Ordnance Gelatin
Definition
Calibrated tissue simulant. 10 per cent gelatin at 4 degrees C is the NATO and FBI standard; 20 per cent gelatin is the European convention. Used to compare penetration depth and cavity formation between cartridges.
- NATO/FBI standard
- 10% gelatin at 4°C
- European convention
- 20% gelatin
- Purpose
- Calibrated soft-tissue simulant
- Measures
- Penetration depth and cavity formation
Common questions
Why must ordnance gelatin be tested at a specific temperature and concentration?+
Gelatin's density and elasticity change with both concentration and temperature, and those properties directly affect how a projectile penetrates and how large a temporary cavity it forms. Standardising to 10 percent at 4 degrees Celsius, or the 20 percent European convention, lets results from different labs and different test dates be compared directly.
Does gelatin penetration testing predict wound behaviour in a real body exactly?+
It approximates soft tissue reasonably well but does not replicate bone, skin elasticity, clothing layers or organ-specific density, so gelatin results are used comparatively between ammunition types rather than as a literal prediction of a specific gunshot wound.
Related terms
- Accidental Discharge
- Unintended firing of a weapon without a deliberate trigger pull, usually caused by mechanical defect, sear wear, drop impact or unsafe handling.
- Choke (Shotgun)
- Constriction at the muzzle of a shotgun barrel that controls pellet spread. From most-open to most-tight: cylinder, improved cylinder, modified, full choke.
- Kinetic Energy
- KE = (1/2) m v squared, where m is projectile mass and v is velocity. Doubling velocity quadruples the kinetic energy delivered...
- MOA (Minute of Angle)
- 1/60 of a degree of arc. Equal to approximately 2.908 cm (1.047 inches) at 100 m. Used in civilian and some law...
- Muzzle Velocity
- Speed of the projectile at the instant it leaves the barrel, expressed in metres per second (m/s) or feet per second (fps)....
- 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,...
- Ricochet
- The deflection of a bullet off a surface at a low angle of incidence, producing a new trajectory that diverges from the...
- 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...