Handgun Ballistics from Schmeg.com

   

Ballistics is a term that encompasses a wide variety of disciplines that have a common theme binding them together, the flight path trajectory. Ballistics can be placed into one of three categories Aerospace, Aeroballistic, and Hydroballistic. Each of these categories has three common sections internal ballistics, external ballistics, and terminal ballistics.

    Aerospace ballistics deals with the flight path trajectory of a spacecraft through a gaseous atmosphere (air), into space, and sometime back through the same or another gaseous atmosphere. A rocket ship or spacecraft is propelled by a rocket motor and the flight path is determined by an on board guidance control system and can carry non-human and/or human cargo called a payload. If a rocket is designed to carry a warhead and an on board guidance control system the rocket is called a missile weather it is capable of reaching space or not. And if a rocket is designed to carry a warhead and has no on board guidance control system it is called a rocket weather it is capable of reaching space or not. Rockets and missiles belong in the realm of Aerospace ballistics even if they never go or are never intended to go into outer space. The internal ballistics of Aerospace comprises the time the rocket motor/s ignite until it burns out. The external ballistics of Aerospace comprises the time the rocket motor/s burn out until just before the start of landing or impact. And terminal ballistics of Aerospace comprises the time of the start of landing or impact till the spacecraft comes to a stop.

    Aeroballistics is the study of and deals with non-powered flight of a guided or usually unguided flight path trajectories of projectiles in a gaseous atmosphere, like earth’s air. This includes aerial dropped bombs, mortars, guns, canons, tanks, and small arms. In the case of dropped ordinance while they do not have an internal ballistics, they still have external ballistics and terminal ballistics. The internal ballistics of Aeroballistics comprises the time the trigger releases the sear mechanism or if no trigger/sear mechanism the time of primer impact till the projectile just exits the muzzle of the tube or barrel. The external ballistics of Aeroballistics comprises the time ordinance is dropped or when the projectile exits the muzzle of the tube or barrel till just before the instant of impact. And terminal ballistics of Aeroballistics comprises the time of impact till the projectile or all significant disturbance stops.

    Hydroballistics is the study of and deals with non-powered or powered projectiles that are fired, launched, or propelled through a liquid atmosphere whether it has a guidance control system or not. This includes projectiles launched or fired underwater, torpedoes, submerged launched rocket propelled or assist torpedoes and missiles, and ICBM’s while they are underwater. The Hydroballistics of an ICBM launched from a submerged submarine enables the missile to ride in an air bubble all the way to the top and is thrown several tens of feet clear of the surface without ever getting wet before it is ignited or lit off.

    Smallarms are rifles and handguns that can be fired by one person against there shoulder, in the case of a rifle, or held in there hands, in the case of a handgun, with a caliber size limited to one inch in diameter or smaller. Within the realm of Aeroballistics of Smallarms lie several disciplines. Lets look briefly at some of these disciplines, we have:

The Gunsmith:

One who repairs guns and may build guns up from existing components.

The Bulletsmith:

One who makes bullets from either casting or swaging. The Bulletsmith may have their own bullet design made into the molds or dies from which their bullets are made from.

The (true) Ballistician:

One who deals with and studies the affects of the motion of projectiles. These people are normally called “Rocket Scientists”.

The Aeroballistician:

One who deals with and studies the affects of a non-powered projectile in a gaseous atmosphere.

The Aeroballistic Engineer:

One who designs complete firing systems. From the design of the bullet and cartridge to the delivery systems they are to be shot from. This person can also design any number of items in a shooting system. This person holds a degree in *Aeroballistic Engineering* and is well versed in mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, optics, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, metallurgy, vibrational and impact analysis among other disciplines. And have a working knowledge of electronics, photography, and computer programming.

    These disciplines involve as much art as they do science. While it is true that one cannot ride on or in a bullet to see what the bullet is doing, we can artfully take measurements while the bullet is in the barrel, in flight, and at the target. A photographic procedure called shadow graphing can delve into the deep secrets of the forces on a bullet in flight. A chronograph is a very handy tool for load development. While a pressure barrel can give you a glimpse into the fiery furnace of the chamber and cartridge, a magnetometer can profile the acceleration of the bullet in the barrel.

    Meanwhile ballistic forensics is called on to investigate firearm-related crimes. Depending on the circumstances of the crime, the ballistics team will look at three things:
1. Exterior ballistics - mapping the flight path of the bullet based on what kind of gun and bullets were used and where the incident took place.

2. Interior ballistics - proving that the gun found on the crime scene was actually used for the crime by matching the “toolmarks” on the spent cartridges from the scene, with the control cartridge (which is fired from the gun at the lab).

3. Wound ballistics - looking at the damage that the bullet did to the body in order to work out how far the shooter was from the victim when the gun was fired.

Although it is not always necessary, a ballistics technician does sometimes need to visit the crime scene to collect the information they need. This is not a job for the faint-hearted, as the ballistics team is often exposed to some very gory situations where they have to carefully examine every aspect of the crime scene in order to work out exactly how the crime took place. Back at the lab, the ballistics team has world-class equipment, which enables them to do their work accurately and quickly. They work with microscopes, computers and have a water tank in the basement where they can fire the weapons when necessary. At the moment there is no specific course that can be studied if you want to become a ballistics technician. Training is done in-house with police officers who show the potential to be able to do the job.