FBI 10% Gelatin Protocol
Definition
The standard medium for law-enforcement ammunition testing, adopted after the 1986 Miami shootout. Ten percent by weight porcine gelatin calibrated with a steel BB drop test (8.5-9.5 cm penetration at 590 fps). Sets minimum penetration floor of 12 inches (30.5 cm) for duty-ammunition qualification.
- Adopted
- After the 1986 FBI Miami shootout
- Medium
- 10% porcine gelatin by weight
- Calibration
- Steel BB, 590 fps, 8.5-9.5 cm penetration
- Penetration floor
- 12 in (30.5 cm) minimum for duty ammo
Common questions
Why is gelatin calibrated with a steel BB rather than just weighed and mixed?+
Gelatin batches vary with temperature, water content and curing time, so a fixed recipe alone does not guarantee consistent density. Firing a BB at a set velocity and checking that it lodges within the 8.5-9.5 cm window confirms the block behaves like calibrated tissue simulant before test rounds are fired into it.
Does the 12-inch penetration floor mean deeper penetration is always better?+
No. The FBI protocol sets both a minimum (12 in) and a maximum (18 in) penetration window, because a round that penetrates too little may fail to reach vital structures through clothing and limbs, while one that overpenetrates risks exiting the target and striking bystanders.
Related terms
- Hydrostatic Shock
- The contested hypothesis that a high-velocity bullet generates a remote pressure wave through body fluids sufficient to produce immediate neurological incapacitation without...
- Permanent Cavity
- The lasting wound channel produced by the bullet's direct crushing and laceration of tissue. Diameter approximates expanded projectile diameter. At handgun velocities,...
- Sectional Density (SD)
- The ratio of a bullet's mass to the square of its diameter. Higher SD values predict greater penetration depth in a given...
- Temporary Cavity
- The transient radial tissue displacement produced by a bullet's passing. Caused by the transfer of kinetic energy to surrounding tissue via compression...