NCJ Number
218683
Date Published
January 2004
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper addresses the wounding power of a soft-nose bullet at the striking velocity and the remaining velocity when fired through glass of various thicknesses.
Abstract
When a soft-nose bullet perforates a glass windowpane, the resistance of the glass causes it to lose some of its velocity; hence the remaining velocity of a bullet becomes less than its initial striking velocity. The soft-nose bullets were found unstable, and the lead core with jacketed portions separated after penetrating the glass target. It is concluded that the lethal range of a bullet is likely to decrease rapidly after perforating a windowpane. A bullet is unlikely to perforate, fracture, or shatter a bone as it does when it strikes at its muzzle velocity. In general, a .315/8mm cartridge manufactured in India consists of a cartridge case and soft-nose bullet. The bullets are made up of a lead core surrounded by a jacket that fragments when fired through a windowpane. In India, a .315 caliber sporting rifle is a very common licensed weapon. It, in conjunction with the soft-nose bullet, is often the weapon of crime in the northeastern region of India. Glass windowpanes are a common intermediate target for bullets or pellets and may become a secondary missile causing serious wounding. In addressing the wounding power of a soft-nose bullet, this paper measured and recorded the initial striking and remaining velocities of soft-nose bullets fired through glass windowpanes of various thicknesses. To estimate the wounding criteria, the firing distance is included with any remaining velocity and energy that would be dangerous to human beings. References and tables