Bullets
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Really this entry ought to be named "ammunition," except that it's main purpose is to correct the sloppy terminology often used by people unfamiliar with firearms (and even by some people who should know better).
So, to begin: the bullet is not the thing that you put into the gun. The bullet is the thing that comes out of the front of the gun when you pull the trigger (assuming nothing goes wrong). The thing that you put into the gun is called a round of ammunition, or a cartridge.
A cartridge generally consists of four parts:
- cartridge case
- primer
- powder
- bullet
The cartridge case is a cylinder, sometimes tapered, and sealed at one end. It's the thing that looks like a little tiny metal vase. Normally this is made of brass. This gets left behind when you fire the gun. If the weapon is an automatic or semiautomatic, it is ejected through the breech port and falls on the ground (or occasionally, down the shirt of the person shooting, leading the amusing contortions because the darned thing is rather hot). If the weapon is a revolver, the cartridge case stays behind in the cylinder until the spent cartridges are ejected.
The primer is a small metal cup containing a mixture of chemicals that will spark when hit sharply. The primer rests at the center bottom of the inside of the cartridge case in most cartridges: this is why they are called "centerfire ammunition" (an exception is the .22 rimfire cartridge, which has the primer spread around the circumfrence of the base of the cartridge case).
The powder is the part that explodes. When detonated by the primer, the powder creates a great deal of rapidly-expanding gas. It is this gas that drives the bullet out of the front of the gun barrel.
The bullet is the actual projectile. This is often made of lead, and most modern bullets are coated with another metal such as copper to prevent lead dust from getting into the air (lead poisoning is a serious hazard for those who fire unjacketed ammunition on an indoor range). This, by the way, is the origin of the term "full metal jacket," which you might have heard. Bullets may also be made of other metals such as bismuth for specialized situations.
So, to begin: the bullet is not the thing that you put into the gun. The bullet is the thing that comes out of the front of the gun when you pull the trigger (assuming nothing goes wrong). The thing that you put into the gun is called a round of ammunition, or a cartridge.
A cartridge generally consists of four parts:
- cartridge case
- primer
- powder
- bullet
The cartridge case is a cylinder, sometimes tapered, and sealed at one end. It's the thing that looks like a little tiny metal vase. Normally this is made of brass. This gets left behind when you fire the gun. If the weapon is an automatic or semiautomatic, it is ejected through the breech port and falls on the ground (or occasionally, down the shirt of the person shooting, leading the amusing contortions because the darned thing is rather hot). If the weapon is a revolver, the cartridge case stays behind in the cylinder until the spent cartridges are ejected.
The primer is a small metal cup containing a mixture of chemicals that will spark when hit sharply. The primer rests at the center bottom of the inside of the cartridge case in most cartridges: this is why they are called "centerfire ammunition" (an exception is the .22 rimfire cartridge, which has the primer spread around the circumfrence of the base of the cartridge case).
The powder is the part that explodes. When detonated by the primer, the powder creates a great deal of rapidly-expanding gas. It is this gas that drives the bullet out of the front of the gun barrel.
The bullet is the actual projectile. This is often made of lead, and most modern bullets are coated with another metal such as copper to prevent lead dust from getting into the air (lead poisoning is a serious hazard for those who fire unjacketed ammunition on an indoor range). This, by the way, is the origin of the term "full metal jacket," which you might have heard. Bullets may also be made of other metals such as bismuth for specialized situations.
