Ballistic Gelatin

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Ballistic Gelatin by Oscar Santos MEEN 3344
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Ballistic Gelatin

• Solution of gelatin powder in water
• Closely simulates density and viscosity of human
  and animal muscle tissue
• Used as a standardized medium for testing the
  terminal performance of firearms ammunition
• Careful control of the properties of this
  material allows consistent and reliable
  comparison of terminal ballistics

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Composition

• Gelatin 250A Bloom Gelatin or Pharmagel
• Most commonly used formula "10 ballistic
  gelatin"
• Prepared by dissolving 1 part by mass of the
  250A bloom gelatin into 9 parts of warm distilled
  water, mixing the solution while pouring in the
  powdered gelatin.
• Let it stand for 5 hrs or chilled to 4 C
• An older formula used by NATO among others
  specifies a 20 solution, chilled to 10 C, but
  that solution costs more to prepare as it uses
  twice the amount of gelatin.

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Ballistics Test

• Preferred medium for comparing the terminal
  performance of different expanding ammunition
• - hollow point bullets
• - soft point bullets
• These bullets use the hydraulic pressure of the
  gelatin to expand in diameter, limiting
  penetration and increasing the tissue damage
  along their path.
• Bullets intended for hunting are also commonly
  tested in ballistic gelatin.

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Other Uses

• Ballistics Testing of Bullets
• - Comparing the depth of penetration in gelatin
  of a given bullet at different velocities for
  impact velocity determination
• - Muzzle distance of bullet to determine
  distance of travel before impact
• - Determine the distance of the shooter.
• Wound Recreation Caused by firearms or
  explosives
• Lethality of objects at terminal velocity and
  highway speeds
• Electrocution pharmagel provides a reasonable
  analogue to the conductance and resistance of
  human tissue

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References

• http//images.google.com/imgres?imgurlhttp//www.
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  www.bismuth-notox.com/redhzrd.htmlh138w132sz
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• http//www.myscienceproject.org/shotgun/gel_05.jpg
  
• http//www.m5industries.com/html/mythbusters17.htm
  
• http//rumkin.com/reference/firearms/ballistic_gel
  .php
• http//www.theoutdoorquest.com/perma-gel_ballistic
  _gelatin.htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_gelatin