Bullet Fragmentation
Definition
Break-up of a projectile into multiple pieces during interaction. Construction, orientation, impact conditions and the contacted material affect the outcome. Recovered fragments can inform reconstruction but do not independently identify cartridge type, firing distance or the number of projectiles discharged.
Deformation changes a projectile’s shape; expansion increases its transverse dimensions; fragmentation divides it into pieces. These processes can occur together or separately. Construction influences the response, but impact conditions, intervening material and projectile orientation also matter.
Related terms
- Bonded Bullet
- A projectile whose core and jacket are joined at their interface through a bonding process. This differs from a mechanical lock. Actual...
- Bullet Expansion
- An increase in a projectile’s transverse dimensions through deformation during interaction. It differs from fragmentation, which separates material into pieces. Recovered dimensions...
- Core-Jacket Separation
- Separation of a projectile’s core and surrounding jacket into distinct components. It can produce multiple recoveries from one projectile, but their positions...
- Expansion Ratio
- The expanded diameter divided by a specified original diameter. For an asymmetric recovered projectile, maximum and minimum dimensions or another stated convention...