TYPES OF BULLETS

Southland Times, Issue 17764, 24 September 1914, Page 6

TYPES OF BULLETS

Complaint has been made by both sides in the war of the use of dum-dum bullets. In reference to this matter, tho British Prime Minister, Mr Asquith, suggested this week that the accusations of the use of dum-dum bullets were due to the fact that long-pointed bullets caused a more serious, jagged wound, when fired at close ranges than any form of expanding bullets, probably because the pointed bullets turp sideways after piercing the tlesii. Both French and German troops use pointed bullets, as distinguished from the round-nosed ones used by every ocher nation, except the United 'states. The German rifle fires its bullet, which is jacketed with steel coated with a. copper-nickel alloy, at a muzzle velocity rf 2882 ft per second The velocity of Hie French bullet is 2380 ft per second. The result of the ■ high velocity of the German bullet is that its trajectory is very low. and, fired at a range of 700 yards, the bullet does not rise above the height of a man's head. The pointed form of the bullet has much to do with the high speed, as less resistance is offered by the air to the passage of such a missile. 'Hie suggestion that the high speed pointed bullet is responsible for exceptionally severe wounds is quite acceptable, apart from the idea that the bullet turns over on striking, which it Is hardly more likely to do than a. round-nosed one. Many years ago some extremely interesting experiments were made with high velocity bullets. It was found that when the bul’et .truck with more than a. certain velocity, its effect was out of all proportion more severe than at lower speeds, the ic.sult being often comparable to those that would follow the use of a dum-dum or even of an explosive bullet. This was considered to be at least partly due to the fact that the bullet, acting as a wedge, drove, the fiesh apart so rapidly that the displaced portions became themselves destructive to the surrounding tissues. The pointed or “S” bullet of tiie Germans was introduced only in 1907, and France then adopted the “D” bullc:. Great Britain attempted to use one of the same kind, but it was found that, in order to get the full advantage of it. tho charge In the cartridge must bo increased to such an extent too great for the Lee-Enfield breech action. A new rifle is being introduced into the Br.tish Army, firing a pointed bullet at ext-emely high velocity.