ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 21

Comparison of the Terminal Ballistics of Full Metal Jacket 7.62-mm M80 (NATO) and 5.56-mm M193 Military Bullets: A Study in Ornance Gelatin
Ragsdale, BD
Visiting scientist, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, DC

Sohn, SS
Chief, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, DC

(Received 29 May 1987; accepted 21 July 1987)

Abstract

Great controversy has surrounded the replacement of the 7.62-mm caliber by the reduced 5.56-mm caliber as the standard U.S. military rifle. Although its relevance to human wounding can be debated, the terminal ballistics of military small arms in ordnance gelatin remains a convenient medium for comparative testing. In the present study, 7- by 10- by 24-in. (18 by 25 by 61 cm) blocks of 20% ordnance gelatin were fired upon from a range of 19 ft (6 m) under high-speed cinemagraphic surveillance. The tendency of the M193 5.56-mm full metal jacket projectile to break up in soft tissue simulant was confirmed as a fundamental difference from the 7.62-mm M80 NATO ball.

Keywords:
forensic science, ballistics, wound ballistics, comparative analysis

Paper ID: JFS12476J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12476J
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