Expanding bullets and ballistic gelatin - A restricted expansion experiment
Junno, Juho-Antti; Brix, Mikael; Lammentausta, Eveliina; Liimatainen, Timo; Junno, Alina; Kiljunen, Juha; Niinimäki, Jaakko; Oura, Petteri (2024-09-06)
Junno, Juho-Antti
Brix, Mikael
Lammentausta, Eveliina
Liimatainen, Timo
Junno, Alina
Kiljunen, Juha
Niinimäki, Jaakko
Oura, Petteri
Elsevier
06.09.2024
Juho-Antti Junno, Mikael Brix, Eveliina Lammentausta, Timo Liimatainen, Alina Junno, Juha Kiljunen, Jaakko Niinimäki, Petteri Oura, Expanding bullets and ballistic gelatin – A restricted expansion experiment, Legal Medicine, Volume 71, 2024, 102528, ISSN 1344-6223, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2024.102528
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202409125805
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202409125805
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
Ballistic gelatin has gained a status as standard method for terminal ballistic testing and experimenting. Variation considering the recipe and manufacturing of the blocks exists. The golden standard has been a cuboid gelatin block, dimensions varying according to the type and kinetic energy of the ammunition.
Powerful ammunition requires larger gelatin blocks, making their handling and manufacturing difficult. This is the case especially with powerful, expanding hunting ammunition that leave most of their kinetic energy within the gelatin block. High speed cameras reveal that blocks tend to expand or swell significantly and even travel upon impact, potentially affecting to some basic values of terminal ballistics such as cavitation and energy transfer.
In this study, we wanted to experiment new method to study terminal ballistics of high power, expanding ammunition by using cylinder shaped gelatin blocks. Secondly, we used a plastic tube around the gelatin cylinder to restrict the expansion/swelling. Thirdly we attached our gelatin target to a sturdy platform to restrict the movement of the cylinder and potentially improve the energy transfer of the bullet into the gelatin.
To conduct our study we compared our experimental setting with a traditional, cuboid gelatin block. After the test firing the blocks underwent computed tomography scanning with clinical equipment. Three-dimensional reconstructions of gelatin cavitation and bullet fragment deposition were created.
Our results clearly demonstrate that the restricted expansion of the block also clearly restricts the cavitation inside the gelatin. We believe that the method can be further developed, and it allows better potential for ballistic testing of heavy ammunition. In addition, it may aid in terminal ballistic reconstruction of forensic cases with gunshot trauma in anatomical structures fully enclosed by connective tissue such as brain and structures of the thorax.
Ballistic gelatin has gained a status as standard method for terminal ballistic testing and experimenting. Variation considering the recipe and manufacturing of the blocks exists. The golden standard has been a cuboid gelatin block, dimensions varying according to the type and kinetic energy of the ammunition.
Powerful ammunition requires larger gelatin blocks, making their handling and manufacturing difficult. This is the case especially with powerful, expanding hunting ammunition that leave most of their kinetic energy within the gelatin block. High speed cameras reveal that blocks tend to expand or swell significantly and even travel upon impact, potentially affecting to some basic values of terminal ballistics such as cavitation and energy transfer.
In this study, we wanted to experiment new method to study terminal ballistics of high power, expanding ammunition by using cylinder shaped gelatin blocks. Secondly, we used a plastic tube around the gelatin cylinder to restrict the expansion/swelling. Thirdly we attached our gelatin target to a sturdy platform to restrict the movement of the cylinder and potentially improve the energy transfer of the bullet into the gelatin.
To conduct our study we compared our experimental setting with a traditional, cuboid gelatin block. After the test firing the blocks underwent computed tomography scanning with clinical equipment. Three-dimensional reconstructions of gelatin cavitation and bullet fragment deposition were created.
Our results clearly demonstrate that the restricted expansion of the block also clearly restricts the cavitation inside the gelatin. We believe that the method can be further developed, and it allows better potential for ballistic testing of heavy ammunition. In addition, it may aid in terminal ballistic reconstruction of forensic cases with gunshot trauma in anatomical structures fully enclosed by connective tissue such as brain and structures of the thorax.
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