive victory over Mongolian rebels. In the year 1326, the artillery cannon was created, and in the year 1364, the European hand cannon was developed. Stone was the material of choice for early projectiles. After some time, it was found out that stone would not pierce stone walls, which led to the usage of denser materials as projectiles instead of stone. The projectiles used in hand cannons evolved in a like fashion. In 1425, there was the first documented case of a metal ball fired from a hand cannon successfully piercing armor.

When it came to loading muskets, the classic smooth-bore Brown Bess and other comparable military muskets made this task relatively simple. However, the first muzzle-loading rifles were loaded by wrapping a piece of leather or fabric around the ball before placing it in the chamber. This allowed the ball to contact the grooves in the barrel. When the bore of the barrel was fouled from prior firings, loading was more challenging. This made loading a little more difficult. When compared to muskets, early rifles were employed for military purposes far less often due to this reason as well as the fact that bayonets were not commonly attached to rifles.

Both the appearance and the purpose of the bullet underwent significant changes over the first half of the nineteenth century. In the year 1826, a French military commander named Henri-Gustave Delvigne designed a breech that had abrupt shoulders on which a spherical bullet was driven down until it hit the rifling grooves. This allowed the bullet to be fired more accurately. However, Delvigne's approach caused the bullet to become misshapen and thus imprecise.

During their patrol in 1855, a detachment of the 1st United States Dragoons swapped lead for gold bullets with the Pima Indians who lived near the boundary between California and Arizona. During his travels across central Arizona, Aubry discovered evidence that Native Americans used gold to coat their bullets. "The Indians' firearms are loaded with bullets made of gold. They come in a variety of sizes, and each Indian carries a bag full of them with them. When it came time to kill a rabbit, we witnessed an Indian load his rifle with one big and three little gold bullets.

Slingers in slings were the first people to utilize square bullets, and their usage dates back to virtually the dawn of civilization. Copper or lead was the primary material used in their construction. The most prominent use of square bullet designs was done by James Puckle and Kyle Tunis, who patented them, and was done in one version of the Puckle pistol, where they were employed for a short period of time. Because of their unpredictable and erratic flying patterns, they were quickly phased out during the black-powder period shortly after they were first used.

Delvigne continued to work on improving the design of bullets, and by the year 1830, he had begun work on developing cylindro-conical bullets. Francois Tamisier made improvements to his bullet designs by adding ball grooves, also known as cannelures, which placed the resistance of air behind the center of gravity of the bullet. This was accomplished by moving the center of gravity of the bullet forward.

The barrel of the Thouvenin rifle is equipped with a forcing plug at the breech, which, in conjunction with a specialized ramrod, is used to press the bullet into the rifling of the barrel.

Although it was helpful in improving accuracy, it was an extraordinarily difficult surface to clean.

These improvements were the basis for the development of the Minié ball.

The pointed or conical bullets that were used for the first time were those that were invented in 1832 by Captain John Norton of the British Army. When the bullet was fired, the hollow base, which was composed of lotus pith, expanded under the pressure of the firing process to interact with the rifling of the barrel.

The soft lead Minié ball was first introduced in 1847 by Claude-Étienne Minié, a rank held by an officer in the French Army.

It was another another step forward in the work that Delvigne had been doing.

As designed by Minié, The bullet was shaped like a cone and had a chamber on the back where it was hollow, which, rather of having a wooden stopper, had a little cap made of iron placed onto it.

When fired, The iron cap managed to squeeze its way into the hollow chamber at the back of the bullet, This causes the sides of the bullet to expand, allowing it to better grip and contact the rifling.

In 1851, the British adopted the Minié ball for their 702-inch Pattern 1851 Minié rifle.

In 1855, James Burton, one of the machinists working in the United States Armory at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, improved the Minié ball further by eliminating the metal cup in the bottom of the bullet.

Another comparable projectile, known as the Nessler ball, was designed specifically for smoothbore muskets.

Sir Joseph Whitworth carried out a lengthy series of experiments with rifles between the years 1854 and 1857. Through these tests, he demonstrated, among other things, the benefits of a rifle with a smaller bore and, in particular, a bullet with a longer length. Mechanically, the Whitworth bullet was designed to fit precisely into the grooves of the rifle. Between the years 1857 and 1866, the Whitworth rifle was put to considerable use for match purposes and target practice before being progressively replaced by Metford's model. Despite this, the Whitworth rifle was never approved for use by the government.

W.B. Chace went to see Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and presented the president with a new and better design for musket balls. Lincoln saw that the Chace design traveled a third or more further when shot at the same height during the shooting across the Potomac river when both the Chace ball and the round ball were alternated. The firing took place at the same elevation. Although Lincoln advocated for it, there was never any actual testing done.

The next significant event in the evolution of the rifle bullet took place in 1882 when Lt. Colonel Eduard Rubin, director of the Swiss Army Laboratory at Thun, produced the copper-jacketed bullet. This kind of bullet is elongated and has a lead core encased in a copper jacket. It also had a tiny bore, measuring 7.5mm or 8mm, and it was the forerunner of the 8mm Lebel bullet, which was used in the smokeless powder ammunition of the Lebel Model 1886 rifle.

When lead bullets are fired at high velocities, the hot gases behind them and the friction with the bore may cause the lead's surface to melt. Copper has a higher melting point, as well as a larger specific heat capacity and hardness than other metals, which is why bullets with copper jackets may achieve higher muzzle velocity.

The pointed spitzer bullet was a product of European technological advancements in aerodynamics. At the turn of the twentieth century, the majority of the world's militaries had already began the process of switching to using spitzer bullets. These bullets were able to travel farther distances with more accuracy, and they carried a higher amount of energy with them. The combined use of machine guns and Spitzer bullets significantly raised the level of carnage on the battlefield.

The boat tail, an improved and more aerodynamic basis for spitzer bullets, was the most recent development in bullet morphology. The projectile will move more slowly as a result of the vacuum that is formed when fast-moving air passes over the point of a bullet. This form drag may be significantly reduced because to the boat tail's streamlined shape, which allows air to flow down the surface of the tapering end. The aerodynamic advantage that is produced as a consequence is now considered to be the ideal form for rifle technology. In 1901, the first combined spitzer and boat-tail bullet was released as standard military ammunition for the French Lebel Model 1886 rifle. This bullet was given the moniker Balle D after its designer, a lieutenant-colonel called Desaleux.

A hollow-point rifle bullet that includes a plastic tip on the end of the bullet itself is called a ballistic tip bullet. This kind of bullet is used in rifles. This improves external ballistics by streamlining the bullet, which makes it easier for it to cut through the air. Additionally, this improves terminal ballistics by making it possible for the bullet to behave as if it were a JHP upon contact.

It also feeds more smoothly in firearms that have difficulties feeding rounds that are not FMJ cartridges. This is a side effect of the design.

The designers of bullets have to find solutions to two fundamental issues. The first step, which takes place in the barrel, is to create a seal with the bore of the cannon. In the event that a firm seal is not formed, gas from the propellant charge may seep past the bullet, which will result in a decrease in efficiency as well as perhaps a loss of accuracy. The bullet must also be able to contact the rifling without causing damage to the barrel of the cannon or unduly fouling it, and it must also be able to do so without distorting, which would further impair its accuracy. The surface of a bullet has to be able to make this seal without generating an excessive amount of friction. Internal ballistics is the study of the interactions that occur between the bullet and the bore. Because surface flaws might have an effect on firing accuracy, it is essential that bullets be manufactured to a high level.

The branch of applied physics that studies how the bullet behaves after it has exited the barrel is known as external ballistics.

The form of the bullet and the rotation that is given by the rifling of the gun barrel are the key parameters that influence the aerodynamics of a bullet as it travels through the air.

Both gyroscopically and aerodynamically, the bullet is held steady by the forces exerted by the rotation.

As the bullet rotates, whatever imbalance that it may have is