Soft Recovery of the M855 Bullet
Abstract
A research effort to characterize the flight characteristics at range of the M855 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ball ammunition was conducted by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Flight Sciences Branch. This development effort required a soft recovery method. A two phase test approach to recover M855 projectiles with little to no damage was undertaken. Both phases utilized gelatin blocks as the catch medium for the projectile. Bullet catchers currently on the market for forensic science often impart some damage to the projectile. This level of damage was considered too great for the current study. Long range calculations show that the velocity of the bullet slows down faster than the bullet's spin rate decays. The flow angle across the bullet changes accordingly and creates the bullet's characteristic behavior. Recovery of the projectile to verify engraving angles is therefore, necessary. This report discusses catching M855 projectiles at energy equivalent states by varying impact range and velocity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA516821
Entities
People
- James M. Garner
- Robert M. Keppinger
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory