Exploding Bullets - whatever happened to these...

S

Skans

Active member
I recall my uncle having some exploding .357 bullets many years ago. As I recall, they were basically hollow point bullets with a primer sealed in the bullet itself. I don't know if there was actually any powder under the primer.

Has anyone ever fired one of these? Results? Just a gimmick or do they really explode on impact? What was under that primer? Legal? (I'm betting "not")

Any information would be appreciated.
 
G

Gary L. Griffiths

New member
Velet Exploding Bullets

Picture006.jpg


These were made around the mid- to late '70s. They worked quite well, at least in wet lap. I never heard of any actually being used in a defensive shooting.

They were very expensive (for the time) and are no longer produced, probably as conventional controlled-expansion ammunition began to improve dramatically. I had (and still have) some in .38 Spl, 9mm, and .45 ACP. At the time, the only "hollow point" .45 ACP on the market was a 230-gr Norma load with a tiny hollow point that was only marginally more effective than hardball (mostly due to its increased meplat). Would not expand, even when fired into wet lap. ;)
 
T

Tom Servo

Staff
About two years ago, I caught a guy shooting these on my range. I informed him of two things:

  • If I ever caught him shooting something that gave off those kinds of sparks again, he'd be booted.
  • If he was ever misguided enough to use them in a self-defense shooting, the prosecutor would have a field day.

I don't know if they'll hurt the gun, but they do kick up some fireworks when they hit the backstop.
 
J

Jim March

New member
I keep wondering if a serious hollowpoint cavity on something like a 50S&W could hold several grains of Bullseye or the like under that primer. Enough to REALLY go "splat".

And yeah, this is a revolver specialty item if ever there was one.
 
A

aarondhgraham

New member
Wasn't President Reagan shot with an exploding .22 cartridge?

According to Wikipedia:

Sixteen minutes after the assassination attempt, the ATF found that the gun had been purchased at Rocky's Pawn Shop in Dallas, Texas.[27] It had been loaded with six "Devastator"-brand cartridges which contained small aluminum and lead azide explosive charges designed to explode on contact; the bullet that hit Brady likely exploded in his skull. On April 2, after learning that the others could explode at any time, volunteer doctors wearing bulletproof vests removed the bullet from Delahanty's neck.
Click to expand...

Aarond

.
 
B

BitterTait

New member
Hinkley used the .22 version of those in his attempt to assassinate Reagan. None exploded, including some which ricocheted off of a hard surface. Doesn't count as a defensive shooting though.

You see them every now and again these days, marked more for the ability to cleanly see impacts on steel plate while shooting than social purposes. I've seen videos, it kinda reminds me of shorting a good-sized capacitor.
 
W

war_elephant

New member
I believe these have been since banned by federal law. Not sure of the statute, but I remember something about explosive bullets some years back... any of you legal types remember anything about this?
 
M

mete

New member
That's an old idea , starting out with rifle cartridges. But it didn't work back then but dumb ideas keep being reborn only to prove each time it still doesn't work !! :rolleyes:
 
G

Gary L. Griffiths

New member
I keep wondering if a serious hollowpoint cavity on something like a 50S&W could hold several grains of Bullseye or the like under that primer. Enough to REALLY go "splat".
Click to expand...

You really don't need it. Back in the day, when the 230-gr Norma hollowpoint bullet was the only alternative to hardball, I tested a number of loads against old Dunn & Bradstreet books (about 6" thick). Hardball put a hole about 3/4 of the way through the book. Norma hollowpoints put a hole about 5/8 of the way through the book. I created some "explosive" Normas by drilling out the hollow point, then putting a large rifle magnum primer upside down in the hole. The lead that puckered up at the top due to the drilling fit down around the bottom of the primer, securing it quite nicely. My "explosive" loads blew a hole out the back of the Dunn & Bradstreet as large as my outstretched fingers! :eek:
 
L

lamarw

New member
I am not sure whether my memory serves me well on this one or not. I thought I remember a movie of many years discussing a drop of mercury in a projectile which would have an explosive effective. If nothing else, I would assume it would cause a very hazardous wound not to mention the hazmat threat to the reloader or any handler.

I also recall the spotting rounds (.50 cal) for the 106 recoiless having a white phosphorous tip. I suspect they would be a great rounds for initiating a nice explosion in a fuel storage tank.
 
G

Gary L. Griffiths

New member
I thought I remember a movie of many years discussing a drop of mercury in a projectile which would have an explosive effective.
Click to expand...

Day of the Jackal, 1973. The assassin's armorer hollowed out bullets and filled them with mercury. Showed the Jackal sighting in on a melon hanging from a tree, with FMJs, which poked holes through the melon. Then he used one of the mercury bullets, which caused the melon to explode spectacularly.:rolleyes:

Don't know whether it's ever been tried outside of Hollywood. ;)
 
S

sgms

New member
I think the mercury in the hollow point was sealed in wax and was to be a poison bullet. If the bullet did not kill the heavy metal would eventually.

Spotting round for artillery have been around for many years and are made to detonate on the surface(they do not penetrate) of what ever they hit with a bright flash to tell gunner to fire the main gun or not. You want to light up a fuel tank you need an incendiary round first developed to bring down Zeppelins in WW1, by WW2 they were API's or APIT's (Armor penetrating incendiary/ Armor penetrating incendiary tracer) to punch into the gas and make it go bang.
 
E

Edward429451

Moderator
Many years ago I made some out of Silvertips (45acp), a little bullseye, and a LP primer was the perfect size to plug it. I shot them. The gun was ok. I think they went off...:D
 
B

BoogieMan

New member
Didnt the Sheriff use them in Jaws. I think he filled them with nitro. Apparently not very effective on great whites. lol

When I was a kid I used to fire BP primers out of my crossman airgun. They were very cool to hear go off on impact. If memory serves correctly they went off pretty reliably.
 
S

Skans

Active member
Yep. Those Velvet Exploding Bullets are the ones my Uncle had. It had to be right around 1980. He carried them in his revolver for a little while. Then, I think he thought it might not be such a good idea.
 
B

BPowderkeg

Moderator
mercury will dissolve lead, i know because i have bought several Ruger Blackhawks from ignorant people who thought their gun was "shot out", i have used mercury to clean heavily leaded revolver barrels, so it would be very impractical unless used within hours of inserting a drop of mercury.

personally i do not understand the paranoia over mercury, when handled safely and properly it is no more dangerous than water !! just my OPINION

on exploding bullets, i knew a fellow once several years ago (he moved to MN.) who drilled a hole in a large caliber bullet that would hold a .25 caliber rim fire "stud shooter" blank, the results were pretty devastating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top