LESSON 4a: INTERNAL BALLISTICS

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
1. identify the factors that affect a bullet’s motion while it is inside the gun; and
2. demonstrate full understanding on the series of ballistic phenomena that
take place inside the gun during actual firing.

Instructional Materials
Handout in Lesson 4a
Powerpoint presentation
Animation and video re internal ballistics

Teaching-Learning Activity
 A projectile’s motion from the moment of firing until impact at the target can be analyzed
scientifically in four stages – internal, transitional, external, and terminal.
 When a scientist attempts to study what happens to a bullet fired from a particular gun, the
first phase of technical study deals on the motion of projectile while it is still inside the gun.
The second phase focus on the bullet’s motion upon leaving the gun muzzle when
transitioning to fly. The third phase focuses on the bullet’s flight. Finally, the focus of study
is on the impact of projectile on its target.
 Internal (interior) ballistics involves the study on how to initiate the motion of projectiles
inside the gun and how projectiles travel thru the gun barrel.
 Applying internal ballistics, forensic specialists can study the properties and attributes of
projectiles while they are still inside the gun (from breech to muzzle), aside from analyzing
if firearms are capable of effectively discharging ammunition.
 If ballisticians want to know what is happening inside the gun when it discharges an
ammunition, their analysis is usually directed on the following phenomena:
1. How the firing pin hits the primer
2. Ignition of priming mixture
3. Combustion of gunpowder
4. Expansion of heated gases
5. Development of pressure
6. Recoil
7. Velocity of bullet in the barrel
8. Bullet rotation in the barrel
9. Engraving of bullet’s bearing surface
  When a firearm discharges an ammunition, there are many factors that could affect the
bullet’s motion while it is still inside the gun. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the
following:
1. Amount of propellant used and how much it fills the powder chamber
2. Chemical composition of the propellant
3. Burning rate and burning characteristics of the propellant (rate of ignition and
combustion of propellant)
4. Structure of gunpowder chamber (chamber size, shape and case construction)
5. Projectile dimensions (diameter, weight and length)
6. Barrel length
7. Interior dimensions of the barrel (bore diameter and rifling pattern)
8. Barrel free-bore
9. Neck tension

Enhancement Activity

Do Activity # 4a. (see the activity sheet attached to this module)

Assessment

Online Quiz (see ANNOUNCEMENT #4a-2)

References

Fr. Frog. (2019 Jan 9). “An Introduction to Ballistics”

posted at http://www.frfrogspad.com/ballisti.htm

“Introduction to Ballistics”
posted at http://www.steyrscout.org/ballisti.htm

Sarmiento, A. (2012). Forensic ballistics: a textbook on firearms identification w/

practical laboratory exercises. Quezon City: Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc.

Sharma, B. (2019 Dec 6). “Introduction to Forensic Ballistics”

posted at https://www.forensicscienceexpert.com/2019/12/introduction-to-forensic-
ballistics.html