{"id":659,"date":"2020-02-13T14:42:57","date_gmt":"2020-02-13T14:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=659"},"modified":"2020-02-16T15:17:32","modified_gmt":"2020-02-16T15:17:32","slug":"a-brief-history-of-ammo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/a-brief-history-of-ammo\/","title":{"rendered":"A Brief History Of Ammo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no record of the first projectile used by early man, although the odds are good it was a rock lobbed by a hungry caveman. Those humble beginnings lead to the creation of the shepherd\u2019s sling. A leather pouch with two leather thongs attached to either side that increased velocity and accuracy\u2014and many more devices of various sizes and effectiveness. Then someone in China invented gunpowder, firearms followed, and the bullet was born. Today\u2019s versions are eloquent products of science, although their roots trace back to those first, round balls cast from molten lead. Here\u2019s a look at the history of ammo and the modern bullet\u2018s evolution.\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In The Begining, There Was Gunpowder<\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4480\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4480\" class=\"wp-image-4480 size-full\" title=\"bullets and gunpowder in the history of ammo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4379.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of bullets and gunpowder in the history of ammo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4379.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4379-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4379-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4379-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4480\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big bang theory? Chinese gunpowder recipes existed as early as the 11th century Song Dynasty.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometime in the 9th century A.D., the Chinese invented blackpowder. It was the earliest known chemical explosive, consisting of a mixture in which charcoal and sulfur provide fuel, while potassium nitrate (AKA saltpeter) acted as oxidizer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not surprisingly, the first recorded instance of a firearm used in battle belongs to the Chinese as well. It occurred approximately a century after blackpowder\u2019s invention. The first bullet was a lead ball loaded into the muzzle of a smoothbore barrel on top of a charge of the propellant.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Igniting the charge sent the bullets toward the enemy, although the lead balls were not very accurate. Lack of rifling was one reason, but the bullet diameters were deliberately smaller than the smooth-bore barrel. This prevented the bullets from getting stuck during loading. It also caused them to bounce from side-to-side inside the barrel before exit. A spherical shape isn\u2019t exactly aerodynamically stable in flight, either.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Blackpowder Limitations<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blackpowder also had limits. There were no known means of controlling its burn rate and there were transportation issues. Blackpowder had a strong tendency to separate into its individual components when transported, compromising its ability to ignite and explode. It also fouled guns significantly. A fact some historians claim was the catalyst when gunsmiths searching for a solution first cut spiral grooves (rifling) into barrels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frenchman Paul Vielle solved many of the problems with the invention of smokeless powder or \u201cwhite powder.\u201d It consisted of a mixture of nitroglycerin, cellulose and certain nitrates. It\u2019s possible to manage burn rate in smokeless powder, it\u2019s more stable, generates more energy, and burns cleaner.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">History Of Ammo: Bullet Innovation<\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4501\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4501\" class=\"wp-image-4501 size-full\" title=\"historical civil war bullets\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/BSS5811-Web.jpg\" alt=\"photo of civil war bullets on american flag background\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/BSS5811-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/BSS5811-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/BSS5811-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/BSS5811-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4501\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Throughout history, advances in bullet innovation have improved stability, range and accuracy.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even before Vielle\u2019s innovation, efforts to improve bullet accuracy were already underway. An early solution in the history of ammo used a lubricated patch\u2014often made of linen\u2014wrapped around the lead ball during loading. The patch would engage the rifling and spin the bullet in flight for greater stability, range and improved accuracy. Using the approach a rifled barrel increased the accuracy and range up to 500 yards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The invention of the Mini\u00e9 Ball was the first great leap toward the modern bullet. It was named after its co-developer Claude-\u00c9tienne Mini\u00e9, who also invented the Mini\u00e9 rifle. The Mini\u00e9 Ball was the world\u2019s only conical bullet design at the time, one that incorporated tailored to increase its ballistic coefficient for greater range and improve target penetration.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Mini\u00e9 Ball also had a hollow base and was slightly smaller than the rifle\u2019s bore diameter. The hollow base would expand when the blackpowder burned, sealing the bore and capturing gas and its energy behind the bullet. The revolutionary design changed the history of ammo and resulted in less fouling, increased muzzle velocity, improved ballistics and full engagement of the bore\u2019s rifling for improved accuracy.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Full Metal Jacket<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4485\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4485\" class=\"wp-image-4485 size-full\" title=\"1911 handgun with 45 acp ammo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4400.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of a 1911 handgun with 45 acp ammo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4400.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4400-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4400-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4400-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4485\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Full metal jacket, or &#8220;ball ammo&#8221; is the most common ammunition type for a variety of calibers.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The introduction of reliable, self-contained, metallic cartridges made breech-loading firearms practical. Although, the simple lead or lead-alloy bullet persisted until the invention of the full metal jacket bullet (FMJ) in 1882. Developed by Swiss Colonel Eduard Rubin, the FMJ bullet\u2014also known as ball ammunition in military parlance\u2014appeared when he was working for the Swiss Federal Ammunition Factory and Research Center.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An FMJ bullet consists of a soft-lead core encased in a shell of harder metal. It&#8217;s combined as gilding metal, cupronickel (a copper and nickel alloy) or, less commonly, a steel alloy. The jacketed or shell design of the bullet generally enables a higher muzzle velocity than a bare-lead version without depositing significant amounts of metal in the bore. It also prevents bore damage from steel or other armor-piercing core materials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/handgun\/9mm-ammo?jacket_type=27\">the FMJ bullet<\/a> allows significantly higher muzzle velocities than cast lead, the FMJ\u2019s lack of expansion minimizes damage on target when compared to other modern designs. To improve the lethality of jacketed bullets, the British arsenal in Dum Dum, India, developed both soft-point and hollow-point bullets at around 1890. Cartridges such as the .303-caliber Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V and the .455-caliber Mark III \u201cManstopper\u201d took advantage of these new jacketed bullets.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Unfair Advantage?<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An international treaty shortly after, in which nations declared the \u201cLaws of War,\u201d included a section outlawing use of expanding bullets in warfare. The history of ammo shows the United States never signed\/ratified that section. Jacketed soft point bullets did gain significant popularity among hunters, however, due to their controlled expansion. New high-velocity cartridges using a tapered jacket design with an exposed lead core, instead of a hollow point, also appeared. In these designs the bullet expands on impact, providing improved terminal performance ideal when hunting big game.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hollow Points: Improved Stopping Power<\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4473\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4473\" class=\"wp-image-4473 size-full\" title=\"federal premium 9mm HST JHP handgun ammo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4342-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of federal premium 9mm HST JHP handgun ammo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4342-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4342-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4342-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4342-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4473\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An improvement on the FMJ bullet design, the jacketed hollow point expands on impact increasing wound size.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FMJ bullet does not expand on impact. It tends to pass through the target without transferring most of its kinetic energy on target. Soft points and hollow points do, however, expand and increase their diameter on target. Slowing down enough to dump their energy and produce enlarged temporary wound and permanent crush cavities. In the history of ammo and ballistics, hollow points are usually more damaging than soft points.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each advancement further enhances the lethality of the bullet. There\u2019s no denying hollow points, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/handgun\/45-acp-ammo?jacket_type=104\">jacketed hollow points<\/a> and their derivatives are the pinnacles of self-defense and law enforcement designs today. The development hasn\u2019t stopped, though.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One such example would be solid-copper-alloy frangible bullets. Instead of expanding on impact, they fracture into multiple pieces and cause multiple wound channels. Sequentially, they transfer all kinetic energy to the target for greater hydrostatic shock and stopping power.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimate Bullet Design?<\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4477\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4477\" class=\"wp-image-4477 size-full\" title=\"federal premium 12 gauge 00 buck shot shells \" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4331.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of federal premium 12 gauge 00 buck shot shells \" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4331.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4331-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4331-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4331-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4477\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 00 Buck 12-gauge shotgun shell is a more lethal option than a handgun in close quarters.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the ultimate bullet design? That answer depends on the goal. From a military standpoint, for example, it is often a better choice to wound an enemy soldier than to kill them. Wounded soldiers require other soldiers to help them escape the line of fire and provide medical assistance. Effectively reducing the number of enemy combatants engaged in the firefight.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Police personnel, on the other hand, commonly encounter assailants in tighter quarters. They work to immediately incapacitate a perpetrator, when required, with a single shot. Lethal force is a last resort, however, police officers are often in situations where they must gain control of the situation quickly. This usually takes place up close and innocent citizens may be nearby. They carry handguns with hollow-point loads, but when they need more power, they choose a 12-gauge shotgun. The shotshells are 2 3\/4-inch buckshot loads with between eight and nine .36-caliber lead balls (depending on the manufacturer). Unfortunately, a shotgun\u2019s smoothbore makes buckshot inaccurate.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Rifled Shotgun Slug<\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_4479\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4479\" class=\"wp-image-4479 size-full\" title=\"12 gauge rifled slugs\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4355.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of 12 gauge rifled slugs in the history of ammo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4355.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4355-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4355-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4355-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4479\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rifled shotgun slugs designed for one purpose, punching big holes in targets.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enter the rifled shotgun slug, with rifling that causes the slug to spin in flight and increases accuracy exponentially. A 12-Gauge shotgun has a bore diameter of .72 inches and a .72-caliber shotgun slug has a weight of 1.5 ounces. A large-bore diameter, with that much slug weight, makes the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/shotgun\/12-gauge-ammo?jacket_type=158&amp;manufacturer=1\">12-Gauge shotgun slug<\/a> one of the most lethal, close-range bullet designs available today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For civilian self-defense, hollow-points and their derivatives are ideal for the same reasons law enforcement prefers them. Citizens pressing a modern sporting rifle into home-defense use have a variety of bullet designs to choose from. But don\u2019t expect to see many, if any, hollow points. On average they perform best at lower pistol velocities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smart Bullets<\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4487\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4487\" class=\"wp-image-4487 size-full\" title=\"smart bullets of the future\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Smart-Bullet.jpg\" alt=\"a graphic depicting smart bullets of the future\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Smart-Bullet.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Smart-Bullet-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Smart-Bullet-768x450.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Smart-Bullet-790x463.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4487\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smart bullets of the future are guided munitions able to accurately steer themselves towards distant targets.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The future of bullet design is a development known as the \u201csmart bullet,\u201d also referred to as guided munitions. A smart bullet is a projectile that strikes targets at extended range by steering itself in flight via moveable fins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aerospace Engineer Ron Barrett of Auburn University in Alabama has spent the last 15 years developing the smart bullet. Though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spiedigitallibrary.org\/conference-proceedings-of-spie\/8341\/83410Z\/Steerable-Adaptive-Bullet-StAB-piezoelectric-flight-control-system\/10.1117\/12.915056.short\">this bullet design<\/a> is still in the research and development, it is fast approaching practicality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike current anti-personnel bullets that depend on a shooter\u2019s skill, the smart bullet sees and tracks a laser beam to its intended target. The trajectory adjusts in-flight via moveable fins, which give the bullet the appearance of a miniature rocket.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A charge in the nose could enable smart bullets to shoot down fast-moving enemy rockets. Using data to provide extreme accuracy in targeting, as well as tracking other types of moving targets. A powerful computer and radar system that tracks hostile incoming projectiles are the \u201cbrains\u201d of the system, which holds great promise in protecting military installations, personnel carriers, aircraft, ships and more.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is no record of the first projectile used by early man, although the odds are good it was a rock lobbed by a hungry caveman. Those humble beginnings lead to the creation of the shepherd\u2019s sling. A leather pouch with two leather thongs attached to either side that increased velocity and accuracy\u2014and many more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[493,491,490,209,492,494,495],"class_list":["post-659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ammo","tag-black-powder","tag-bullet-development","tag-bullet-history","tag-full-metal-jacket","tag-gun-powder","tag-jacketed-hollow-point","tag-smart-bullet"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Brief History Of Ammo - Wideners Shooting, Hunting &amp; Gun Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Curious about the history of ammo? 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