Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-10-08
THE NEW INFANTRY BULLET.
Has a Flat Trajectory and Great
Woundins Power.

1t was reported in the press recent
ly that England intended to introduce
a new infantry bullet in the army, and
that this bullet was characterized by
a very long, shaped point. In this Eng
land would only be following Germany
and France, which introduced the
pointed bullet more than a year ago.
The change to the pointed bullet was
founded on a number Of reasons. In
the first place, the new form (some-
thing like that Of a ninepin) Is espe-
cially suited to overcome resistances
that 1t is liable to meet with In Its
course in passing through the air as
we'll as in penetrating the target. In
the next place, as a result Of this ca
pability to overcome resistance more
easily, the trajectory is fiatter and the
perforating power greater.
In Germany the war department was
anxious above everything to make the
first part Of the trajectory as fiat as
possible in order to avoid as much as
possible any change Of sight (for
range or elevation) within the ranges
in which the decisive infantry fire
takes place in a battle.
With view to accomplishing this
purpose the German infantry projectile
was fired with a particularly high
muzzle velocity, while its weight was
reduced about one-half. By this
means the object was attained, name
ly, that up to about ITO yards the
height Of asman (about five and half
feet) was still contained under the
highest point Of the trajectory; hence,
up to this range 1t was not necessary
to turn up the leaf Of the sight. The
result is that fire control and direction
In battle are greatly simplified.
The comparatively small weight OF
the bullet has, Of course, the disad-
vantage that the velocity at the longer
ranges falls off very rapidly. But
since infantry will hardly fire at
ranges in excess Of 1900 yards, and as
at that range accurate aim is practical
ly impossible, the Germans feel that
they can put up with the disadvantage,
especially since the light weight Of the
bullet confers another great advantage,
In that each man, with the same load,
can carry a far greater number OF
rounds Of ammunition than formerly.
Whereas the German pointed bullet
has a steel jacket covering q core OF
lead, the French authorities have
adopted as the material Of the In
fantry bullet copper, a metal Of lower
specific gravity. Nevertheless, the
projectile is much heavier than the
German. because 1t was made OF con-
siderable length, a fact which, as we
shall see, is not without significance In
it's wounding power.
The length of the French bullet Is
about 157 inches, its wet Mt about
2O3.7 grains, and 1t has a muzzle Veloc-
ity Of 1896 feet a second. The Ger
man bullet, on the other hand, has a
length Of about 1.09 i..ches, its weight
Is about 154.3 grains, and its muzzle
velocity is 1892 feet second.
The greater weight Of the French
bullet, Of course, makes its muzzle We
locity less than that Of the German
bullet; but, on the other hand, Its en-
ergy does not fall off so rapidly as the
range increases. 1t follows that the
French bullet has a superiority Of fire
at medium and long ranges. BY adopt
ing a slender pointed form for the bull
let the centre Of gravity is moved to
point far to the rear, which Is unra-
vorable in a ballistic sense. Neverthe-
less the steadiness Of the projectile
and the fixity Of the trajectory are
preserved, and the projectile Is pre-
vented from turning over end for end
in the air by the high muzzle velocity
and the more rapid rotation about the
axis of the projectile impaired by the
rifling.
At the target, of course, the bullet
will quickly alter it's position OF equi-
librium but this was one OF the OBJ
iects in view when 1t was introduced.
Recent wars have shown that the old
er ogival (blunt headed) bullet Is so
humane that it defeats its own pur-
pose. The wounded were very COM
monty not put out Of action by 1t; In
fact, the majority were able to take
the field again, in active operations,
after two or three weeks. This was
true not only in the case Of mere flesh
wounds, but also in lung, stomach and
even bone wounds. 1t was not at all
rare to find men with five or more
wounds remaining in the firing line.
1t was therefore necessary for the
proper conduct Of war to use a bullet
which would resemble in its action
and effects the old, coarse lead bullet.
This is the case with the new pointed
bullet.
In consequence Of the position of the
centre of gravity so far to the rear there
is a tendency on impact against OBJ
iects of considerable resistance for the