Core-Jacket Separation
Definition
Separation of a projectile’s core and surrounding jacket into distinct components. It can produce multiple recoveries from one projectile, but their positions do not uniquely establish construction, barrier contact or separation location. The observed components and proposed association require documentation and corroboration.
Bonded construction joins the core and jacket at their interface. Manufacturing methods vary; Speer’s published Uni-Cor description is one manufacturer-specific example. Mechanical interlocking is a different retention mechanism and should not be relabelled as bonding solely because it limits separation.
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...
- Bullet Fragmentation
- Break-up of a projectile into multiple pieces during interaction. Construction, orientation, impact conditions and the contacted material affect the outcome. Recovered fragments...
- Expansion Ratio
- The expanded diameter divided by a specified original diameter. For an asymmetric recovered projectile, maximum and minimum dimensions or another stated convention...