1st: Caliber. The largest (0.476) and the smallest (0.3012) calibers used in military pistols and revolvers, so far as known to the Board, were
selected.
2nd: Material. Lead, jacketed and metal patched (soft nose) bullets were used. The points of some of the jacketed bullets were filed so as to expose the lead. An
explosive bullet was also tried.
3rd: Form of Bullet Point. These variations included the truncated cone, the ordinary spherical segment, the blunt-point, the cupped point and a hole
in the point filled with a copper shell, primed and charged.
4th: Bullet Weights. These varied from 92.6 grains to 288.1 grains.
5th: Initial velocities.
These varied from 700 f.s. to 1420 f.s.
6th: Muzzle Energies. These varied from 191 ft. lbs. to 415 ft. lbs.
7th: Combinations of Elements. A light weight,
jacketed, small caliber bullet with high velocity, a heavy weight, large caliber, lead bullet with comparatively low velocity, a jacketed bullet of intermediate weight, caliber and velocity, and a lead bullet
with intermediate weight and caliber, but with low velocity, were tried.
The revolvers and pistols used were selected on account of their giving the extensive range of ballistical elements mentioned above and not with a view of testing their mechanisms.
Revolvers and pistols being essentially short range weapons, 75 yards were fixed as the extreme range, 37-1/2 yards as the medium range and near the muzzle as close range, in all experiments.
Two samples of each bullet, Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I are forwarded herewith.
The charges for long and medium range were reduced so as to give the required velocity at three feet from muzzle, in order to insure hitting proper point with bullet.
