Editing Bullet (section)

==History==
[[File:MaryRose-round shot.JPG|thumb|Round shot from the 16th century ''[[Mary Rose]]'' English [[warship]], showing both stone and iron ball shot]]
The first true gun evolved in China from the fire lance (a bamboo tube that fired porcelain shrapnel) with the invention of the metal hand cannon sometime around 1288, which the [[Yuan dynasty]] used to win a decisive victory against Mongolian rebels. The artillery [[cannon]] appeared in 1326 and the European [[hand cannon]] in 1364. Early projectiles were made of stone. Eventually it was discovered that stone would not penetrate stone fortifications, which led to the use of denser materials as projectiles. Hand cannon projectiles developed in a similar manner. The first recorded instance of a metal ball from a hand cannon penetrating armor was in 1425.<ref>{{cite web|title=Important Dates in Gun History|url=http://armscollectors.com/gunhistorydates.htm|website=armscollectors.com|access-date=29 January 2017|archive-date=30 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130060545/http://armscollectors.com/gunhistorydates.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Shot retrieved from the wreck of the ''[[Mary Rose]]'' (sunk in 1545, raised in 1982) are of different sizes, and some are stone while others are cast iron.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Cannon from the Mary Rose|url=http://www.teachinghistory100.org/objects/about_the_object/a_cannon_from_the_mary_rose|website=teachinghistory100.com|publisher=The British Museum}}</ref>

The development of the hand [[culverin]] and [[matchlock]] [[arquebus]] brought about the use of [[Casting (metalworking)|cast]] lead balls as projectiles. The original round [[musket]] ball was smaller than the bore of the barrel. At first it was loaded into the barrel just resting upon the powder. Later, some sort of material was used as a [[wadding]] between the ball and the powder as well as over the ball to keep it in place,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trackofthewolf.com/list/Item.aspx/163/1|title=Precision Shooting Patches for round ball – Track of the Wolf|website=www.trackofthewolf.com}}</ref> it held the bullet firmly in the barrel and against the powder. (Bullets not firmly set on the powder risked exploding the barrel, with the condition known as a "short start".)<ref>{{cite web|title=How to load a musket|url=https://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/1836/the_battle/the_weapons/load.html|website=tamu.edu|publisher=The Second Flying Company of Alamo de Parras|access-date=29 January 2017|archive-date=3 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703200707/http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/1836/the_battle/the_weapons/load.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The loading of muskets was therefore easy with the old smooth-bore [[Brown Bess]] and similar military muskets. The original muzzle-loading [[rifle]], however, was loaded with a piece of leather or cloth wrapped around the ball, to allow the ball to engage the grooves in the barrel. Loading was a bit more difficult, particularly when the bore of the barrel was fouled from previous firings. For this reason, and because rifles were not often fitted for [[bayonet]]s, early rifles were rarely used for military purposes, compared to muskets.

[[File:Naseby musket balls.jpg|thumb|[[Matchlock]] [[musket balls]], alleged to have been discovered on the battlefield of [[Battle of Naseby|Naseby]] (1645)]]There was a distinct change in the shape and function of the bullet during the first half of the 19th century, although experiments with various types of elongated projectiles had been made in Britain, America and France from the first half of the 18th century onwards.<ref>''The Principles and Practice of Modern Artillery; Including Artillery Material, Gunnery, and Organization and Use of Artillery in Warfare ... With ... Illustrations'' by Charles Henry OWEN (Major-General.) p.200 [https://books.google.com/books?id=zpPdIH1IyQ0C&dq=Robins+1747+Bullet&pg=PA200]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=qcXkC-S33xUC&dq=Reichenbach+1816+Cannon&pg=PA96 ''The Engineer, Volume 12'' p.96]</ref> In 1816, Capt. George Reichenbach of the Bavarian army invented a rifled-wall musket using cylindro-conical ammunition.<ref>''Rifled Field Pieces: A Short Compilation of what is Known of the New Field Artillery of Europe : with Some Account of Our Own'' by Franck Taylor p.29 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Reyoss8N8YgC&dq=Reichenbach+1816+Cannon&pg=RA1-PA29]</ref> In 1826, [[Henri-Gustave Delvigne]], a French [[infantry]] officer, invented a breech with abrupt shoulders on which a spherical bullet was rammed down until it caught the [[rifling]] grooves. Delvigne's method, however, deformed the bullet and was inaccurate. In 1855, a detachment of [[1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)|1st U.S. Dragoons]], while on patrol, traded lead for gold bullets with [[Pima people|Pima Indians]] along the California–Arizona border.<ref>Bennett, James A.; Editors Brooks, Clinton E., Reeve, Frank D. (1948) p, 72.  ''Forts and Forays, James A. Bennett: A Dragoon In New Mexico1850-1856.'' The University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.</ref><ref>Bieber, Ralph P., Editor (1938). P. 370. ''"Diaries of Francois Xavier Aubry 1853–1854."'' "Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846–1854." The Arthur H. Clarke Company.</ref>

Square bullets have origins that almost pre-date civilization and were used in slings. They were typically made out of copper or lead. The most notable use of square bullet designs was by [[James Puckle]] and Kyle Tunis who patented them, where they were briefly used in one version of the [[Puckle gun]]. The early use of these in the [[Gunpowder|black-powder]] era was soon discontinued because of the irregular and unpredictable flight patterns.

===Pointed bullets===
[[File:Early_cylindrical_bullets.jpg#/media/File:Early_cylindrical_bullets.jpg|thumb|[[Henri-Gustave Delvigne|Delvigne]] further developed cylindro-spherical (left) and cylindro-conical bullets (middle), which received the bullet grooves developed by [[François Tamisier|Tamisier]] for stability|link=File:Early_cylindrical_bullets.jpg]]

Delvigne continued to develop bullet design and by 1830 had started to develop cylindro-conical bullets. His bullet designs were improved by [[François Tamisier|Francois Tamisier]] with the addition of "ball grooves" which are known as "[[cannelure]]s", which moved the resistance of air behind the center of gravity of the bullet.<ref>{{cite book|author=Gibbon, John|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8FEkwTZd9FMC |quote=Gibbon rifles.|title=The Artillerist's Manual|publisher=D.Van Nostrand|year=1860|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8FEkwTZd9FMC/page/n139 125]}}</ref> Tamisier also developed progressive rifling: the rifle grooves were deeper toward the breech, becoming shallower as they progressed toward the muzzle. This causes the bullet to be progressively molded into the grooves which increases range and accuracy.<ref>''Deanes' Manual of the History and Science of Fire-arms'' by John Deane p.237-238 [https://books.google.com/books?id=0lIBAAAAQAAJ&dq=Captain+Tamisier&pg=PA237]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GZTmKbpqzcC&q=Captain+Tamisier&pg=PA515|title=The United Service Magazine|first=Arthur William Alsager|last=Pollock|date=16 May 2017|publisher=H. Colburn|via=Google Books}}</ref>

[[Image:Eratic bullet trajectory.jpg|thumb|Before Tamisier's invention, the orientation of a cylindro-conical bullet tended to remain along its inertial axis, progressively setting it against its trajectory and increasingly meeting air resistance, which rendered the bullet's movement erratic.]]
Among the first pointed or "conical" bullets were those designed by Captain John Norton of the [[British Army]] in 1832. Norton's bullet had a hollow base made of [[Lotus (plant)|lotus]] pith that on firing expanded under pressure to engage with a barrel's rifling.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rifling: Expanding Bullets and the Minié Rifle|url=http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2010/05/rifling-expanding-bullets-and-minie.html|website=firearmshistory.blogspot.com|date=16 May 2010|publisher=Firearms History, Technology & Development|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> The British Board of Ordnance rejected it because spherical bullets had been in use for the previous 300 years.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Howey|first1=Allan W.|title=Facts, information and articles about the Minié Ball, a Civil War bullet|url=http://www.historynet.com/minie-ball?PageSpeed=noscript|website=historynet.com|publisher=Civil War Times Magazine|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> Renowned English gunsmith [[William Greener]] invented the Greener bullet in 1836. Greener fitted the [[Hollow-base bullet|hollow base]] of an oval bullet with a wooden plug that more reliably forced the base of the bullet to expand and catch the rifling. Tests proved that Greener's bullet was effective, but the military rejected it because, being two parts, they judged it as too complicated to produce.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rifling: Expanding Bullets and the Minié Rifle|url=http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2010/05/rifling-expanding-bullets-and-minie.html|website=firearmshistory.blogspot.com|date=16 May 2010|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Minie Balls.jpg|thumb|Minié ball ammunition]]
The [[carabine à tige]], developed by [[Louis-Étienne de Thouvenin]] in 1844, was an improvement of Delvigne's design. The rifle barrel has a forcing plug in the breech of the barrel to mold the bullet into the rifling with the use of a special [[ramrod]]. While successful in increasing accuracy, it was difficult to clean.

[[Image:Minie ball design harpers ferry burton.jpg|thumb|1855 Minié ball design from the U.S. Arsenal, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia]]
The soft lead [[Minié ball]] was first introduced in 1847 by [[Claude-Étienne Minié]], a captain in the French Army. It was another improvement of the work done by Delvigne. The bullet was conical in shape with a hollow cavity in the rear, which was fitted with a small iron cap instead of a wooden plug. When fired, the iron cap forced itself into the hollow cavity at the rear of the bullet, thus expanding the sides of the bullet to grip and engage the rifling. In 1851, the British adopted the Minié ball for their [[British military rifles|702-inch Pattern 1851 Minié rifle]]. In 1855, James Burton, a machinist at the U.S. Armory at [[Harpers Ferry, West Virginia|Harper's Ferry, West Virginia]], improved the Minié ball further by eliminating the metal cup in the bottom of the bullet.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Park Service Museum Collections|url=http://npscollections.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-drawings-of-james-burton-machinist.html|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Rare and Endangered Artifacts|url=https://www.nps.gov/hafe/learn/historyculture/top-10-rare-and-endangered-artifacts.htm|website=nps.gov|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> The Minié ball first saw widespread use in the [[Crimean War]] (1853–1856). Roughly 90% of the battlefield casualties in the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865) were caused by Minié balls fired from rifled muskets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Minié Ball|url=http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/minie-ball|website=history.com|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> A similar bullet called the [[Nessler ball]] was also developed for [[smoothbore]] muskets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nessler Ball & Ribbed Slug|url=http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?272850-Nessler-Ball-amp-Ribbed-Slug|website=castboolits.gunloads.com|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref>

Between 1854 and 1857, Sir [[Joseph Whitworth]] conducted a long series of rifle experiments and proved, among other points, the advantages of a smaller [[Gauge (firearms)|bore]] and, in particular, of an elongated bullet. The Whitworth bullet was made to fit the grooves of the rifle mechanically. The Whitworth rifle was never adopted by the government, although it was used extensively for match purposes and target practice between 1857 and 1866. In 1861, W. B. Chace approached President [[Abraham Lincoln]] with an improved ball design for muskets. In firing over the [[Potomac River]], where the Chace ball and the round ball were alternated, Lincoln observed that the Chace design carried a third or more farther fired at the same elevation. Although Lincoln recommended testing, it never took place.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bilby|first1=Joe|title=Pedersoli musket, Nessler Balls and RCBS Dies|url=http://www.civilwarguns.com/9910b.html|access-date=29 January 2017|publisher=civilwarguns.com|date=1999|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923204419/http://www.civilwarguns.com/9910b.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Around 1862, [[William Ellis Metford|W. E. Metford]] carried out an exhaustive series of experiments on bullets and rifling, and he invented the important system of light rifling with increasing spiral and a hardened bullet. The combined result was that, in December 1888, the [[Lee–Metford]] small-bore ([[.303 British|.303]]", 7.70&nbsp;mm) rifle, Mark I, was adopted for the British army. The Lee–Metford was the predecessor of the [[Lee–Enfield]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Lee Metford (Magazine Lee Metford / MLM) Bolt-Action Service Rifle (1888)|url=http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=533|website=militaryfactory.com|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref>

===Modern bullets===
[[File:Bullet types on .270 ammunition.jpg|thumb|[[.270 Winchester]] ammunition:{{Ordered list |list_style_type=decimal  |{{convert|100|gr|adj=on}} – [[hollow-point bullet|hollow point]] |{{convert|115|gr|adj=on}} – [[Full metal jacket (ammunition)|FMJBT]]|{{convert|130|gr|adj=on}} – [[soft point]] |{{convert|150|gr|adj=on}} – round nose }}]]
The next important change in the history of the rifle bullet occurred in 1882, when Lieutenant Colonel [[Eduard Rubin]], director of the Swiss Army Laboratory at Thun, invented the [[Full metal jacket (ammunition)|copper-jacketed bullet]] — an elongated bullet with a lead core in a copper jacket. It was also small bore (7.5 and 8&nbsp;mm) and it is the precursor of the 8&nbsp;mm ''Lebel bullet'' adopted for the [[smokeless powder]] ammunition of the [[Lebel Model 1886 rifle]]. The surface of lead bullets fired at high velocity may melt from the hot gases behind and friction within the bore. Because copper has a higher [[melting point]], and greater [[specific heat capacity]], and higher [[hardness]], copper-jacketed bullets allow greater muzzle velocities.

[[Image:.303ammunition.jpeg|thumb|[[.303 British|.303 inch]] (7.7&nbsp;mm) centrefire, [[Full metal jacket bullet|FMJ]] rimmed ammunition]]European advances in aerodynamics led to the pointed [[Spitzer (bullet)|spitzer bullet]]. By the beginning of the 20th century, most world armies had begun the transition to spitzer bullets. These bullets flew for greater distances more accurately and transferred more [[kinetic energy]]. Spitzer bullets combined with [[machine gun]]s greatly increased lethality on the battlefield.

Spitzer bullets were streamlined at the base with the [[External ballistics#General trends in drag or ballistic coefficient|boat tail]]. In the trajectory of a bullet, as air passes over a bullet at high speed, a vacuum is created at the end of the bullet, slowing the projectile. The streamlined boat tail design reduces this [[Parasitic drag|form drag]] by allowing the air to flow along the surface of the tapering end. The resulting aerodynamic advantage is currently seen as the optimum shape for rifle technology. The first combination spitzer and boat-tail bullet, named ''balle'' D by its inventor Captain Georges Desaleux, was introduced as standard military ammunition in 1901, for the French [[Lebel Model 1886 rifle]].

A [[Plastic-tipped bullet|ballistic tip]] bullet is a [[Hollow-point bullet|hollow-point]] rifle bullet that has a plastic tip on the end of the bullet. This improves [[external ballistics]] by streamlining the bullet, allowing it to cut through the air more easily, and improves [[terminal ballistics]] by allowing the bullet to act as a jacketed hollow point. As a side effect, it also feeds better in weapons that have trouble feeding rounds that are not full metal jacket rounds.

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