wilsonjl%hsdp1.decnet@hqhsd.brooks.af.mil (HSDP1::WILSONJL) (07/06/89)
From: "HSDP1::WILSONJL" <wilsonjl%hsdp1.decnet@hqhsd.brooks.af.mil> > From: ut-emx!walt.cc.utexas.edu!cyrius@cs.utexas.edu (Juan Chen) > >>From: rbeville%tekig5.pen.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET >> >> - Wasn't there a PIGGY-BACK bullet used in Viet Nam ? I would >> describe it as an ordinary shell, followed by a break-away or >> separate slug; you'd have your regular hit, plus another >> projectile in a tight group to follow... > > If you check out the current issue of American Rifleman there is > an article about the next generation of Army rifles. They mention > that one of the candidates uses a cartridge that has two bullets. > A lighter on nested behind the lead bullet that is supposed to > deflect slightly and provide a more effective hit ratio. > They also say that this concept is not new. It isn't. There used to be such a round, called a "duplex" round, in what we today call the 30-'06 cartridge, for the Garand and Springfield rifles. The first bullet was a shortened spitzer seated forward in the case; it had a concave base into which nested the second bullet. The second bullet was cylindrical with a slightly convex nose. I am not sure when or for how long this cartridge was manufactured. As an aside, since the mass of the two bullets combined was about 1.5 times that of standard ball I would imagine that the recoil forces were considerable. Such a round might not function in an autoloader like the Garand. I do not remember if there were any special provisions made on the bullets to force them to separate. I would expect the very short first bullet would tend to tumble, though. Perhaps someone who has used these rounds could elaborate further. Jon Wilson WILSONJL@HQHSD.BROOKS.AF.MIL From: portal!cup.portal.com!mmm@apple.com How do tracer bullets work? I've heard that the guns on WW2 aircraft would alternate tracers with other types, like armor-piercing. What is the sequence of types?