The way a bullet is propelled from a gun is often likened to a “wonder of scientific technology,” but it is also one of the deadliest weapons in history.
The History of Firearms and Ammunition
Firearms and ammunition today are seen as the culmination of thousands of years of human invention and innovation.
The history of firearms began in China in the 9th century.
The history of firearms began in China in the 9th century when they invented the first gunpowder. Since then, the concept of a bullet has evolved, with the initial shape being a cast lead ball.
It wasn’t until 1830 that the first experiments with conical bullets opened a new chapter for firearms. At that time, Henri-Gustave Delvigne, a French infantry captain, designed the first bullets with a cylindrical shape at the base and a conical tip.
Over the years, firearms have gradually proven their power on the battlefield. It can be said that until humans created vehicles and airplanes, horses were the only means that aided humans more than firearms in warfare.
Today, firearms remain an indispensable part of life in some countries, notably the United States, where millions of people own guns and ammunition.
Any bullet can be lethal if it strikes a vital organ in the body.
However, because of this, many unfortunate accidents have occurred. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 100,000 Americans are shot each year, resulting in tens of thousands of fatalities.
So, what makes firearms so dangerous despite the small size of a bullet?
The Science Behind Bullet Motion
From a scientific perspective, the momentum that a gun imparts to a bullet is the primary factor causing severe injury to the victim.
In other words, a bullet itself is not dangerous. But a bullet traveling at high speed can cause significant harm.
A bullet itself is not dangerous until it is propelled by the gun’s momentum (Image: Getty).
The injury potential of a bullet also depends on three factors: mass, speed, and energy transfer to the target.
One of the most widely used handguns, the Beretta M9, fires 9mm bullets with a typical mass of 0.008 kg and a muzzle velocity of 400 m/s.
Multiplying these two figures gives us a bullet momentum of approximately 3.2 kg·m/s. This is equivalent to being struck by a motorcycle traveling at 80 km/h.
Although the bullet itself weighs only about 5 grams, it carries the energy of a brick falling from a 16-story building.
With all that energy concentrated in a very small area, it can easily penetrate your skin, causing severe internal injuries and even death.
The design of the bullet, such as its shape, directly affects its speed and lethality (Image: Getty Images).
Not to mention that some firearms can fire multiple rounds simultaneously, thereby multiplying the total momentum transferred, causing injuries many times greater.
Not only do bullets fired directly at victims cause harm, but even stray bullets resulting from celebratory gunfire can be dangerous.
Forbes cited a year-long study on stray bullets, stating that approximately 4.6% of all fatalities occur directly due to celebratory gunfire.
Unfortunately, most celebratory gunfire incidents involve live ammunition. This is the reason behind these potentially fatal consequences.
It is estimated that a bullet shot into the air will continue to travel for about 20-90 seconds before falling back down.
And although the bullet’s speed is only about 10% of what it was when it was fired from the gun, that is still equivalent to a brick falling from a height of 1 meter, which can pose a danger to unwitting victims.
