Tracer bullet. Purpose, device and features

The modern arms market has in its assortment many types of military weapons and cartridges of various functions. To fight with a machine gun at a long distance, good accuracy is required, but not every shooter without an optical sight will be able to hit a target at a distance of up to 1000 meters. For this reason, tracer bullets were developed to correct shooting.

The first tracer shells appeared before the First World War and had the main purpose of leaving a fiery (smoky) trail during flight to correct shooting in poor visibility or for shooting at long distances. Now shells for this purpose are developed not only for small arms, but also for pneumatics. There are quite a few models of this type of bullet on the modern arms market and you can choose them to match the characteristics of any weapon.

Maintenance and repair

In Moscow:

Authorized service center for the repair of Swiss watches Traser.

m. "Tulskaya": Moscow, st. Lyusinovskaya, 72. Tel.: (495) 203-42-82

In St. Petersburg:

Authorized service center for the repair of Swiss watches Traser.

m. "Volkovskaya": St. Petersburg, st. Bukharestskaya, 1, of. 626. Tel.

In Ryazan:

Authorized service center for the repair of Swiss watches Traser.

Ryazan, pl. 50th anniversary of October, 2, shopping center "Yozh". Tel.: 8 (900) 968-55-60

In Volgograd:

Authorized service center for the repair of Swiss watches Traser.

Volgograd, Lenin Ave. 33, intersection with st. Naumova 10. Tel.: 8 (8442) 98-03-33

Attention! The workshops provide warranty service for watches purchased only through Timelight LLC or its sales agents.

Ballistic characteristics of the cartridge

In its class, this cartridge has one of the best sets of characteristics. The bullet provides reliable penetration of materials such as wood, thin sheets of metal, and lightweight body armor. If fired at denser materials such as concrete or thick steel, the bullet casing is destroyed.

The core, which has a rounded shape, in this case can produce multiple ricochets, which is especially dangerous when shooting in a confined space. A bulletproof vest with steel plates can be a fairly reliable means of protection against such a bullet.

Thus, we can conclude that the cartridge has a fairly good stopping effect, but low penetration power. These shortcomings were later eliminated when the cartridge was modernized.

General questions about Traser watches

All Traser watches are manufactured in Niederwangen/Bern in Switzerland.
The watch is marked Swiss Made. This marking can only be applied to watches that have a Swiss movement, are assembled in Switzerland and have passed quality checks. Control of the origin and originality of watches in Switzerland is very strict. All Traser watches are individually numbered on the case back. Using it, you can determine the origin of the watch, the dealer through whom the sale and customs clearance of this model was carried out. The main difference is the high degree of reliability. Such watches are subject to higher requirements for water resistance, shock resistance, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, pressure changes and magnetic fields. For example, the Black Storm Pro watch has been tested to maintain accuracy when fired from automatic weapons. The main external difference between certified military watches is the absence of a logo and any information about the brand (especially the words military, etc.) on the watch dial. There are only two models of certified military watches sold in Russia (meeting the MIL-PRF-46374G standard, type 3, class 1): Traser P6600 Type 6 MIL-6 and Traser P5900 Type 3

Watches with steel cases or steel case elements use 316 L steel, which contains 10% nickel. For people who are allergic to nickel, it is better to use titanium watches that do not contain nickel. The hardness of glass is determined using the Vickers test - a vertical static force of several hundred Newtons is applied to the glass by pressing on the glass surface with a special diamond with four faces, each of which is inclined by 22 degrees. Pressure is applied to the glass for 10-15 seconds. As a result, a damaged area is formed on the surface of the glass. And the larger this area, the less resistant the glass is to scratches and external influences. The hardness of mineral glass is 900 Vickers, and sapphire glass is 2100 Vickers, respectively.

How to choose shotgun ammunition

The choice of shot cartridges is based on many features. First of all, this concerns the parameters of the shot when firing such ammunition. One of the main indicators is the radius of the circle into which the shot falls. Obviously, it will be better if this figure is small. This characteristic is similar to the bullet dispersion and shooting accuracy.

If you need to choose cartridges for hunting weapons, you should consider the following characteristics:

• Type of gunpowder. It can be smokeless or smoky. In general, this does not have a significant effect on shooting at game, but it may cause some discomfort due to the fact that gunpowder smoke leaves a residue on the parts of the weapon.
• Type of sleeve depending on composition. Shot cartridge cases can be made of metal, cardboard, plastic, and less commonly of wood fibers. When choosing suitable cartridges, it is necessary to take into account what kind of weapon is used for hunting. Metal cartridges are more convenient to use and reliable, but most often have a high cost and get very hot during a shot.
• Fraction number. The choice of number must be made based on what animal is being hunted. For example, for hunting wild duck, you should choose cartridges with numbers 7-11. If you are choosing ammunition for a hare, it is recommended to purchase hunting ammunition with shot number zero. For winter hunting of small animals, you should choose ammunition for hunting with number 3 or 4. For hunting large animals, for example, deer and wild boars, you should give preference to buckshot.
• Price. The question of how much cartridges cost interests many hunters. In this case, the cost will be influenced by the manufacturer, as well as the materials used for manufacturing, the quality of the product and its power.

When choosing caliber cartridges for shotguns, it is recommended to purchase products from well-known manufacturers in order to eliminate the possibility of purchasing low-quality ammunition.

Why should you consider ammo caliber?

Unfortunately, many novice hunters do not always understand the need to choose a specific caliber. It’s quite simple to explain. When hunting small animals or birds, such as ducks, the caliber should also be small. If, when hunting, when you need to use a cartridge for a goose or duck, large-caliber shells are used, this will inevitably lead to the fact that the appearance of the hunted game will be greatly damaged

This is of particular importance when hunting hares and fur-bearing animals and other small game, where it is important to keep their skins in good condition.

Contrary to popular belief, caliber is an indicator not of the size of the bullet, but of its energy. When a large-caliber bullet hits the body of a large animal, it begins to rotate, causing severe damage, preventing through flight. Otherwise, an animal with a through wound may run away from the hunter.

Choosing the right caliber is also important for reasons of economy.

Without a doubt, it is important for any hunter to consider how much he plans to spend on purchasing ammunition. And more powerful cartridges (larger caliber) have a high cost, unlike small-caliber ammunition, whose cost is much lower

It is also worth remembering that the caliber affects the weight of the projectile, and, consequently, the weight of the weapon as a whole. In addition, small-caliber cartridges have better flatness during shooting, which allows you to more accurately hit a target at a long distance even in adverse weather conditions.

Security restrictions[edit]

In the UK, the use of tracer rounds is restricted at UK National Rifle Association shooting ranges due to the increased risk of fire. Unauthorized use is punishable at the discretion of the acting shooter. The use of indicators is generally only permitted during military training. [12]

In July 2009, tracer munitions started a large fire near Marseille, France, in an area where scrub vegetation is very dry and flammable in summer, and where such munitions should not normally be used. [13]

On February 24, 2013, the DFW Gun Club in Dallas, Texas, had a fire started using a tracer inside the facility. [14]

On July 3, 2022, the Christine Lake fire near Basalt, Colorado was started by long-range tracer rounds. The two men who were found responsible for the fire fired tracer rounds outside the designated target area of ​​the shooting range. [15]

Device Features

The most important feature of this type of ammunition is the movement of the center of gravity and the change in the weight of the cartridge itself, since such differences are associated with the presence of a tracer that will burn out when fired.

However, during flight, longitudinal displacement does not negatively affect the result of the shot. At the same time, a transverse displacement of the center of gravity of the projectile can make it dynamically unbalanced, which causes a significant increase in dispersion.

The above-mentioned nuances of tracer bullets are associated with one-sided burnout of the tracer. In the bullet body, the tracer is located in a special glass.

Weapon developers were able to achieve uniform burning of the tracer substance in such ammunition by compressing the pyrotechnic substance into the projectile. To prevent the destruction of this substance when a bullet is fired, there is no groove (knurling) made on the side surface of the body for pressing the cartridge case neck into it (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Inside the projectile there is a reservoir with a substance that gives a luminous trace

The fastening of such projectiles in the cartridge case is carried out due to their fit in the barrel with interference. When a shot is fired, the flame from the powder charge ignites the tracer composition of the projectile, which will begin to burn and give a good luminous trail.

New generation of tracer bullets

For more than a century, tracer ammunition has been helping soldiers conduct targeted fire at night. They have many advantages, but also have disadvantages. The most significant of them is that enemy soldiers can easily calculate the enemy's position by observing the fire that is carried out thanks to the use of bullets of this type. The US Department of Defense is currently involving engineers and scientists in the process of developing a new generation of ammunition. In this case, the trace from them should be visible only to the shooter who is firing.

To create traditional tracer ammunition, the basis is the use of pyrotechnic materials and non-flammable mixtures. Products will be developed using fluorescent materials in the manufacture, as well as chemical lighting sources. They will be activated only during the shooting process. A special recess is created in the back of the bullet into which the luminous material will be placed. For this reason, the light will not be visible from the enemy.

The use of ammunition of this type has an important advantage. Due to the jet of flame that appears during the flight of an ordinary bullet, the trajectory of its movement changes. In addition, as the tracer burns, the weight of the ammunition changes, which affects the flight ballistics. New generation tracer shells will not have these disadvantages. Their advantage lies in high shooting accuracy.

A tracer projectile of this type can be used for combat due to the elimination of the problem with changes in the flight trajectory. Today, tracer bullets, along with ordinary ones, are used in a ratio of 1/3.

Rifle cartridges[edit | edit code]

Summary table of rifle cartridgesedit | edit code

Storage rules

There are rules for storing weapons and ammunition in any military unit, and they must be strictly followed (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Tracer bullets are stored in the same way as conventional ammunition.

If you follow these rules for storing projectiles, you can save them for future use:

Cartridges must be protected from moisture, dust and dirt. If you neglect this condition, then over time the ammunition will become unsuitable for firing. It is recommended to store shells indoors. Tracer bullets should be protected from contact with liquid, since when moisture gets inside the cartridge case, the powder charge is moistened. It can cause misfire, which can manifest itself in a prolonged shot or the bullets get stuck in the bore. When storing cartridges outdoors, it is worthwhile to provide means of protection against pollution and environmental influences. It is prohibited to light fires near ammunition storage areas. It is not advisable to place boxes of ammunition on the ground

It is recommended to use spacers made of wood or other materials. Do not store lubricants or foreign objects near the cartridges. Storing different types of ammunition in one place (combat, training, blank) is strictly prohibited. When opening boxes, you must pay special attention to the decals. If the cartridges are covered with rust, then you should wipe them with a dry rag. After storing shells in bulk for a long time, it is worth wiping them thoroughly before direct use. Defective ammunition must not be used for shooting.

In the video you can see what light effects tracer bullets create during flight.

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14.10.2019 1 932

Special purpose cartridges (Part II)

(End. Beginning in the article “Special Purpose Cartridges (Part I

)»)

Cartridges for silent firing of closed type

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, in many countries, including the Soviet Union, an intensive process of understanding the experience of the past war and its implementation in new developments began. One of the most popular areas of development, especially since the beginning of the Cold War, was weapons for special services. As part of these developments, the creation was carried out, among other things, of silent (more precisely, low-noise) weapons, which are necessary both when conducting combat operations in the rear or near the enemy, and when carrying out special operations.

The first domestic project of a device of this type, intended for silent shooting, was patented in 1929 by the brothers V.G. and I.G. Mitin. The device was a second drum with seals, mounted on the muzzle of the Nagan revolver barrel. The standard Nagan revolver cartridge was loaded with a 5.6-mm small-caliber bullet in a special tray, which, when fired, passing through the barrel, became wedged in the chamber of the muzzle drum, locking the gases, and the bullet continued to move. However, these weapons remained only in prototypes, but the very idea of ​​​​creating a silent weapon with the dimensions of an ordinary one has long attracted the attention of designers.

A closed-type device that worked on the principle of expansion of gases in a variable-closed volume (as applied to firearms), which was brought to small-scale production, was developed during the Great Patriotic War by the engineer of the Tula Arms Plant M. G. Gurevich. The first samples of small arms of its design, using similar ammunition, were tested at the Red Army Small Arms Research Site (NIPSVO) in November 1943. The device was a cartridge case with a primer, a charge of gunpowder, a piston and a bullet in a small barrel. The space between the piston and the bullet was filled with water in a volume equal to the volume of the barrel bore. When fired, under the influence of powder gases, the piston displaced water, which, in turn, pushed the bullet out at subsonic speed. The piston, locking the gases in the cartridge case, ensured a silent shot. However, the use of water caused energy losses to overcome the resistance of the liquid, limited storage and use at subzero temperatures, and unmasked it with a cloud of splashes. Of a number of samples, the most widely used was the 7.62-mm five-shot Gurevich revolver developed in the late 1940s, produced in single copies by the Tula Arms Plant. The obvious shortcomings of the liquid pusher, as well as unmasking during shooting, predetermined the short existence of such weapons.

A slightly different, but structurally similar silent shooting device, in which the piston broke the ampoule and ejected not a bullet, but a poisonous liquid, was used as evidence at the trial in Germany in October 1962 in the case of the murder of Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera in 1959 KGB officer Bogdan Stashinsky.

7.62-mm special cartridge PZA “Snake” with a PS bullet with a steel core of
7.62×35 SP. 2. In the USSR, in the early 1950s, work continued on similar complexes, but with different designs of special cartridges. One of the new models of such weapons was a camouflaged firing device created in 1953–1955 by TOZ designer I. Ya. Stechkin at the request of the special department of the USSR Ministry of State Security, which included a 7.62-mm special SP cartridge. 2 closed-type for silent shooting and two versions of the three-barrel firing device TKB-506 and TKB-506 A for silent-flameless shooting, made in the form of metal cigarette cases. This weapon was used mainly by operatives of the First Main Directorate of the KGB of the USSR (foreign intelligence). Technological development of the SP cartridge. 2 was carried out by senior engineer of TsNIITOCHMASH I.S. Gubel. This cartridge turned out to be more effective than the Gurevich cartridge.

In appearance, the cartridge is SP. 2 is similar to the 7.62 mm automatic cartridge mod. 1943 with a blunt bullet of a 7.62 mm pistol cartridge. The bullet is constructed similarly to the Pst bullet of the 7.62×25 TT pistol cartridge, but with a lightweight metal pusher attached to the bottom of the blunt-pointed bullet. This bullet had a steel core in a lead jacket and a bimetallic jacket. The edges of the shell were not cut and formed a cavity into which a pusher tube resting on a duralumin piston was inserted and secured with a circular crimp. The length of the bullet is 18.0 mm, the length of the pusher is 17.0 mm. The length of the bullet assembled with a pusher is 31.0 mm, weight is 6.2 g. The sleeve is bimetallic, similar in shape to an automatic rifle cartridge case mod. 1943, length - 34.66 mm.

7.62-mm special cartridge PZAM “Snake” with a PS bullet with a steel core
7.62×62 PZ; PZA; PZAM; PFAM; PMAM. As part of the further development of the concept of a special closed-type cartridge for silent shooting, by the mid-1960s in the Soviet Union, gunsmiths of the Tula Arms Plant, in collaboration with engineers from TsNIITOCHmash (Klimovsk), developed new sabotage weapon systems, which included several types of small arms and 7.62 mm special cartridges of three models (received the common name “Snake”), which used the standard 7.62 mm Pst machine gun bullet of the cartridge model 1943. Including: PZ (Snake cartridge), PZA and PZAM for firing from a double-barreled pistol S-4 (S-4 M); as well as a special cartridge PMAM “Mouthpiece” for shooting the incendiary grenade “Lizard” and a special cartridge PFAM “Phalanx” for shooting a fragmentation grenade.

7.62x38 SP. 3. Following the special cartridges of the PZ “Snake” family in 1965–1966, TsNIITOCHMASH engineer E. T. Rozanov (who was tasked with replacing the special bullet of the SP. 2 cartridge with the standard 7.62 mm PS bullet of the automatic cartridge model 1943) a more advanced SP cartridge was developed. 3. It differed from its predecessors in that it used a two-stage telescopic pusher, which also took on the functions of a piston and remained in the cartridge case after the shot. The piston-pusher had a noticeably shorter length in the position before the shot.

7.62 mm special cartridge SP.
2; 7.62 mm special cartridge SP. 3; double-shot clip for 7.62 mm special SP cartridges. 3 to the SME pistol; 7.62 mm special cartridge SP. 4 7.62 mm special cartridge SP. 3 closed type for silent shooting from a double-barreled special small-sized pistol TOZ-37 M/MSP “Groza” (TOZ designer R.D. Khlynin) and a scout knife shooting NRS. Patron SP. 3 The new “ammunition-weapon” complex was adopted by the Soviet Army on August 24, 1972 by order of the USSR Minister of Defense No. 145 under the designation “7.62-mm small-sized special pistol (SME)” and “special cartridge SP. 3". This pistol was used not only by special forces units of the GRU General Staff, but also by the operational staff of a number of departments of the KGB of the USSR. A number of SME pistols were transferred to the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of a number of allied states of the Soviet Union.

When creating a special cartridge SP. 3, one of the requirements was to provide an appearance similar to the standard 7.62 mm machine gun cartridge. Which was successfully implemented. Based on a comparative assessment of the tactical and technical characteristics of existing domestic silent weapons with known foreign analogues, the results of research to substantiate the rational nomenclature of new types of weapons and ammunition, tactical and technical requirements for them, on the basis of the developments of TsNIITOCHMASH and the developments of other Soviet weapons enterprises, a new concept was formulated special silent weapons.

As a result of its implementation in 1979–1983, TsNIITOMASH designers Yu. M. Krylov and V. N. Levchenko developed a new “silent” complex, consisting of a pistol () with automatic reloading and 7.62x42 special cartridge (index RG 020) with cut-off of powder gases in the sleeve designed by V. A. Petrov. Its unique design allowed domestic special forces to obtain small-sized, silent weapons, ready to immediately open fire. In 1983, this complex was adopted by the special forces of the USSR Ministry of Defense and the KGB of the USSR under the designation “7.62-mm special self-loading pistol PSS (product 6 P28)”, and the cartridge – under the designation “7.62-mm special cartridge SP. 4".

7.62 mm special self-loading pistol PSS with a special SP cartridge.
4 and 6-round magazine The new cartridge was a further development of the joint venture. 2 and SP. 3. In appearance, it is a bottle-shaped wafer sleeve with a completely recessed cylindrical bullet, which does not protrude beyond the front cut of the sleeve. In design it is closer to the SP cartridge. 2, but its single-stage piston (without a telescopic rod) now rests directly on a heat-strengthened steel bullet. The bullet is shellless (weighing 9.3 g), has a cylindrical shape, with a 5 mm wide brass ring in the head, which serves as a leading belt for movement along the rifling of the barrel bore. The bottom of the bullet has a centering recess for the protrusion of the piston. To increase the stopping effect, the head of the bullet is made flat, which does not significantly affect its ballistics at short firing distances. The initial bullet speed is 200 m/s. At a distance of 25 m, it penetrates a steel sheet 2 mm thick; body armor of the 2nd protection class (stopping a conventional 9x18 PM bullet) or equivalent bulletproof glass, while maintaining sufficient lethal effect after penetration and muffling the sound of the shot to the level of sound from an air rifle. The bullet dispersion diameter at a distance of 25 m is no more than 35 mm. The sleeve - steel, bottle-shaped clad with tombak with one central ignition hole - has a length of 42 mm, which exceeds the length of conventional pistol cartridge cases. Compared to previous cartridges, it has thicker walls, which made it possible to increase the volume of the powder charge and thereby increase the initial speed of the bullet. Inside the sleeve there is a piston (weight 0.7 g), which is a hollow duralumin cap with a centering protrusion on which the bullet rests. The Boxer igniter capsule is compressed with an annular core with an additional four-sided core with a flat core. The propellant charge is pyroxylin non-graphite powder with spherical graining (weight 0.22 g). Weight of SP cartridge. 4 is 24 g; bullet length - 28.2 mm. The sleeve is not marked.

During a shot, the powder gases act on the piston, which, together with the bullet, begins to move forward. When the piston reaches the bottle constriction in the barrel neck, its movement stops and it tightly plugs the cartridge case, thus blocking the exit of powder gases to the outside. In this case, the piston is completely jammed in the barrel of the liner, without extending further. At the moment the piston stops, the bullet speed reaches the required initial value; further, its movement along the barrel occurs due to inertial forces, while the muzzle energy reaches 200 J. It was the absence of retractable parts in the sleeve that made it possible to develop a pistol with automatic reloading for this cartridge. After the shot, the cartridge case is automatically removed from the chamber and removed from the weapon when the bolt casing moves backward under the influence of recoil, like a conventional cartridge case.

7.62 mm special cartridge SP.
4 with a bullet The PSS silent self-loading pistol is still the only example of such a weapon in the world chambered for a cartridge with a piston that completely locks out the powder gases. The PSS is an effective individual weapon for covert attack and defense in conditions requiring silent and flameless shooting. This pistol uses a special SP cartridge. 4 made it possible to obtain very high shot sound suppression characteristics. None of the modern muzzle silencers is capable of surpassing the SP in this indicator. 4. The high recoil impulse of the cartridge with gas cut-off in the cartridge case made it possible to achieve reliable operation of the automatic pistol in any conditions. A thick-walled steel sleeve provides initial speed to the bullet, retaining the pushing piston and powder gases in the body. Therefore, the self-loading mode of operation of the pistol was an achievement of Soviet designers, given that the automatic removal of the cartridge case from the chamber is prevented by the high pressure inside it. The PSS pistol is gradually replacing the PB pistol in special forces units and military reconnaissance units. Chambered for SP. 4, a new modification of the reconnaissance shooting knife “NRS-2” was also developed.

The design of a number of other types of silent small arms adopted by special units of the Russian army and law enforcement agencies is based on the principle of using closed-type ammunition for silent shooting. These include: 30-mm silent under-barrel grenade launcher BS-1 “Canary”, mounted on various modifications of 7.62-mm and 5.45-mm Kalashnikov AKM/AK-74U assault rifles, equipped with PBS-1 devices; pyro-liquid pistol PSG “Jasmine” / “Udar”, which shoots a stream of irritating liquid, and some others.

Cartridges for underwater weapons

4.5x40 R ATP.
A significant creative achievement of Soviet gunsmiths in the field of special small arms is the creation of a system of underwater small arms and ammunition for them, including a special underwater pistol and an underwater machine gun. The experience of using reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Navy of a number of foreign countries (USA, Great Britain, Italy, etc.) in World War II, as well as during local military conflicts, showed that these units, under certain conditions, can have a significant impact on the conduct of amphibious operations and cause significant damage to enemy ships and coastal targets. Taking this into account, almost all NATO countries have introduced relatively small but well-trained units of underwater reconnaissance saboteurs (combat swimmers) into their navies. 5.56-mm underwater machine gun cartridge with a steel bullet MPS and with a tracer bullet MPST
The formation of special reconnaissance and sabotage units in the naval forces of our potential enemies (the United States and its NATO allies) after the end of World War II forced the leadership of the Soviet Armed Forces to look for their ways to solve this problem. Thus, it was the appearance of reconnaissance and sabotage units in the Turkish Navy near one of the main Soviet naval bases on the Black Sea - in Sevastopol - that necessitated the need to take retaliatory measures to create special anti-sabotage forces and means. Therefore, already in 1967, a special detachment to combat underwater sabotage forces and means (PDSS Navy) was formed in the Black Sea Fleet. To actively counter foreign saboteurs, combat swimmers from special units and detachments of the PDSS required the creation of fundamentally new special types of effective weapons designed to combat both personnel and equipment of a potential enemy.

In 1968, TsNIITOCHMASH received a technical assignment for the development of underwater small arms systems, consisting of an assault rifle and a pistol complex, i.e., an assault rifle and a pistol and cartridges for them.
Work on such a rifle complex, designed to combat underwater targets, had no analogues in the world and was a unique development of domestic gunsmiths. 5.56-mm underwater machine gun cartridge with MPST tracer bullet
The first research into the possibility of creating an underwater pistol was started by Soviet gunsmiths back in 1966. The complexity and originality of the task lay in the fact that there were no domestic or foreign analogues of underwater small arms, and there was practically no scientific and theoretical development of such weapons and ammunition. The main problem was the impossibility of creating full-fledged underwater firearms. This was due to the fact that shooting underwater is caused by two negative factors: the high density of water (800 times higher than air) and the filling of the barrel with water.

If the first circumstance sharply reduced the firing range and stability of the bullet along the trajectory, then the second led to a multiple increase in the pressure of the powder gases in the chamber and barrel and the impulse acting on the moving parts of the automation (in the case of using automatic weapons). This could cause not only the destruction of weapons of traditional design schemes, but also the death of the shooter himself.

Already during the first tests, the designers discovered that conventional bullet designs when fired underwater have a very limited firing range, since they lose effectiveness even at very short distances (less than 1 m), and are therefore unsuitable for use in underwater small arms. As a result of research by TsNIITOCHMASH designers P. F. Sazonov and O. P. Kravchenko, a design scheme for an underwater cartridge was chosen, based on the active principle of throwing an elongated bullet. They succeeded, initially theoretically, and then after a whole complex of research and development work and in practice, to create special ammunition for underwater firearms that used elongated non-rotating bullets for firing with hydrodynamic stabilization using a cavitation cavity generated when the bullet moves in water.

During 1968–1969, as a result of development work, an original pistol complex was created, consisting of a 4.5 mm special underwater pistol AO-45 and a 4.5x39 R underwater pistol cartridge SPS (with a steel bullet). In 1970, this complex, under the designation SPP-1, was adopted as a personal weapon for combat swimmers and scuba divers of the PDSS of the USSR Navy.

A 4.5-mm special SPS cartridge was developed for the underwater pistol, intended for self-defense at a depth of up to 40 m. A distinctive feature of the SPS cartridge was a needle-shaped bullet of high elongation. In fact, this steel bullet weighing 13.2 g was an elongated steel rod 115 mm long (length to caliber ratio - 25: 1). According to the shape of the external outline, the bullet had an elongated leading part and an ogive, while the pointed ogive of the bullet was made into a cone. The top of the ogive had a blunt (flat) shape. When fired in water, a bullet of a similar design at high speeds was stabilized hydrodynamically due to a cavitation cavity (cavity) generated by a small flat area at the front pointed end of the bullet, which was held throughout the entire flight of the bullet. Thanks to this, the bullet had an effective firing range, that is, the ability to maintain stable movement and lethality at a distance of 17 m at a depth of 5 m; 14 m - at a depth of 10 m; 11 m - at a depth of 20 m; 6 m - at a depth of 40 m. At the indicated ranges and depths, the bullet was capable of piercing several solid pine boards, i.e., effective shooting in all cases exceeded the line of sight range at the corresponding depth, ensuring reliable penetration of diving suits and underwater masks. The shape of the bullet also determined the fact that the barrels of a promising underwater pistol had to be smooth, without rifling. The flight of such an elongated bullet of the SPS cartridge in the air was not stabilized in any way, since for a large elongation bullet stabilization by rotation was ineffective, and due to its shape and dimensions it quickly lost stability. Therefore, firing in the air with SPS cartridges was possible only at a very short range - up to 15–20 m.

The brass sleeve of the SPS cartridge, 40 mm long, was bottle-shaped, flanged (with a protruding rim), brass, without a stamp, intended to connect all the elements of the cartridge into one, and also facilitated loading the weapon and protected the powder charge from the influence of external conditions. For this purpose, special measures were taken to seal and increase the corrosion resistance of the underwater cartridge; the primer and cartridge case were additionally sealed with a special varnish, which ensured reliable shooting after a long stay of the cartridges in water. The bullet is made of steel and is also coated with a special varnish to protect the metal from corrosion in sea water. The bullet has no coloring. The propellant charge is pyroxylin single-channel gunpowder grade VT. SPS cartridges are marked on the bottom of the case in the form of two dots. The total length of the 4.5-mm SPS cartridge was 145 mm, and the weight was 21 g. The initial speed of the bullet in air is 250 m/s, the muzzle energy is 412 J. The SPS cartridge is used when firing from SPP-1 and SPP-1 pistols M. SPS cartridges are combined into one block using a flat steel clip and removed from the barrels of the SPP pistol (SPP-1 M) or loaded into them simultaneously. The ammunition of the SPP-1 pistol includes 16 SPS cartridges in four clips (one with the pistol in a holster, three in sealed metal cases).

4.5 mm SPS underwater pistol cartridges with a four-round
5.66x39 MPS clip. Taking into account the positive experience in solving problematic issues of testing the underwater pistol complex, in 1970 TsNIITOCHMASH was given the task of creating underwater automatic small arms to equip underwater vehicles of the Triton-1 M type and arm combat swimmers (as an individual weapon). On a competitive basis, the designers of TsNIITOCHMASH began to work on the design of an underwater machine gun and an underwater machine gun, and the designers of the Tula TsKIB SOO began to work on the creation of an underwater machine gun.

Under the new machine gun cartridge V.V. Simonov began designing a special automatic underwater system, which included a 5.66-mm underwater assault rifle AG-022 with a smooth barrel. In an underwater position at a depth of 5 m, the MPS cartridge provides an effective firing range at scuba divers of up to 30 m; at a depth of 20 m, the effective range is reduced to 20 m, and at a depth of 40 m it is only 10 m. It must be taken into account that the line-of-sight range at at the indicated depths without the use of special equipment does not exceed the effective firing range of the APS, that is, if the enemy can be visually detected, then he can be hit. The design of the 5.66 mm cartridge for underwater shooting with the MPST tracer bullet is similar to the MPS cartridge. The tracing range of an MPST bullet at a depth of 5, 20, 40 m is respectively 28 m, 18 m, 10 m. The top of the tracer bullet is painted with green varnish.

In 1975, the 5.66-mm underwater special assault rifle (APS) and MPS and MPST cartridges were adopted by the USSR Navy. Combat swimmers from the Navy's underwater sabotage forces and assets (PDSS) are armed with APS assault rifles. With the adoption of the 5.66-mm assault rifle complex, the formation of an underwater small arms system was completed, including the 4.5-mm SPS cartridge and the SPP-1 (SPP-1 M) pistol; 5.66-mm MPS and MPST cartridges and a single weapon (individual and placed on mobile carriers) - the APS assault rifle for arming special formations of the PDSS Navy.

Sergey Monetchikov Photo from the author’s archive

For pneumatics

As you can see, there are different types of air bullets. Most hunters, not to mention the military, do not take them seriously. But this is quite a formidable weapon. Even if we don’t talk about the long-outdated Girardoni rifle (which was in service with Austrian border guards in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries), which was a formidable weapon, today there are many formidable pneumatics. True, it is used mainly for entertainment or, at best, for hunting small prey.

Not everyone knows that among pneumatic weapons there are both smooth-bore and rifled ones, which are sharply superior in power and combat range.

The bullets used here are quite different. First of all, they differ in size.

If we talk about small caliber, then this includes bullets with a diameter of 4.5 to 6.35 millimeters. Bullets from 7.62 to 9 millimeters are considered medium. Large-caliber pneumatic weapons cannot boast of serious distribution - they are highly specialized, have a high cost, and are quite difficult to manufacture and maintain. However, there are also bullets for pneumatics with calibers from 11.43 to 22 millimeters! In fact, the latter are more like ammunition for a small gun.

The length also varies greatly. Overall, the spread can be very large. For clarity, we will consider only 4.5 mm caliber bullets - as the most common. Here the length can vary from 5 to 9.5 millimeters

This parameter is extremely important to remember if you do not use ordinary single-shot pneumatics, which are most often found in ordinary shooting ranges, but rather magazine-fed weapons

On sale today you can see pneumatic bullets made from a variety of materials: plastic, aluminum, lead, steel, and combinations. Each ammunition has certain advantages and disadvantages, and therefore a corresponding specialization.

In addition, they can vary significantly in shape. For example, you can buy spherical ones. They are the cheapest and at the same time have good stopping power due to their heavy weight. But it is the heavy weight combined with not very good form that seriously reduces the combat range. Dart-shaped bullets are the complete opposite. They are the most difficult to manufacture, and therefore cost the most. But they easily hit the target at the maximum distance for a rifle, and provide the highest accuracy due to their shape. Hemispherical bullets can be called a good compromise between price and quality. Their production is quite simple, which means the cost will not be too high. The special shape allows the power of compressed gas to be used most efficiently - the bullet flies over a truly long distance.

Types[edit]

Tracer rounds fired from a .50 caliber M2HB heavy machine gun mounted on an HMMWV ricochet off a decommissioned tank used as a training target at the Air Mobility Warfare Center.

There are three types of indicators: bright

indicator,
dim
indicator and
dim
indicator. Bright tracers are the standard type that begin to burn shortly after exiting the muzzle. The disadvantage of bright tracers is that they give away the shooter's location to the enemy; As the military saying goes, “tracers work both ways.” Bright indicators can also overwhelm night vision devices, rendering them useless. The dimmed tracers illuminate at full brightness after a hundred yards or more so as not to give away the gunner's position. Dim indicators glow very dimly but are clearly visible through night vision equipment.

The M196 (54 grain bullet) 5.56mmx45mm NATO tracer cartridge was designed for the original M16 rifle and is compatible with the M16A1 barrel also using 1:12 rifling. It has a red tip and is designed to trace out to 500 yards, and the trajectory matches that of the M193 (56 grain) ball cartridge, which does not have a tip color. Trajectory matching, or ballistic match, is achieved between two bullets of slightly different weights and aerodynamic characteristics by adjusting the cartridge's propellant weight, propellant type, and muzzle velocity to remain within safe pressure limits while still ensuring that each bullet travels to its target. . this is virtually identical for all atmospheric conditions and target ranges when using the same aiming point. The trajectory match does not have to be perfect, which is impossible from an engineering point of view with the closest similarity between two bullets, this is further complicated in the case where the tracer loses mass and changes its resistance properties in flight. The goal is for the tracer to match the projectile well enough to be fired from a machine gun.

The M856 tracer cartridge (63.7 grain bullet) is used in the M16A2/3/4, M4 series, and M249 weapons (among other 5.56 mm NATO weapons). This projectile is rated out to 875 yards, has an orange tip color and a trajectory consistent with the M855 ball cartridge (62 grain, green tip). The M856 tracer round should not be used in the M16A1 except in emergency conditions and only in relatively warm weather because the M16A1 has a slower 1:12 rifling twist that is not sufficient to properly stabilize this round in the lower temperatures of combat service (minus 40 degrees), when the air density is much higher, which violates the gyroscopic stability of the bullet. The M16A2 and newer models have the 1:7" rifling twist required to stabilize the M856 tracer in all temperature conditions (however, the M196 does work safely with all 1:7 twist barrels, as well as 1:12 twist barrels)

The M25 has an orange tip. 30-06 Springfield tracer cartridge consisting of a 145 g bullet with 50 grains of IMR 4895 powder. The indicator composition contains the composition R 321, which consists of 16% polyvinyl chloride, 26% magnesium powder, 52% strontium nitrate. [8]

The M62 is a 7.62×51mm NATO orange tip tracer round consisting of a 142 g bullet with 46 pellets of WC 846 propellant. The tracer compound contains the R 284 compound, which is 17% polyvinyl chloride, 28% magnesium powder and 55% strontium nitrate. (This is the same compound used in the M196.)

The M276 purple tip is a 7.62×51mm NATO dim tracer that uses a composition of R 440, which is barium peroxide, strontium peroxide, calcium resinate, such as calcium abietate, and magnesium carbonate.

Tracer compositions can also emit primarily in the infrared range for use with night vision devices. An example of a composition is boron, potassium perchlorate, sodium salicylate, iron carbonate or magnesium carbonate (as a fire retardant) and a binder. There are many options. [9]

Bullet device

Armor-piercing incendiary bullet B-32

(Fig. 41) consists of a brass-plated steel shell 1, a lead jacket 2, a hardened steel core 3 and an incendiary composition 4.

Bullet weight 64 g.

Rice. 41. Armor-piercing incendiary bullet B-32:

1 - shell; 2 - lead jacket 3 - core; 4 - incendiary composition

Armor-piercing incendiary bullet BS-41

(Fig. 42) consists of a brass-plated steel shell 1, a lead jacket 2, a cermet core 3 and an incendiary composition 4.

Bullet weight 65 g.

Rice. 42. Incendiary bullet BS-41:

1 - shell; 2 - lead jacket; 3 - core; 4 - incendiary composition

Armor-piercing incendiary tracer bullet BZT

(Fig. 43) consists of a steel brass or bimetallic shell 1, a lead jacket 2, a hardened steel core 3, an incendiary composition 4, a tracer cup 5, inside of which the ignition 6, transition 7 and tracer 8 compositions are pressed.

Bullet weight 59 g.

Rice. 43. Armor-piercing incendiary-tracer bullet BZT:

1 - shell; 2 - lead jacket; 3 - heart; 4 — incendiary composition; 5 — tracer cup;

b - strong composition; 7 - transitional composition; 8 - transferring composition

Armor-piercing incendiary tracer bullet BST

(Fig. 44) consists of a brass-plated steel shell 1, an aluminum jacket 2, a metal-ceramic core 3, an incendiary composition 4, a tracer cup 5, inside of which the igniter 6 and tracer 7 compositions are pressed.

Bullet weight 69 g.

Rice. 44. Armor-piercing tracer bullet BST:

1 - shell; 2 — aluminum jacket; 3 - heart; 4 — incendiary composition;

5 — tracer cup; 6 - ignition composition; 7 — tracer composition

Incendiary bullet ZP

(Fig. 45) consists of a steel brass or bimetallic shell 1, a tombak cap 2, a lead jacket 3, an incendiary composition 4, a cup 5 with a striking mechanism located in it, a lead gasket 6, a tracer cup 7, inside of which the ignition element 8 and the tracer are pressed 9 compositions.

The impact mechanism consists of a capsule sleeve with an igniter primer 10, a running cap 11, which acts as a fuse against premature firing of a bullet, a striker 12 with a sting and a fabric gasket 13.

Bullet weight 60 g.

Rice. 45. Incendiary bullet ZP:

1 - shell; 2 — cap, 3 — lead jacket; 4 — incendiary composition; 5 - glass:

5 — lead gasket; 7 — tracer cup; 8 - igniter composition: 9 - tracer composition;

10 — igniter primer with primer sleeve; 11 — running cap; 12 — striker with a sting; 13 — fabric gasket

Instantaneous incendiary bullet MDZ

consists of a brass-plated steel shell, a lead jacket, a glass with an explosive contained in it, a gasket and an explosive device.

Rice. 46. ​​Instant incendiary bullet (IMB):

1 - tip; 2 — chopping tube; 3 - aluminum cap; 4 — cardboard washer; 5 — detonator capsule; 6 — bushing; 7 - gasket;

8 — fabric gasket; 9 - shell; 10 - lead jacket; 11 - glass; 12 - mixture of explosives and incendiary composition

Links[edit]

1. Ancient Discoveries, Guns'n'Ammo, S4E4 (2009)
2. Barnes, Frank; Skinner, Stan. World Cartridges.
   DBI Books, Inc., 1993 (pages 425-6).
3. "History of the .303 British Service Ammunition." dave-cushman.net,
   July 10, 2001
4. Barnes, Frank; Skinner, Stan. World Cartridges.
   DBI Books, Inc., 1993 (p. 426).
5. ↑
   Edwards Brown, Jr.,
   DCM Buyer's Guide
   , American Rifleman (April 1946).
6. Development of alternative 7.62 mm tracer compositions, 1993
7. "Infrared tracer compositions - US Patent 5639984 Description". patentstorm.us. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
8. "Need help loading tracer". Milsurps.com. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
9. "Non-Toxic Metal-Boron Containing IR Tracer Compositions and IR Tracer Projectiles Containing the Same for Creating an IR Trace with Unclear Visibility - Patent Pending". faqs.org. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
10. Wounding Models of Military Rifle Bullets, Martin Fackler, International Defense Review, Jan 1989
11. 5.56 mm (5.56 x 45 mm) ammunition, with cutout for M193, M196, M855, M856 bullets
12. National Rifle Association of Great Britain Shooting Rules Appendix 14/1
13. AFP, French army bangs on flames as Europe battles fires
14. "Four-alarm fire engulfs Dallas shooting range". WFAA. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2013.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
15. "El Jebel Residents Charged with 4th Degree Arson at Christine Fire Lake". Aspen Times
    . Retrieved July 5, 2022.

What are tracer bullets

Tracer bullets are special ammunition for firearms, in which the striking element begins to glow during the flight of the projectile and leaves a visible trajectory for accurate shooting. These projectiles can also be used to provide signals or to photograph the trajectory when testing ballistic missiles.

The name of this ammunition is associated with its design, since its striking elements begin to glow during flight and leave a visible mark in the air for the shooter.

With the help of the resulting light line, it is easier to make well-aimed shots not only in combat, but also when hunting a wild animal. Tracer bullets also differ from conventional small arms projectiles in their increased weight (Figure 1).

Figure 1. This is what the flight of tracer bullets looks like in the night sky

If you look at such ammunition in section, you can see in its elongated shape a sewn-in space with coloring active reagents. After the shot is fired, they ignite and leave bright, clear marks in the path of the bullet. Using them, you can determine the path of the projectile from the place of the shot to the target. If a tracer hits flammable objects (hay, paper, etc.), a fire may occur.

Ban

The use of tracer bullets is prohibited by the third protocol of the Hague Conference. For this reason, the use of military ammunition of this type in combat against personnel constitutes a crime. At the same time, their use for aviation and ground equipment is permissible. Also, the ban does not exclude people from being unintentionally injured by cartridges of this type. In such cases, a person can receive serious injuries, which only in some cases are compatible with life.

In fact, such a ban was established back in November 1868 by the St. Petersburg Declaration. It was developed by the Minister of War Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin, who insisted on introducing a ban on the use of incendiary and explosive substances when shooting at people. From the perspective of modern man, such ammunition is a barbaric means for which there is no justification.

Despite the existing ban, tracer bullets were actively used during World War II. They were mainly directed against the partisans. If previously the ammunition had a caliber of 9 mm, today NATO has sniper rifles with a caliber of 25 mm.

History and structure

Tracer bullets and shells appeared before the First World War. Their main purpose is to leave a trail of smoke or fire during their flight, thereby allowing the command to adjust the shooting of personnel in the dark and when repelling air attacks from airships and aircraft. Depending on the components of the incendiary mixture of a bullet or projectile, the glow of their flight path can be of the following colors: yellow, green, crimson and orange.

As a rule, in the rear part of such an element (a bullet or an artillery shell), a tracer is located in the center (rarely several tracers symmetrically) - a small glass filled with a special pyrotechnic composition. The tracer is ignited by the combustion of powder gases during a shot and gives a clearly visible bright glow.

Typically used in artillery systems that fire direct fire, as well as in ammunition for small arms. The use of such bullets and shells allows the shooter to see the flight path of the bullet and shell and adjust his shooting. Fire of tracer ammunition from small arms can be used to indicate artillery targets. A tracer projectile has an incendiary effect when it hits a flammable object (haystack, tank of fuel vapor). To conserve mass, tracer bullets are usually longer than regular bullets. For artillery ammunition, the presence of a tracer is in addition to the main purpose of the projectile, for example, an armor-piercing tracer projectile.

For small arms, a bullet can be either simply a tracer, for example, the T-30 tracer bullet of the 1930 model (7.62 T, RKKA AU index 57-T-322),) and the T-46 of the 1938 model (the tip of the bullet is 5 mm was painted green), and combined action, for example, the armor-piercing incendiary-tracer bullet BZT-44 cartridge 12.7 × 108 mm for the DShK machine gun and other systems. The use of combined bullets is due to the fact that, due to their design, tracer bullets are characterized by a number of specific features: less accuracy of fire compared to other bullets and low penetration ability. Later, a 7.62-mm cartridge of the 1943 model with a T-45 tracer bullet (index 57-T-231P) was accepted for supply.

In the USSR, Russia and some CIS countries, tracer ammunition for small arms is marked with green varnish on the tip of the bullet.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states have adopted the American marking system: tracer bullets are marked with opaque red or orange paint on the tip of the bullet.

Refusal of the Ministry of Defense from tracer bullets

The Russian Ministry of Defense in 2013 made a decision to abandon lead tracer bullets. They will be replaced by armor-piercing tracer ammunition, which is equipped with a steel core. The military believes that standard products serve solely to adjust fire, and therefore are highly specialized. In addition, lead causes damage to the environment at firing ranges and to the shooter’s body.

In bad weather conditions or at night during combat and training firing, one tracer ammunition is used after four conventional ones. It is indispensable in poor visibility conditions. Modern protective helmets and body armor cannot be penetrated by such bullets. This is one of the reasons why the Ministry of Defense decided to use armor-piercing tracer products.

Similar cartridges were developed in 2000 by the Moscow Region Automatic Lines Design Bureau, and four years later they were put into service. However, the military department purchased them in small quantities. The purchase was completely stopped in 2010. At the moment, tracer ammunition is produced by the Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant.

Incendiary bullet Pr.

Bullet weight 10.1g, bullet length 37mm,

For shooting at flammable open combustible materials. The bullet consists of a steel shell clad with tombak, a lead jacket, a lead bottom plug, an inertia-type impact mechanism, an igniter primer and yellow phosphorus placed in the nose of the bullet (the impact mechanism and the igniter primer are placed in a clad cup covered with a lead gasket). The bottom of the capsule cup has a hole for the passage of the firing pin; on the other side, the composition is covered with an aluminum circle. Cartridges of this type were produced until 1940; later, cartridges with the PmK bullet began to be produced instead.