Bullets : The Evolution Story

Bullets first started out as small lead balls, that were shot out by a muzzle loaded matchlock, a type of gun. They were difficult to load and takes a lot of time to do so. The best marksmen could only shoot 2 to 3 rounds per minute at best, rather pathetic compared to the modern Dillon Minigun that spits out more that 3000 rounds per minute! The first conical or pointed bullets were invented by Captain John Norton, from the British Army, at 1823. It was rejected by the military however, as round bullets have been used for the past 300 years. This bullet has a hollow base, that would expand to fit the rifling of the barrel in the gun. Rifling are the grooves in a guns' barrel that spirals down the barrel, and makes the bullet spin when fired, improving its accuracy and projectary.

A change came that revolutionized the way bullets are. Major Rubin, director of the Swiss Laboratory at Thun, invented a copper jacket bullet, in 1883. The copper jacket bullet contains a copper jacket, filled with powder(in this case gunpowder), loaded with a primer, the part where the firing pin in the gun hits, causing a chemical reaction in the primer, igniting the powder, propelling the projectile, a solid chunk of pointed lead, into the target. This design gave birth to all the modern bullets. This design revolutionized the guns, too, allowing them to shoot more rounds per minute, giving birth to the machine gun. Bullets split into 2 common categories, the round nose, and the hollow point. The round nose bullet can travel much faster than a hollow point, as it is more aerodynamic, making it able to break the sound barrier(travel faster than the speed of sound). This bullet is designed to pierce through the target cleanly. The hollow point on the other hand has a hole on its point, as the name suggests, making it less aerodynamic. This might seem like something bad, but actually, this makes the bullet mushroom upon impact, releasing all its energy onto the target, inflicting maximum damage on the target, although it is traveling at one quarter of a round noses' speed. Bullets are now measured by its caliber, in mm, example 45 caliber, 50 caliber, used in sniper rifles and machine guns, or simply just mm, like the 9mm round used in pistols.

Then, there are the different types of bullets for different uses. Firstly, there is the amour piercing round, that has a high density bullet, designed to pierce through amour. Secondly, there is the tracer round, which is basically a flare, to signal friendly soldiers during wars. Thirdly, there is the Incendiary round that burns when fired, due to the chemicals on the tip of the bullet itself that would burn from the heat of the air friction when the bullet is in mid air. Not to be mistaken for a tracer round, the Incendiary is used to ignite fuel tanks or similar objects. Then, there is the exploding round, that explodes in the target, preferably the bone of the target. This is not like a grenade or a rocket, it contains low explosive instead of high explosive. Lastly, there is the blank round, which fires no bullets, but still give out the sound and recoil(the action that a gun jumps when fired) of a fired bullet.

From simple lead balls to the development of the copper jacket, from the copper jacket to the round nose and hollow point bullet, from the round nose and the hollow point to the Incendiary, bullets have come a long way since historical times ans would continue to evolve to shoot further, more accurately, and to inflict as much damage to a target.

Diagram of a bullet


50 caliber


9mm Hollow Point


9mm Round Nose


50 caliber Incendiary


Blanks