Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-26

let's They do not have 20. Any soldier can dunn
dunn his own bullets and many Of them do Hence
very largely the charges and counterchaiges that
have heard during the present This statement
IL quoted by the Literary Digest from an article con-
tributed to the Technical World Magazine by writer
signing himself "A. L." who hides behind these
initials. we told in editorial note. the per-
sonality Of an American who has devoted many
years to the study OF bsllistcs and military organi
cation" His conclusions are that many wounds at
tributed to dumdums are due TO ordinary bullets
striking sdewise 'keyhoing" and that such real
dumdums there made by the combatants
themselves on both sides
Every jacketed rine-bullet" he writes ever de-
signed Is potentially dumdum bullet. Every jaclSeted
bullet may become OF the dumdum variety either
by reason Of natures forces working on It or by
the design of the man who dispatched It.
And this much more is There never has been
any army-German, French. Belgian. English. Aus
trian. Russian. Servian. Japanese Boer or American
that has not used jacketed bullets that deliberately
we're made to dumdum.
Permit me to make a momentary depression. l
want to speak OF the often printed
In newspapers and magazines about 'steel-jacketed
bullets. There is such thing The modern small
arms bullet consists OF of lead and tin compo-
sition surrounded by jacket OF cupronicke cupro-
zinc alloy. Were pure steel jacketing to be used
they would rip the lands right OF rifle barrel
The cupronicke cuproznc alloy jacket is just
soft enough to take the rfing And yet Il is hard
IL has to be made for almost obvious reasons-that
after hundred rounds have been fired there Is
barrel erosion not attributable only the hlgpres
sure burning powder used This erosion increases
In battle because the firing line a soldier has
opportunities to clean his rifle often enough.
THE modern jacketed bullet, whether it is of the
round-nose pointed-nose type, swings beautifully
true through its trajectory-up certain Cperhaps
should say uncertain) point After that it begins
to keyhole
Instead Of continuing on its long axis alone
through rotary motion given It by rifling-t is this
rotation which keeps bullet It's coursethe base
OF the bullet swings in circle larger than its
FiTHf1 FafaV
through the air with much the movement OF a
spinning top after It has been free a minute two
OF the rotation-givng cord. This exaggerated rota-
ton OF the base In called keyholing
"Keyholing may be due TO OF many causes; II
may result from imperfection in the bullet itsof
a. e. In shape. balance. weight In ratio to the pow
der charge etc.. from erosion in the rifle
barrel from atmospheric conditions. from decreasing
velocity. etc. There is way to gauge It. But tho
very fact that It is keyholing makes bullet a splendid
instrument to stop. abruptly and permanently any
living thing It hits
And If a pointed bullet is not keyholing from the
causes enumerated above II is very likely keyhoie
the minute II hits anything that provides resist
to its easy penetration and continued flight,
such a belt buckle a bone There are instances.
even, where the bullet commenced keyhole when
II entered the soft flesh, but In the main such in
stances occurred after the bullet
velocity.
This keyhong OF a bullet upon contact occurs
because the point is checked. albeit for only an in
finitesimal fraction of second before the base Of
the bullet is checked For. with the point engaged
checked the base starts to catch UP with the point
"what happens next depends upon how fast the
bullet travelling when It hit II It still retains
siderable velocity (or rather energy the bullet will
spiral its way in fairly clean fashion through the
object hit But II is moving with greatly impaired
velocty-due to head wind long flight or some
similar cause.-the keyholing bullet is very likely TO
mbed Its point in bone and then, unable cesnly
penetrate the bone its remaining energy to push
the whole bone ahead OF It,
I'm other words. enough energy has been lost to
prevent clean penetration, but sufficient has been
retained TO push impediments its continued flight
out OF its path The sharper the point OF the bullet,
the likely It Is to keyhoe upon impact This is
stopping power with vengeance. The German but
let Is sharp pointed. The United States bullet Is the
sharpest pointed OF all.
This keyholing naturally terrible wounds
which, in turn, bring forth the charge that dumdum
Cor explosive) bullets have been used"
That much of the talk about dumdum bullets is
the result OF this keyhong action OF the ordinary
projectile is the writer's belief There is. however he
tells US, another side OF the pcturs tho deliberate
dumduming OF the bullets by the In the ranks.
The arsenas he assures do not have to turn out
dundum bullets. Any soldier desiring TO accomplish
the result can make the most ''clvilised" bullet
dumdum by using his knife bayonet to cut the
jacket at the point so that when the missile strikes
the lead win pour through. And Americans who
Mortified at the reports Of such "uncivilized"
doings in Europe may pause when they read that
army has not been entirely stainless In this par
ticular Says this military expert;
"As q matter OF fact this was done often in
the Philippines that the commanding officer OF
company examined every individual cartridge on
every individual soldier morning inspection to
that none had been tempered with. And a few hours
later you could many enlisted man patiently
sandpaperng his cartridges that the jacket point
would be worn 20 such thinness would effect
mushrooming' upon impact
PROF. Mollendorf, German who has lost ME
head ana who thinks that the soldiers OF the cou,
tries at with his etheaIly the equals Of
his countrymen, said: The enforcement in war OF
international law or Hague covenants depends in
las he a0ft ha lnd
soldier -
When have reached this point in the exposition.
observes the Literary Digest II is not difficult
that soldier In the trenches who an enemy
rushing at him and who knows from experience hat
clean bullet hole will not stop him. Is very apt TO
attach more importance TO saving his skin than
| to obeying the behests Of The Hague convention.
NIL -