Various Bullet Types

Note: Each manufacturers products vary slightly and there are hundreds of custom made bullets now being made.

Many bullets are made now as Steel, Copper or Nickel jacketed Lead, Lead-Antimony alloy etc., but a shift to green ammunition 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 designs.

                                                                                             

Paper Patched Flat Nose: Lead bullet with paper patching that functions as lubrication and as a gas seal. Also reduces the leading of a barrel. Was an early, but very effective method.  Paper Patched Bullets had no cannelures.The flat nose was often used in lever action guns to avoid bullets in the tube from  directly hitting the next bullets primer. Lead.    Paper Patched Round Nose: Lead bullet with paper patching that functions as lubrication and as a gas seal. Also reduces the leading of a barrel. Was an early, but very effective method.  Paper Patched Bullets had no cannelures. Outside Lubricated Flat Nose: Grooves For Lubrication. Can be lubricated with Wax, Fat etc. Flat tip was used a lot in lever action guns to stop the bullets from hitting the primers of the bullet ahead of it in the loading tube.

Outside Lubed Round Nose Lead, lubrication method same as the Flat Nose, Common on rimfire and early centerfire cartridges. Ball. Usually always a "lead" ball. A few cartridges were made with multi balls in.  Mauser Style Long Nose  Long bullet, usually cased in Nickel, Brass, Copper or even Steel. The long bullet was to increase the weight of the bullet, thus trying to attempt a bigger impact on the target.

Pointed (Sabre Tip/Spitzer) One of the more accurate rifle bullets.
Jacketed and often tipped with lead or plastic to increase expansion on impact. Also available in a hollow point version. Can be boat tailed (smaller at base) or flat based. Last sample is a revolver version.		 Round Nosed Soft Point. Jacketed with lead tip Soft Nose Cutting Edge. Mainly a European (Brenneke and Sellier & Bellot) product. Copper and Nickel jacketed common.

 

Round Nose Jacketed lead common in many cartridges. Revolver bullet shown. Cannelevered Round Nose  made in lead or jacketed.  Hoxie. Hoxie Bullets used a ball at  the end, hoping to create
significant fragmentation and expansion.

Round Nose Hollow point  Jacketed Lead. Designed for "mushrooming" Jacketed Flat Nose tipped. Flat noses were generally made for Lever Action rifles or in some handgun calibers. Jacketed Flat Nose Flat noses were originally made for Lever Action rifles or in some handgun calibers. Now available in many calibers in Copper, Bronze, Brass, Nickel or other compositions.
           
Flat Nose Hollow point  Jacketed Lead. Designed for "mushrooming". Mainly found in handgun ammunition. 2nd sample is a .308 rifle caliber sample. Truncated: Common in many handgun calibers. Wadcutter. Jacketed and plain lead. Common
 in large bore revolver cartridges.
Semi Wadcutter. Jacketed and plain lead. Common in large bore revolver cartridges. G9 Woodsman In handgun cartridges. External Hollowpoint/Penetrator. Made for both handgun and rifle calibers. Made in solid Copper or Brass.
Polycase Arx This is a polymer (plastic) bullet used for self defense. Claims to be non lethal but is carries a lot of energy and can in fact be lethal. THV French and Italian made. Other also imitated and often put a plastic round nose capsule over it. Has been seen from 2-12 projectiles. Some experimental, novelty or just fakes.
Less than Lethal rounds. May be made of rubber, plastic, steel inside a rubber casing, pepper filled balls etc etc. Many many types being made. FX Marking cartridge. Has dye in for using as a non lethal round to simulate combat training. Similar to paintball. Wooden Bullets. Made for use for training, blank or "dummy" purposes. Was very popular in Militaries WW1 to just post WW2.

                                                                                                                                                

Tracer

 

Spotter Tracer

 

Armour Piercing

Reg Steel Core

 

Old style Tracer with tracing chemical behind bullet

 

Armour Piercing Tracer

 

Short Range Bullet

 

Duplex
  

Multi Ball

Multi Projectile

  

FX Ink Marker

 

Flechette

Shot

Silent Blank

  

Man Marker (Electronic)

 

  

 Back (Home)

Headstamp Start Page

 
 
Curtis Steinhauer
 
cartridgecorner13@gmail.com