Projectile

“ If a projectile enters the head in the vicinity of the eye, and does not actually touch it, in most cases the eye is destroyed. Whether from the velocity or the rotation of the projectile, the bruising disorganises the coats of the eye and renders it sightless. In all such cases, if the projectile was lodged in the orbit, the eye was removed together with the projectile. ”

“ The enormous pressure generated by the explosion of the charge forces the projectile down the bore of the gun and out of the muzzle. The body of the projectile, made of steel or iron, being smaller in diameter than the bore, easily passes through, but the driving-band being of greater diameter, and being composed of soft copper, can only pass down the bore with the projectile [Pg 87] by flowing into the grooves, thus preventing any escape of gas, and being forced to follow their twist. ”

“ Trajectory of Oblong Projectiles.—From the law of inertia, a rifle projectile moves through the air with its axis of rotation parallel to the axis of the bore. Hence it follows that an oblong projectile, fired under a low angle of projection, presents a greater surface toward the earth, and less parallel to it, than a round projectile of the same weight, consequently the vertical component of the resistance of the air is greater, and the horizontal component less, in the first case than in the second. ”

“ In spite of every precaution at Government proving grounds, big projectiles do sometimes glance out of the butts or heaps of earth into which they are fired, or from the face of armorplates against which they are directed, and finally land in most unexpected quarters.
One day, while a thirteen-inch gun was being tested at Indian Head, a projectile glanced out of the butt, mounted high into the air, and then came down through the roof of a building, where there were engaged a number of officers and book-keepers. ”

“ I cannot help repetition in enforcing this principle: there is a minimum amount of striking energy in a light hollow projectile, and a maximum amount in a solid heavy projectile; keep the latter within the animal to ensure the effect of the blow; this will be effected by a bullet made of pure lead without admixture with other metal, to flatten upon impact, and by the expansion of surface it will create a terrific wound; at the same time it will have sufficient momentum from its great weight to push forward, and to overcome the resistance of opposing bones and muscles. ”

“ PROJECTILE, n. The final arbiter in international disputes. Formerly these disputes were settled by physical contact of the disputants, with such simple arguments as the rudimentary logic of the times could supply—the sword, the spear, and so forth. With the growth of prudence in military affairs the projectile came more and more into favor, and is now held in high esteem by the most courageous. Its capital defect is that it requires personal attendance at the point of propulsion. ”

“ Many authorities believe that the best results are obtained when the projectile is fitted with two bands, one near the head and the other near the base, and no doubt it is better centred when so arranged, but such shot can only be fired from guns rifled with a uniform twist, and it must also not be forgotten that the groove formed for the front band in the head of the projectile necessarily weakens that part of the projectile which should be strongest. ”

“ This system requires for its rifling fewer grooves than the compressive, but a somewhat greater number than the flanged system. Among the projectiles of this class used during the civil war were the Blakely, Dyer, Hotchkiss, James, Parrott, Reed, Schenkle, and Stafford. The principal objections to an expanding or compound projectile are its want of strength to resist a charge of powder proportionately as large as that employed for a simple projectile, and the danger of its breaking and wedging in the bore of the piece. ”

“ On transverse section of the track the gross amount of actual tissue destruction occupies a lesser area than that corresponding to the diameter of the bullet. The destructive action of the projectile is in fact exerted mainly on the tissues directly lying in its course, the track being opened up during the rush of the passage of the bullet, partly as a result of its wedge-like shape and partly as a result of the throwing off of the tissues forming the walls of the track by a diversion of a portion of the force in the form of spiral vibrations dependent on the revolution of the bullet. ”

“ The effects of projectiles, and particularly that of penetration, depend on the nature of the projectile, its initial velocity, and the distance of the object. The effects of the various kinds of projectiles upon iron and steel plates are not yet thoroughly understood, and experiments are still being made, particularly in England, to determine the best combinations of wrought and cast iron, and steel, to resist the penetration of the enormous projectiles of the present day. ”

“ The well-known fact that if a projectile revolves on any other axis than its own direction it is deflected, is an illustration of this action, and it is to make the ball move in its true path that a gun is rifled. ”

“ Every bullet has it billet. Yes, but a bursting projectile in modern warfare has not one billet, but a hundred. The destruction some of these shells cause cannot be grasped by anyone who has not seen it. ”

“ There is one question of great importance to inventors, and to which I have paid much attention, namely, the obtaining a spiral motion in a projectile which has been fired from a smooth bored gun. All we have witnessed goes far to prove that the attainment of this is impossible, in consequence of a principle not hitherto investigated by inventors. If the course of a projectile is changed from the straight to the spiral, it can only be done at the expense of range ”

“ Now if an elongated projectile were fired from a smooth-bore gun, its course through the air would be erratic to a degree impossible to the spherical shot, for it would turn end over end with deviations that would make aiming impracticable. But if the elongated projectile is made to spin rapidly enough about its longitudinal axis, it flies through the air quite steadily, the axis of rotation remaining parallel to that of the gun throughout the whole flight. ”

“ Both of these uses of thrown projectiles persist to this day, and during all time, from prehistoric days until now, every man who had a projectile to throw was steadily seeking for a longer range and a heavier projectile. ”

“ There are guns in existence which at their maximum elevation will hurl a projectile weighing not far short of three-quarters of a ton a distance of 25 miles, and the projectile itself contains an explosive charge more powerful and destructive than the heaviest charge which could be placed in the heaviest gun which was fought in the Battle of Trafalgar. ”

“ The shocks of the projectile striking against the sides of the bore; these will vary with the angle of incidence, which depends on the windage and the extent of the injury due to the lodgment and balloting of the projectile.
(3) The resistance offered by the column of air in front of the projectile; this force will increase in a certain ratio to the velocity of the projectile and length of the bore. As the accelerating force of the charge increases up to a certain point, after which it rapidly diminishes as the space in rear of the projectile increases ”

“ It is found that a projectile will deviate to the right of the object in the northern hemisphere whatever may be the direction of the line of fire, and at a distance from it, depending on the latitude of the place, and on the time of flight and the range of the projectile. ”

“ The character of the projectile has changed altogether from the old-fashioned round shot to a missile which is in itself a gun, carrying its own exploding charge and small projectiles within itself. The range of the modern gun is limited only by the necessity to make the gun mobile in the field, and by the range of human sight or power to judge the position of the target. ”

“ Let the rules as to gun-fire be as they are now, but let a different projectile be used--a projectile that will drop down and stay where it falls. I find that one can buy in ironmongers' shops small brass screws of various sizes and weights, but all capable of being put in the muzzle of the 4'7 guns without slipping down the barrel. ”

“ In taking up the study of materiel, the Field Artillery student should know something of the history and development of ordnance and the reasons for the various changes which have taken place from time to time.
The sole use of a gun is to throw a projectile. The earliest projectile was a stone thrown by the hand and arm of man—either in an attack upon an enemy or upon a beast that was being hunted for food. ”

“ Juve began to smile.
"Monsieur," said he, "you must know that arms of high penetrating power, firing projectiles of small diameter, grooved projectiles, cause only the slightest graze in the materials they pass through: the damage is almost imperceptible. Numerous experiments have demonstrated this. You see the passage of the projectile is so rapid, its gyratory movement so accelerated, that, in some way, the threads of the fabric are not broken: they are only pushed aside. ”

“ Recoil varies according to the position of the gun; when fired on the horizontal, the resistance to be overcome is the tendency of the projectile to fall to the earth, and its friction as it moves in a line parallel to the earth. ”

“ The twist or rotary motion is imparted to the projectile by means of the "rifling" in the bore. Fig. 26 shows the cross-section of an 8-inch gun with the dimensions of the rifling, which is composed of two elements, the "groove" or spiral cut made in the bore and the "land" or space between two adjacent grooves. To take these grooves "rotating bands" of soft metal, generally copper, are fitted to the projectile as will be explained under "Manufacture of Projectiles." ”

“ Refrain from employing any projectile which weighs less than 400 grams that is either explosive or loaded with incendiary or inflammable material, from all projectiles having for their sole object the spreading of asphyxiating or harmful gases, all expanding bullets or those which will easily flatten out inside the human body, such as jacketed bullets whose jacket does not entirely cover the core or is nickel. ”

“ Rifling, by imparting a spin to the projectile as it travels along the spiral grooves in the bore, permits the use of a long projectile and ensures its flight point first, with great increase in accuracy. The longer projectile, being both heavier and more streamlined than round shot of the same caliber, also has a greater striking energy. ”

“ When a projectile is thrown from a gun, although it is not heated appreciably, yet heat-energy represented by its velocity is absorbed from the expanding gases of the powder charge. When a 12-inch projectile weighing a thousand pounds is thrown from one of our long naval guns, it has a striking energy, fifty feet from the muzzle, of about 50,000 foot-tons—that is to say, it strikes with a force equal to that of 50,000 tons falling from a height of one foot, or one ton falling from a height of 50,000 feet. ”

“ For artillery practice of every kind, whatever the weight of the projectile, gunpowder of a granulation suited to the weight of that projectile is essential, if we would produce the greatest possible effect by the least expenditure of means. ”

“ The projectiles now in use are solid shot, shells, strap-shot, case or canister-shot, grape-shot, light and fire-balls, carcasses, grenades, and rockets.
Solid shot are now almost invariably made of cast iron, [35] formed in moulds of sand or iron. This projectile is used under almost every circumstance, whether in the battle-field or in the attack and defence of places, and is the only one that is effectual against the stone walls of forts. Hot shot are used against shipping and wooden structures of every description. ”

“ The most important consideration is the weight and form of projectile; the inclination of the grooves, the charge, weight of metal in the gun, &c., are regulated almost entirely by it. The charges used with rifle pieces are much less than those with which smooth-bored guns are fired, for little or none of the gas is allowed to escape by windage, there being therefore no loss of force; and it is found by experience that, with comparatively low initial velocities, the elongated projectiles maintain their velocity, and attain very long ranges. ”

“ The consensus of opinion of all artillery officers—French, English and American—is that the 75-mm gun, or approximately this caliber, firing a 15-pound projectile or a projectile of approximately this weight, and having a range of not less than 11,000 yards, is a satisfactory weapon at the present time for use with the division artillery. The projectile in question, whether a shrapnel or a high explosive shell, satisfies adequately the criterion of man-killing. ”

“ Rohne, Schieszlehre für die Infanterie, p. 69.
At mid ranges the wounds were generally of a mild character, unless produced by tumbling bullets. [126]
[126] See also Ricochets, p. 185 infra.
Experiments prove that a projectile will tumble if it encounters varying resistance (for example, if the projectile strikes an obstacle, even if that be only a twig) or if it penetrates materials of different density (for instance, if, in penetrating a body, it strikes first upon a fleshy part, then upon bones) . In the last mentioned case the bullet will frequently tumble in the body. ”

“ A projectile is set in motion gradually, and is (or should be, if the quality and quantity of the powder, and the barrel, have a right proportion to each other) at its greatest velocity just before leaving the muzzle; consequently the tendency of a ball would be to yield to the increasing force of the powder and pass straight out of the barrel without following the grooves ”