Editing Teflon-coated bullet (section)

==History==
In the 1960s, Paul Kopsch (an Ohio coroner), Daniel Turcus (a police sergeant), and Donald Ward (Kopsch's special investigator) began experimenting with special purpose handgun ammunition. Their objective was to develop a law enforcement round capable of improved penetration against hard targets, such as windshield glass and automobile doors. Conventional bullets, made primarily from lead, often [[Terminal ballistics|become deformed and less effective]] after striking hard targets, especially when fired at handgun velocities. The inventors named their company "KTW," after their initials.

After some experimentation with [[sintered]] [[tungsten|tungsten-alloy]] Kennertium W-10 projectiles, which were eventually abandoned due to supply and cost concerns, the inventors settled on a bullet consisting mostly of hard brass and some with a steel projectile. In testing, the comparatively hard brass bullets wore out barrels far more quickly than standard solid [[lead]] and [[copper]]-jacketed lead rounds, since they did not deform to fit the [[rifling]].<ref name="NRA-ILA 1999-07-29">{{cite web |url=http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/fact-sheets/1999/history-of-federal-ammunition-law-.aspx|title=History of Federal Ammunition Law |date=29 July 1999 |website=Institute for Legislative Action |publisher=[[National Rifle Association of America]] |accessdate=25 November 2014}}</ref> In an attempt to reduce barrel wear, the steel projectiles had a copper cup which made contact with the rifling; on brass projectiles, brass driving bands are present to engage the rifling. Early KTWs were coated with [[Polytetrafluoroethylene|Teflon]]. The inventors, having also noted that the tips of [[assistive cane|walking canes]] were frequently covered with the relatively soft and malleable Teflon to help them grip surfaces, found that the addition of Teflon helped to prevent bullet deflections from vehicle doors and windshields, further improving penetration against those surfaces.<ref name="NRAction newsletter, Volume 4, Issue 5 (May 1990)">{{cite web|url=http://www.guncite.com/ktwint.html |title=Interview with an inventor of the KTW bullet |website=Guncite.com |accessdate=2013-10-24}}</ref><ref name="Cartridge of the Month, December 2006">{{cite web |url=http://cartridgecollectors.org/cmo/cmo06dec.htm |title=Cartridge of the Month |website=CartridgeCollectors.org |date=December 2006 |accessdate=2012-08-20}}</ref>

In the late 1960s, KTW begun commercial production. In 1980, continued production of the ammunition was turned over to the North American Ordnance Corporation. The production of KTW-branded ammunition eventually ceased in the 1990s. However, some manufacturers continue to coat their bullets with various compounds, notably Teflon and [[molybdenum disulfide]], as a protective layer against barrel wear.

Not a lot of performance data is available for these bullets, although the 9mm offering was reputed to push a {{convert|100|gr|g|lk=in|adj=on}} projectile at a velocity of {{convert|1350|ft/s|m/s}}.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}