Transitional ballistics

Transitional ballistics, also known as intermediate ballistics,[1] is the study of

a projectile's behavior from the time it leaves the muzzle until the pressure
behind the projectile is equalized,[2] so it lies between internal ballistics and
external ballistics.

Contents
The transitional period
Initial velocity calculation
Altering transitional ballistics
Suppressing the blast Play media
References Schlieren High-Speed Video Of
Shotshell Transitional Intermediate
Ballistics.

The transitional period

Transitional ballistics is a complex field that involves a number of variables that are not fully understood; therefore, it is not an
exact science.[3] When the bullet reaches the muzzle of the barrel, the escaping gases are still, in many cases, at hundreds of
atmospheres of pressure. Once the bullet exits the barrel, breaking the seal, the gases are free to move past the bullet and expand
in all directions. This expansion is what gives gunfire its explosive sound (in conjunction with the sonic boom of the projectile),
and is often accompanied by a bright flash as the gases combine with the oxygen in the air and finish combusting.

The propellant gases continue to exert force on the bullet and firearm for a short while after the bullet leaves the barrel. One of
the essential elements of accurizing a firearm is to make sure that this force does not disrupt the bullet from its path. The worst
case is a muzzle or muzzle device such as a flash-hider that is cut at a non-square angle, so that one side of the bullet leaves the
barrel early; this will cause the gas to escape in an asymmetric pattern, and will push the bullet away from that side, causing shots
to form a "string", where the shots cluster along a line rather than forming a normal Gaussian pattern.

Most firearms have muzzle velocities in excess of the ambient speed of sound, and even in subsonic cartridges the escaping gases
will exceed the speed of sound, forming a shock wave. This wave will quickly slow as the expanding gas cools, dropping the
speed of sound within the expanding gas, but at close range this shockwave can be very damaging. The muzzle blast from a high
powered cartridge can literally shred soft objects in its vicinity, as careless benchrest pistol shooters occasionally find out when
the muzzle slips back onto their sandbag and the muzzle blast sends sand flying.

Initial velocity calculation

During the first part of the intermediate ballistics period the real velocity of the projectile increases. It is caused by the propellant
gases exiting the muzzle. For that reason the real maximum projectile velocity (Vmax) is higher than the real muzzle velocity
(Vr). The external ballistics uses so-called initial velocity Vo, which is not the same as the real muzzle velocity. The initial
velocity Vo is calculated via an extrapolation of the decaying part of velocity curve to the position of the muzzle (to). The
difference between these two velocities is visible in the chart.
Altering transitional ballistics
In addition to the process of "crowning" a barrel to ensure a clean and accurate
exit of the bullet, there are a number of devices that attempt to harness the
muzzle blast for various reasons.

Suppressing the blast

The initial velocity (Vo) and real
Flash suppressors and sound suppressors are the most obvious devices that muzzle velocity (Vr) difference
operate in the transitional ballistics realm. These both alter the flow of the
escaping gas to reduce the effects of the muzzle blast. Flash suppressors
introduce turbulence into the mixing of fuel-laden hot gases escaping from the muzzle and the surrounding oxygen-rich air,
reducing combustion efficiency and thus reducing the size and brightness of the flash. Sound suppressors slow the expansion of
gases, allowing it to cool and reducing the rate at which it escapes to prevent a shockwave from forming.

A recoil compensator is designed to direct the gases upwards at roughly a right angle to the bore, in essence making it a small
rocket that pushes the muzzle downwards, and counters the "flip", or rise of the muzzle caused by the high bore line of most
firearms. These are often found on "raceguns" used for action shooting and in heavy, rifle caliber handguns used in metallic
silhouette shooting. In the former case, the compensator serves to keep the sights down on target for a quick follow-up shot, while
in the latter case they keep the heavy recoil directed backwards, preventing the pistol from trying to twist out of the shooter's grip.

A muzzle brake is designed to redirect the muzzle blast backwards, and therefore counter the recoil of the bullet. Muzzle brakes
tend to be found on larger firearms, such as magnum rifles and artillery. A well designed muzzle brake can significantly reduce
recoil, turning a rifle that would otherwise be punishing to shoot into a far more tolerable experience. A good example may be
seen on the M82 Barrett sniper rifle.

There are downsides to both recoil compensators and muzzle brakes. They direct more of the muzzle flash to the sides or back
towards the shooter—this is especially true of muzzle brakes. While eye and ear protection should always be used when shooting,
this is even more essential with the muzzle blast directed back towards the shooter. Brakes and compensators are often quite
bulky, adding length, diameter, and mass to the muzzle end of the firearm where it will affect the firearm's handling worst. While
a simple slot milled in the barrel, such as those used in Magna-Porting, will provide some benefit, efficient redirection of the gas
flow requires large ports and baffles to deflect as much gas as possible. It is also highly inadvisable to fire sabot rounds like
shotgun slugs or APDS rounds through a muzzle brake not designed for them.

References
1. Ballistics (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/50672/ballistics) at Encyclopædia Britannica Online,
Accessed April 27, 2009
2. Physics 001 The Science of Ballistics (http://class.phys.psu.edu/p001projects/Project3/Spr07/48%20%20FinalPr
esentation.ppt) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20120222224321/http://class.phys.psu.edu/p001projects/P
roject3/Spr07/48%20%20FinalPresentation.ppt) 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine accessed Apr 27, 2009
3. Carlucci, Donald E; Sidney S. Jacobson (2007). Ballistics: Theory and Design of Guns and Ammunition. CRC
Press. p. 3. ISBN 1-4200-6618-8.

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