A full metal jacket (or FMJ) is a bullet consisting of a soft core (usually made of lead) encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead.
Full metal jacketed bullets have different properties, both in terms of behavior inside the barrel of the gun and also in flight. Whereas hollow point and soft-tipped bullets are designed to expand upon impact, full metal jacket bullets are limited in their capacity to expand. In some cases this leads to decreased target damage, although not in all instances. For example, the 5.56x45 NATO round used in the M16/M4 family of firearms tends to tumble vertically upon impact, creating a massive cavity.
A hollow point is an expanding bullet that has a pit or hollowed out shape in its tip, generally intended to cause the bullet to expand upon entering a target in order to decrease penetration and disrupt more tissue as it travels through the target. It is also used for controlled penetration, where over-penetration could cause collateral damage (such as on an airplane). In essence, the hollow point bullet has two interrelated purposes: to increase its size once within the target, thus maximizing tissue damage and blood loss or shock, and by remaining in the target to expend all of its kinetic energy in the target, some of which will be lost if the bullet continues through the target.
Tell me again how "normal" the gun advocates are, the guys who seriously consider such things as "collateral damage" and ways to "disrupt more tissue as it travels through the target."
Tell me again about the reasonable folks who study such things as which bullets tend "to tumble vertically upon impact, creating a massive cavity."
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Maybe you should ask the folks who invented these bullet characteristics. That may be difficult though as hollow point and full metal jacket bullets are both well over 100 years old and developed by various European military armories.
ReplyDeleteThere have been more modern advances in hunting bullets in recent years though. We now have all manner of bullets to to make better kills on all game from prairie dogs on up to cape buffalo.
"Tell me again about the reasonable folks who study such things as which bullets tend "to tumble vertically upon impact, creating a massive cavity."
That would be the government. Military as well as several large police departments have people that do nothing else. You know, military and police, the ones you think should have guns.
Bullets weren't meant to tickle. They also weren't meant to graze or only make a flesh wound. They are designed to kill. I would expect that their characteristics are such that they do this as efficiently as possible.
ReplyDeleteIn reality, of course, such ammo has no practical civilian use.
ReplyDeleteMikeb:
ReplyDelete. . . guys who seriously consider such things as "collateral damage" . . .
Congratulations, Mikeb--you've managed to complain about a gun safety measure now. You don't see some value in taking steps to ensure that the bullet doesn't pass through its intended target, and hit some bystander behind him (perhaps at some distance)?
As for maximizing tissue disruption, hunting rounds are designed to kill the animal as quickly as possible, to minimize its suffering. I realize you find hunting to be sick, but do you see that a quick death is far more merciful than a lingering one?
Pistol-caliber hollowpoints, on the other hand, are designed not with the intent of making them more deadly, but of making them capable of more quickly rendering the target unable to continue his own aggression. Perhaps unfortunately, the same properties that make a bullet more effective at that also tend to make it more deadly--but lethality is not the point of the design. A bullet design that stops a gunfight quickly can save lives, by preventing a wounded suspect from continuing his assault.
That's why New Jersey cops use hollowpoints, despite lowly "regular" citizens being forbidden to (or at least it's my understanding that hollowpoints are banned for private use in NJ--my apologies if that's incorrect).
I want bullets that cook the meat as they pass through them. Carolyn McCarthy promised them to me, but like most things in her life, she failed at that.
ReplyDelete"In reality, of course, such ammo has no practical civilian use."
ReplyDeleteAll ammo has practical civilian use.
In reality, of course, such ammo has no practical civilian use.
ReplyDeleteReally? FMJ's are practical for range use. Hollowpoints are practical in the event I need to incapacitate someone or something without the round exiting what I shot and hitting something/someone else.
I can't help but laugh at idiot anti-gunners railing against "hollowpoints." Perhaps they want to see innocent people needlessly killed.
Actually that would make sense, seeing as how you and your ilk love to dance in the blood of the dead to call for more gun control.
Post summary:
ReplyDeleteOh my God, bullets can kill people! And there are people in charge of killing people for the government that study how bullets kill people.
In reality, of course, Jadegold has no practical comment ability.
ReplyDeleteJade: “In reality, of course, such ammo has no practical civilian use.”
ReplyDeleteSo what ammo does have a practical civilian use? One’s made out of hardened materials that are designed to transfer less energy on impact?
I'll take a bunch of that, in .308, please!
ReplyDeleteIt's all sick I tell you, sick, sick, sick. Hunting, shooting, bullets, guns, it's all sick.
ReplyDeleteOf course, FWM is right, the police and military need to have these tools. But the rest of you, I'm not convinced.
"Of course, FWM is right, the police and military need to have these tools. But the rest of you, I'm not convinced."
ReplyDeleteI believe I was answering your question on who thought this "sick" stuff up and who would be "sick" enough to study such things and my answer was the government. The people you think should have a monopoly of force.
"Of course, FWM is right, the police and military need to have these tools. But the rest of you, I'm not convinced."
ReplyDeleteIf the police have it, I should have it. Considering they are civilians, they have no more rights than I do.
AztecRed, You're out there, man. But you're in good company.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he is in good company. Robert Peel, to be exact.
ReplyDeleteWow--I wonder if these are anywhere close to as capable as the hype suggests. If so, shut up and take my money for a thousand or so rounds in .45 ACP!
ReplyDeleteHere are a couple videos of it in action.
Is there a prettier sight in all the universe as that of a goblin's pureed organs? I suppose there is--two goblins' pureed organs!