Common Bullet Types

Bullet Information

I am not, nor do I claim to be a bullet expert in anyway, shape or form. Bullet science requires the design, weight, material and more to truly ID who made a bullet. I am going to be very general in my description of bullets and focus on the main type of bullets you may encounter. Many more exist than what I am displaying. Many companies also had their own design slightly different to distinguish there work. Keep in mind this is very, very general. 
Bullet material:  Many bullets are made now  of Wood, plastic, Steel, Copper or Nickel jacketed Lead, Lead-Antimony alloy etc., and a shift to green ammunition made of solid Copper, Brass, Bronze, Zinc, Plastics, Nylon, Rubber and more are being more common. Bullets have also been coated in Teflon (but this is now illegal in most places), molybdenum, Boron, Boron Nitride, Tungsten, Tungsten Disulfide, polyester, Polyurethane, Cerakote (ceramic) and many other experimental coatings and new design.
For the military, bullets have been made for grenade launching, dummy and training use, tracers, armor piercing, semi armor piercing, exploding, pepper infused, ink infused, multi ball, multi bullet, flechette arrows and for many reasons, whether experimental or for reasons not fully understood. Bullet type and design is an entirely complex subject of itself. 

See Descriptions below Gallery

1) Paper Patched Flat Nosed

1) Paper Patched Flat Nosed

2) Paper Patched Round Nosed

2) Paper Patched Round Nosed

3) Outside Lubricated Lead Flat Nosed

3) Outside Lubricated Lead Flat Nosed

4) Outside Lubricated Round Nosed.

4) Outside Lubricated Round Nosed.

5) Soft Nose Cutting Edge

5) Soft Nose Cutting Edge

2 tiered bullet. More common in Europe.

6) Pointed: Saber Tip/Spitzer

6) Pointed: Saber Tip/Spitzer

7) Mauser Long Round Nose

7) Mauser Long Round Nose

8) Round Nose Soft Pointed

8) Round Nose Soft Pointed

9) Round Nose Hollow Point

9) Round Nose Hollow Point

10) Jacketed Round Nose

10) Jacketed Round Nose

11) Cantilevered Round Nose

11) Cantilevered Round Nose

12) Hoxie Bullet

12) Hoxie Bullet

13) Truncated

13) Truncated

14) Jacketed Flat Nosed Soft Tip

14) Jacketed Flat Nosed Soft Tip

15) Jacketed Flat Nosed

15) Jacketed Flat Nosed

16) Flat Nosed Hollow Point

16) Flat Nosed Hollow Point

Frangible

Frangible

Hard to tell by outside looks. Odten soft tipped. Designed to fragment and break apart on impact.

17) Wadcutter

17) Wadcutter

18) Semi Wadcutter

18) Semi Wadcutter

19) G9 Woodsman

19) G9 Woodsman

20) External Hollowpoint aka Penetrator

20) External Hollowpoint aka Penetrator

21) Polycase ARX

21) Polycase ARX

Made of a polymer.

22) Regular Steel Core

22) Regular Steel Core

23) Spotter Tracer

23) Spotter Tracer

Usually Color tipped

24) Tracer

24) Tracer

Usually Color tipped

25) Older style tracer with chemical at back of Bullet

25) Older style tracer with chemical at back of Bullet

Usually color tipped

26) Armor Piercing Tracer

26) Armor Piercing Tracer

Usually color tipped

27) THV Armor Piercing

27) THV Armor Piercing

28) Armor Piercing

28) Armor Piercing

Usually color tipped

29) Bullet to break for multi bullet purpose

29) Bullet to break for multi bullet purpose

30) Multi Bullet

30) Multi Bullet

2-4 are most common

31) Ball Load

31) Ball Load

32) Multi Ball load

32) Multi Ball load

33) Multiple projectile

33) Multiple projectile

Usually between 3-12 projectiles

34) Flechette

34) Flechette

Can be 1 to multiple arrows

35) Various Non Lethal

35) Various Non Lethal

Rubber, Plastic, Pepper spray balls etc

36) Silent Blank

36) Silent Blank

other versions are plastic or metal tipped with a hole. There is a central piston that gets pushed up not allowing gasses to escape forward.

37) Color filled Man Marker rounds

37) Color filled Man Marker rounds

To simulate situations, almost like a paintball. Many colors exist

38) Wood Blank or Drill round

38) Wood Blank or Drill round

Many colors exist.

39) Short Range Tracer

39) Short Range Tracer

Many colors exist

40) Short Range Plastic

40) Short Range Plastic

Many colors exist

41) Short Range plastic

41) Short Range plastic

42) Plastic cased Shot load

42) Plastic cased Shot load

Usually commercial

43) Grenade Launching, Blank or shot filled with this style

43) Grenade Launching, Blank or shot filled with this style

44) Can be blank, Shot filled or Grenade Launcing with this style

44) Can be blank, Shot filled or Grenade Launcing with this style

45) 1 piece Drill round with grooves

45) 1 piece Drill round with grooves

46) Drill round with Flutes

46) Drill round with Flutes

47) Drill round with Flutes

47) Drill round with Flutes

48) Drill round with case holes

48) Drill round with case holes

50) Crimped Plastic Blank

50) Crimped Plastic Blank

51) Short Crimped blank or Launching cartridge.

51) Short Crimped blank or Launching cartridge.

49) Conventional Crimped Blank

49) Conventional Crimped Blank