Ballistics

Ballistics is the study of the motion or travel of projectiles and their flight performance. Internal or initial[Page 44]ballistics studies the projectile from within the weapon, including forces within the gun barrel and the velocity at which a bullet exits the chamber, also known as muzzle velocity. The speed at which a bullet travels through a given weapon's barrel is based on factors such as bullet composition and shape, length of the barrel, how much energy is transferred to the bullet from the expansion of burning gunpowder, and the amount of gunpowder available for efficient burning within a given cartridge. External ballistics studies a bullet's flight pattern, including the energy with which a bullet leaves the weapon's chamber, the mass and shape of the bullet, ...