History Spitzer (bullet)

1 history

1.1 late 19th century

1.1.1 france
1.1.2 downrange performance


1.2 1900 – 1914

1.2.1 german empire
1.2.2 united states
1.2.3 russian empire
1.2.4 united kingdom of great britain , ireland
1.2.5 switzerland
1.2.6 kingdom of spain


1.3 post 1918

1.3.1 sweden

history
late 19th century

technical drawings of french 1898 pattern balle d bullet.


france

the spitzer bullet design first introduced in 1898 balle d french army. balle d bullet designed captain georges raymond desaleux, in order improve ballistic performance of existing french 8×50mmr lebel service cartridge of 1886.

the original 1886 pattern 8×50mmr lebel cartridge innovative service cartridge design, since first military cartridge use single-base smokeless, nitrocellulose based, (poudre b) gunpowder developed paul vieille in 1884. original 1886 pattern 8×50mmr lebel loaded 15.0 grams (231 gr) cupro-nickel-jacketed lead-cored flat-nosed wadcutter-style balle m bullet designed lieutenant colonel nicolas lebel achieving muzzle velocity of 628 m/s (2,060 ft/s).

the new 1898 pattern 8×50mmr lebel cartridge loaded desaleux s new lighter 12.8 grams (198 gr) balle d brass mono-metal spitzer bullet achieved muzzle velocity of 700 m/s (2,300 ft/s), providing flatter trajectory , improved maximum effective range. besides having pointed nose section balle d first military rifle projectile had boat tail - streamlined tapered base - further minimize air resistance in flight.

downrange performance

the 1898 pattern 8×50mmr lebel balle d spitzer nose profile combined boat tail resulted in ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of 0.568 0.581 (ballistic coefficients debatable). fired @ 700 m/s (2,300 ft/s) muzzle velocity balle d bullet retained supersonic velocity , past 800 m (870 yd) (v800 ≈ mach 1.13) under icao standard atmosphere conditions @ sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m) , had maximum range of approximately 4,400 m (4,812 yd). 21st century standards 800 m (870 yd) typical effective supersonic range regarded normal standard military rifle round.

1886 pattern 8×50mmr lebel balle m load

1898 pattern 8×50mmr lebel balle d load

the above downrange performance tables show superior velocity retention of balle d compared balle m predecessor

note: air density ρ used correlate these tables unknown.

1900 – 1914

21st century plastic tipped bullets. ballistic tips: hornady 17 gr. v-max 17hmr, .308 winchester unknown manufacturer plastic tipped bullets type of rifle bullet meant confer aerodynamic advantage of spitzer bullet (for example, see very-low-drag bullet) , stopping power of hollow point bullet.


german empire

ballistic tables 1903 pattern s patrone , further improved 1914 pattern s.s. patrone fired 600 millimetres (23.6 in) barrel.

in germany gewehr-prüfungskommission (g.p.k.) (rifle testing commission) responsible improve accuracy , performance of 1888 pattern military m/88 ammunition , germany s weapons chambered m/88 ammunition gewehr 1888. during late 19th , 20th century improvement program, had remedy m/88 s propellant compression , excessive barrel (grooves) wear problems, german ordnance authority began prefer spitzer bullets 1898.

a new spitzgeschoß aerodynamic bullet, credited independent ballistician arthur gleinich, tested in 1902 , officially adopted on 3 april 1903. after several shape revisions entered mass production in 1904. spitzgeschoß nose externally pointed french design , shape patented, full metal jacket spitzgeschoß differed internally. gewehr-prüfungskommission program resulted in s patrone a.k.a. 7.92×57mm mauser cartridge, loaded relatively lightweight 9.9 grams (153 gr) spitzer bullet increased diameter of 8.2 mm (0.323 in) had ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of approximately 0.321 0.337 (ballistic coefficients debatable), along dimensionally redesigned chambering , bore (designated s-bore ) , new double-base (based on nitrocellulose , nitroglycerin) smokeless powder loading, delivered improved muzzle velocity of 878 m/s (2,880 ft/s) 740 millimetres (29.1 in) barrel. s patrone adopted german army , navy in 1903 , had maximum range of approximately 3,700 m (4,050 yd). combination of increased muzzle velocity , improved bullet aerodynamics provided flatter bullet trajectory, increased probability of hitting individual target @ typical combat distances.

at onset of world war 1 germany developed aerodynamically further refined bullet. 12.8 grams (198 gr) full metal jacket s.s. - schweres spitzgeschoß ( heavy spitzer ) boat tail projectile had ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of 0.557 0.593 (ballistic coefficients debatable) , loaded in s.s. patrone. @ 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) muzzle velocity s.s. patrone had maximum range of approximately 4,700 m (5,140 yd) , retained supersonic velocity , past 1,000 m (1,100 yd) (v1000 ≈ mach 1.07) under icao standard atmosphere conditions @ sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m). 1914 introduction s.s. patrone issued aerial combat , of 1918 in later stages of world war infantry machine gunners. fifteen years after world war 1 s patrone phased out , s.s. patrone became standard issue ball ammunition german military.

united states

five bullets used in united states military loadings left right: m1903 bullet, m1906 ball, m1 ball, m2 ball, , m2 armor-piercing (ap) bullet. black paint has chipped off tip of ap bullet during rough handling. cannelure indentation around each bullet leading edge of case crimped bullet. 4 spitzer bullets used in .30-06 springfield cartridge case loaded identical tangent ogive exposed reliable functioning in self-loading firearms, while earlier m1903 bullet positioned illustrate longer neck of preceding .30-03 cartridge.

in 1906, united states ordnance authorities arranged purchase production license spitzgeschoß bullet design gleinich. referred spitzer design, new 9.7 grams (150 gr) flat base projectile had ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of approximately 0.405 cupro-nickel alloy jacket incorporated m1906 .30-06 springfield cartridge adopted u.s. armed forces in 1906. ball, m1906 rounds had muzzle velocity of 823 m/s (2,700 ft/s) , had maximum range of approximately 3,117 m (3,409 yd) , can identified silver-colored bullets. cupro-nickel alloy found foul bore.

russian empire

in 1908 russian empire adopted new 7.62×54mmr service round variant loaded l 9.5 grams (147 gr) spitzer bullet had ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of approximately 0.338. 7.62×54mmr m1908 type l cartridge had muzzle velocity of 865 m/s (2,838 ft/s).

united kingdom of great britain , ireland

in 1910 britain officially adopted .303 british mark vii cartridge variant loaded 11.3 grams (174 gr) flat base spitzer bullet had ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of approximately 0.467. .303 british mark vii cartridge had muzzle velocity of 744 m/s (2,441 ft/s) , maximum range of approximately 2,743 m (3,000 yd).

switzerland

swiss 7.5×55mm gp 11 full metal jacket, armor piercing, , tracer projectiles.

in 1911 switzerland adopted 7.5×55mm gp 11 cartridge loaded 11.3 grams (174 gr) spitzer full metal jacket bullet. besides pointed nose gp11 bullet had boat tail. gp11 projectile had ballistic coefficient (g1 bc) of 0.505 0.514 (ballistic coefficients debatable) , had maximum range of approximately 5,500 m (6,015 yd). @ 780 m/s (2,559 ft/s) muzzle velocity standard gp 11 ball spitzer bullet retained supersonic velocity 800 m (870 yd) (v800 ≈ mach 1.1) under icao standard atmosphere conditions @ sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m).

kingdom of spain

in 1913 ordnance authorities of kingdom of spain issued redesigned 7×57mm mauser cartridge (7mm cartucho para mauser tipo s). loaded 9 grams (138.9 gr) spitzer bullet fired @ muzzle velocity of 850 m/s (2,789 ft/s) 3,251 j (2,398 ft·lbf) muzzle energy 589 mm (23.2 in) long barrel. had maximum range of 3,700 m (4,050 yd).

post 1918
sweden

in 1932 sweden introduced 8×63mm patron m/32 loaded 14.2 g (219 gr) spitzer bullets boat tail fired @ muzzle velocity of 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) bullets. 8×63mm patron m/32 ammunition not developed general service ammunition anti-aircraft , indirect fire , had effective range of approximately 3,600 m (3,937 yd) on impact energy 196 j (145 ft·lbf), , maximum range of approximately 5,500 m (6,015 yd) when fired kulspruta m/36 machine gun.

sweden , norway loaded 6.5×55mm m/94 service ammunition 10.1 grams (156 gr) long round-nosed bullet (b-projectile) fired @ muzzle velocity of 725 m/s (2,379 ft/s) phase of world war ii , norwegian occupation german in 1940. 1941 onwards sweden, remained neutral during world war ii, adopted m/41 service ammunition loaded 9.1 grams (140 gr) spitzer bullet (d-projectile) fired @ muzzle velocity of 800 m/s (2,625 ft/s). besides pointed nose m/41 d-projectile had boat tail.