JABONE, NICO T. ASS.

INTERNAL BALLISTICS SEPT 13, 2020

FORENSIC 6C 1:30-5:30 MTH PHENOMENA SCORE:

INTERNAL BALLISTICS PHENOMENA

1. OBJECTIVE: Illustrate nine ballistic phenomena occurring inside the gun during actual
firing
2. PROCEDURE

      Based on the knowledge acquired in the previous lessons, illustrate/explain the series of
events that take place inside a loaded pistol after pressing the trigger and before the bullet
exits the gun muzzle. In your diagram, use arrows to indicate the series of events. Identify every
series of events whether it is physical, mechanical or chemical reactions.

CHRONOLOGY OF  POSSIBLE EXPLANATION TYPE OF REACTION

EVENTS/REACTIONS
1. FIRING PIN HITS THE
PRIMER
2. PRIMING MIXTURES
IGNITES
3. COMBUSTION OF THE
PROPELLANT
4. EXPANSION OF HEATED
GASES
A gun is fired by pulling the The hammer rotates forward
trigger which releases until it hits the firing pin,
the firing pin from its cocked driving it forward; alternately,
position allowing it to collide the striker (firing pin) moves
with the primer. forward if there is no
hammer.
The primer ignites and shoots The tip of the firing pin strikes
a 2000 degree C stream of fire the primer cup, deforming it
into the cartridge, igniting the and crushing the priming
main power charge. compound inside against the
anvil underneath
The powder in the cartridge The priming compound
burns. explodes, sending hot, rapidly
expanding gas through the
flash hole and into the case.
This gas rapidly raises the
temperature and pressure
inside the cartridge case, thus
igniting the propellant.
It produces hot gas which As the propellant burns, it
causes pressure to build in the generates hot, expanding gas
cartridge. at a temperature of about
5,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
This quickly raises the
pressure inside the cartridge
case to peak levels up to
 62,000 pounds per square
inch (P.S.I.). The increasing
pressure irons the cartridge
case sidewalls outward
against the chamber walls,
creating a seal that prevents
hot gas from escaping to the
rear.
5. GENERATION OF ENERGY The pressure and At shot-start pressure
temperature inside the (normally 2,000-10,000 P.S.I.),
cartridge increase, the rate of the bullet overcomes case
combustion increases, neck tension, allowing the
building up higher and higher expanding propellant gases to
pressure. accelerate it down the bore. 
6. RECOIL The powder continues to After traveling a short
burn, increasing the pressure distance in the chamber
in the chamber, until it throat, the bullet contacts
reaches a maximum when the the rifling and engraves. As
bullet is a short distance down the bullet accelerates down
the bore. the bore, the rifling lands grip
the bullet's surface, imparting
spin. About one-third of the
way down the barrel, the
bullet breaks the sound
barrier.
7. VELOCITY OF THE BULLET As the bullet moves down the As the bullet accelerates
IN THE BARREL barrel, it accelerates, and the farther down the barrel,
pressure decreases slightly as internal volume
a result of the expanding increases...which, in turn,
volume behind the bullet causes chamber pressure to
begin to drop. Progressive
burning of the propellant
offsets the pressure drop to
some extent, but does not
prevent it.
8. ROTATION OF THE BULLET When the bullet leaves the As the bullet clears the
IN THE BARREL muzzle of the gun, the muzzle, a jet of hot, high-
pressure has subsided velocity propellant gas, still at
significantly, but has not 10 to 30 percent of peak
completely dissipated. The chamber pressure, is released.
rush of hot gas expands As the gas jet escapes, it
dramatically when it leaves compresses the air
the barrel, causing a pressure surrounding the muzzle, thus
wave to develop in the air. It creating a loud "report." 

9. ENGRAVING OF THE
BULLET'S SURFACE
is this pressure wave that we
perceive as the loud bang
produced when the gun is
fired.
The pressure inside the barrel Allows the cartridge case
and chamber quickly drops sidewalls to spring back from
back to ambient levels. the chamber walls for
extraction.

REFERENCES:

 How Guns Work: The Firing Sequence. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2020, from
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/3/25/how-guns-work-the-firing-sequence/

 About the Author: Gideon Juve Gideon Juve was a junior at the University of Southern
California majoring in Computer Science. He is originally from Eastern Oregon where he
enjoys hunting, & Gideon Juve was a junior at the University of Southern California majoring
in Computer Science. He is originally from Eastern Oregon where he enjoys hunting. (2018,
November 08). Ballistics of Modern Firearms. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from
https://illumin.usc.edu/ballistics-of-modern-firearms/