fbpx
Wikipedia

Ricochet

December 15, 2023

For other uses, see Ricochet (disambiguation).

A ricochet (/ˈrɪkəʃeɪ/ RIK-ə-shay; French: [ʁikɔʃɛ]) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost as dangerous as before the deflection. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface."[1] Ricochets can occur with any caliber, but short or round ricocheting bullets may not produce the audible whine caused by tumbling irregular shapes.[2] Ricochets are a hazard of shooting because, for as long as they retain sufficient velocity, ricocheting bullets or bullet fragments may cause collateral damage to animals, objects, or even the person who fired the shot.

Tracer elements separating from M2 Browning .50 BMG machine gun rounds after hitting the target or backstop.

Variables edit

Ricochets occur when a bullet or bullet fragment is deflected by an object rather than penetrating and becoming embedded in that object. Ricochet behavior may vary with bullet shape, bullet material, spin, velocity (and distance), target material and the angle of incidence.[3]

Velocity edit

High-velocity rifle cartridges have higher probability of bullet penetration, because increased energy released by an identical bullet may fracture or temporarily melt the target at the point of impact. Alternatively, the same energy release may melt and/or disintegrate the bullet to reduce size and range of deflected particles. Ricochets are more likely with handgun cartridges and low velocity rifle cartridges such as .22 Long Rifle. Buckshot and shotgun slugs have similarly high ricochet probability, but ricochet range of smaller shot is lower than intact rifle or handgun bullet ricochets.[4]

Bullet edit

Sectional density, or mass of the bullet divided by the frontal area of the bullet, increases penetration of resistant surfaces. Elongated, spin-stabilized bullets fired from rifled firearms have greater sectional density than spherical bullets of the same diameter made from the same material; and elongated rifle cartridge bullets have greater sectional density than short bullets of the same diameter handgun cartridges. Bullet velocity is reduced by as much as 35% by each ricochet deflection, and velocity is further reduced by air resistance as cohesive bullet fragments often produce an audible whine tumbling after losing stability.[2]

Target material edit

Comparative hardness and density determine the results of collisions with bullets. Bullets tend to penetrate low density materials like air with little deflection, although friction causes rotated projectiles to drift in the direction of rifling twist as the bullet falls through the atmosphere under the influence of gravity. Ricochets may be similarly deflected in the direction of rotation of the side of a spin-stabilized bullet contacting a resistant surface.[5] Dense objects tend to prevail in collisions with less dense objects; so dense bullets tend to penetrate less dense materials, and dense materials tend to deflect light bullets. Resistance to penetration can be evaluated as the sectional density of the target material along the axis of bullet movement in front of the bullet. Metallic foil will be more easily penetrated than metal ingots, and sectional density of sheet metal increases as orientation of the sheet diverges from perpendicular to, toward parallel with, the bullet path. Bullets are more likely to ricochet off flat, hard surfaces such as concrete, rock or steel, but a ricochet can occur from irregular surfaces within heterogeneous materials including soil and vegetation. Uniformly soft, flexible materials like sand have a lower incidence of ricochet.[6][self-published source] Though it may not be intuitive, bullets easily ricochet off water;[7][8] compare stone skipping.

Angle edit

The angle of departure, both vertically and horizontally, is difficult to calculate or predict due to the many variables involved, not the least of which is the deformation of the bullet caused by its impact with the surface it strikes.[9] Probability of ricochet is highest from surfaces approximately parallel to the axis of bullet movement, and grazing ricochets typically depart the surface at a smaller angle than the angle of incidence (or approach).[2] Probability of bullet penetration increases as the axis of bullet movement becomes perpendicular to the target surface; but penetration may create a depression or crater within which the bullet may ricochet more than once, possibly following the arc of the crater floor to depart the crater at a greater angle from the original surface than the angle of incidence.[10] In an extreme case, a strong, cohesive bullet striking a nearly perpendicular elastic surface may ricochet directly back at the shooter.[11][12] This situation is sometimes observed when hardened armor-piercing bullet cores fail to completely penetrate steel plate. The United States Army noted increased ricochet range after adopting the M855A1 green bullet with a larger steel core than the M855 bullet it replaced.[13] Buckshot and subsonic bullets may be similarly reflected from rubber vehicle tires.[14]

Consequences edit

 
The roughened abrasions and asymmetrical jacket damage were caused when this recovered bullet ricocheted from a hard, granular surface.

Not all ricochets are accidental. Some bullets are fired to intentionally ricochet, just as in ricochets of some ball games like basketball and pool. Bullet traps at indoor shooting ranges often include durable steel plates to deflect bullets downward into a material intended to stop and capture the bullets.[15] Cannonballs were often fired to strike the ground or water in front of their target in anticipation of ricochets which would keep the projectile at an effective distance above the ground or water surface through massed troops or ships.

The behavior of iron cannonballs documented during the era of muzzle-loading cannon may be a useful approximation for a BB gun or steel pellets fired from a shotgun, but inelastic collisions between the various shapes and materials of high-velocity bullets and the objects they may strike make bullet ricochets less predictable than the intuitive symmetry of low-velocity game spheres.[16]

The problem with unintentional ricochets is potential damage caused to objects outside the intended path of the bullet. A responsible shooter anticipates potential bullet interactions within a cone of space around the aim point. The shooter is at the apex of the cone, and the cone is symmetrical around the intended bullet path. The angle of that cone may initially be defined by the accuracy of the firearm and the skill of the shooter; but any ricochet potential within the cone becomes the apex of a ricochet cone with a broader angle. The ground surface is a frequent source of ricochets. A bullet may be deflected more than once before it comes to rest.[17]

Damage potential of ricochets, like bullets, is proportional to the mass of the bullet fragment and the square of its velocity. Ricochet velocity is always lower than collision velocity, but may be close to collision velocity for small angles of deflection. Ricochet mass may be similarly close to original bullet mass for full metal jacket bullets or green bullets replacing soft lead with solid copper or a steel core. Frangible bullets or lead core varmint hunting bullets are more susceptible to collision damage, and produce smaller ricochet fragments. Lower initial mass gives small fragment ricochets less damage potential, and distance of travel is reduced by more rapid loss of velocity from air resistance. Reduced ricochet range is one of the reasons the newer .17 HMR round with its frangible bullet has gained popularity against the older non-fragmenting .22 WMR.

Ricochets can be lethal. A notable death caused by ricochet was the hostage Katrina Dawson during the Lindt cafe siege in December 2014, killed by a ricochet from a police bullet when tactical officers stormed the building.[18][19]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Russell, Harold (November 1955). "The Young Trail-blazers Club". Boys' Life. Boy Scouts of America. 45 (11): 86. ISSN 0006-8608 – via Google Books. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or the surface of water.
  2. ^ a b c Fitchett, Bev. "Ricochet Analysis Introduction". Bev Fitchett's Guns Magazine. from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  3. ^ Bullet Ricochet: A Comprehensive Review , Burke, TW, Rowe, WF, Journal of Forensic Sciences, September 1, 1992
  4. ^ Burke, T.W.; Rowe, W.F. "Bullet Ricochet: A Comprehensive Review". National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Journal of Forensic Sciences. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. ^ Haag, Michael G.; Haag, Lucien C. (2011). Shooting Incident Reconstruction. Academic Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0123822413.
  6. ^ "The Box O' Truth #7 - The Sands O' Truth". The Box O' Truth. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  7. ^ Haag, L.C., "Bullet Ricochet from Water," AFTE Journal, Vol. 11, No. 3, July 1979, pp. 27-34.
  8. ^ Nennstiel, R., "Study of Bullet Ricochet on a Water Surface," AFTE Journal, Vol. 16, No. 3, July 1984, pp. 88-93.
  9. ^ Jauhari, M., "Approximate Relationship Between the Angles of Incident and Ricochet for Practical Application in the Field of Forensic Science," Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science, Vol. 62, 1970, pp. 122-125.
  10. ^ Koene, L.; Hermsen, Rob; Brouwer, S.D. "Projectile Ricochet from Wooden Targets". Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  11. ^ Karger, B; Joosten, U (October 2001). "A case of "boomerang" bullet ricochet". International Journal of Legal Medicine (115): 70–71. doi:10.1007/s004140000148.
  12. ^ ".50 sniper gets hit by ricochet bullet". YouTube. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  13. ^ Plaster, John. "Testing The Army's M855A1 Standard Ball Cartridge". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association of America. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  14. ^ Evans, D.D.; Young, R.S. "Bullet Trap Feasibility Assessment and Implementation Plan" (PDF). United States Army Environmental Center. (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  15. ^ Wilcher, Larry D. "Use of Bullets Traps and Steel Targets" (PDF). United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  16. ^ Backman, Marvin E.; Finnegan, Stephen A. "Dynamics of the Oblique Impact and Ricochet of Nondeforming Spheres Against Thin Plates" (PDF). Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  17. ^ (PDF). Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Sydney siege: Counter-terrorism specialist questions weapons used by police, says they may have contributed to death of hostage Katrina Dawson". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. January 2015. from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  19. ^ "Martin Place siege victim Katrina Dawson struck by a police bullet, investigations show". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 January 2015. from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.

Further reading edit

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Bouncing Bullets," FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Vol. 38, Oct. 1969, pp. 1–9.
  • Garrison, D.H., "Crown & Bank: Road Structure as it Affects Bullet Path Angles in Vehicle Shootings," AFTE Journal, Vol 30, No. 1, Winter 1998, pp. 89–93.
  • Gold, R.E. and Schecter, B., "Ricochet Dynamics for the Nine-Millimetre Parabellum Bullet," Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 37, No. 1, Jan. 1992, pp. 90–98.
  • Haag, L.C., "Bullet Ricochet: An Imperical [sic] Study and a Device for Measuring Ricochet Angle," AFTE Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3, Dec. 1975, pp. 44–51.
  • Hartline, P., Abraham, G. and Rowe, W.F., "A Study of Shotgun Ricochet from Steel Surfaces," Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 27, No. 3, July 1982, pp. 506–512.
  • Jordan, G.E., Bratton, D.D., Donahue, H.C.H. and Rowe, W.F., "Bullet Ricochet from Gypsum Wallboard," Journal of Forensic Sciences, JFSCA, Vol. 33, No. 6, Nov. 1988, pp. 1477–1482.
  • McConnell, M.P., Triplett, G.M. and Rowe, W.F., "A Study of Shotgun Pellet Ricochet," Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 26, No. 4, Oct. 1981, pp. 699–709.
  • Rathman, G.A., "Bullet Ricochet and Associated Phenomena," AFTE Journal, Vol. 19, No. 4, Oct. 1987, pp. 374–381.

External links edit

  • "Ricochet Off Glass" at National Crime Investigation and Training web site
  • .50 Cal Ricochet onto Shooter's Ear Muffs – YouTube

December 15, 2023
ricochet, other, uses, disambiguation, ricochet, shay, french, ʁikɔʃɛ, rebound, bounce, skip, surface, particularly, case, projectile, most, ricochets, caused, accident, while, force, deflection, decelerates, projectile, still, energetic, almost, dangerous, be. For other uses see Ricochet disambiguation A ricochet ˈ r ɪ k e ʃ eɪ RIK e shay French ʁikɔʃɛ is a rebound bounce or skip off a surface particularly in the case of a projectile Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile it can still be energetic and almost as dangerous as before the deflection The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule Never shoot a bullet at a flat hard surface 1 Ricochets can occur with any caliber but short or round ricocheting bullets may not produce the audible whine caused by tumbling irregular shapes 2 Ricochets are a hazard of shooting because for as long as they retain sufficient velocity ricocheting bullets or bullet fragments may cause collateral damage to animals objects or even the person who fired the shot Tracer elements separating from M2 Browning 50 BMG machine gun rounds after hitting the target or backstop Contents 1 Variables 1 1 Velocity 1 2 Bullet 1 3 Target material 1 4 Angle 2 Consequences 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksVariables editRicochets occur when a bullet or bullet fragment is deflected by an object rather than penetrating and becoming embedded in that object Ricochet behavior may vary with bullet shape bullet material spin velocity and distance target material and the angle of incidence 3 Velocity edit High velocity rifle cartridges have higher probability of bullet penetration because increased energy released by an identical bullet may fracture or temporarily melt the target at the point of impact Alternatively the same energy release may melt and or disintegrate the bullet to reduce size and range of deflected particles Ricochets are more likely with handgun cartridges and low velocity rifle cartridges such as 22 Long Rifle Buckshot and shotgun slugs have similarly high ricochet probability but ricochet range of smaller shot is lower than intact rifle or handgun bullet ricochets 4 Bullet edit Sectional density or mass of the bullet divided by the frontal area of the bullet increases penetration of resistant surfaces Elongated spin stabilized bullets fired from rifled firearms have greater sectional density than spherical bullets of the same diameter made from the same material and elongated rifle cartridge bullets have greater sectional density than short bullets of the same diameter handgun cartridges Bullet velocity is reduced by as much as 35 by each ricochet deflection and velocity is further reduced by air resistance as cohesive bullet fragments often produce an audible whine tumbling after losing stability 2 Target material edit Comparative hardness and density determine the results of collisions with bullets Bullets tend to penetrate low density materials like air with little deflection although friction causes rotated projectiles to drift in the direction of rifling twist as the bullet falls through the atmosphere under the influence of gravity Ricochets may be similarly deflected in the direction of rotation of the side of a spin stabilized bullet contacting a resistant surface 5 Dense objects tend to prevail in collisions with less dense objects so dense bullets tend to penetrate less dense materials and dense materials tend to deflect light bullets Resistance to penetration can be evaluated as the sectional density of the target material along the axis of bullet movement in front of the bullet Metallic foil will be more easily penetrated than metal ingots and sectional density of sheet metal increases as orientation of the sheet diverges from perpendicular to toward parallel with the bullet path Bullets are more likely to ricochet off flat hard surfaces such as concrete rock or steel but a ricochet can occur from irregular surfaces within heterogeneous materials including soil and vegetation Uniformly soft flexible materials like sand have a lower incidence of ricochet 6 self published source Though it may not be intuitive bullets easily ricochet off water 7 8 compare stone skipping Angle edit The angle of departure both vertically and horizontally is difficult to calculate or predict due to the many variables involved not the least of which is the deformation of the bullet caused by its impact with the surface it strikes 9 Probability of ricochet is highest from surfaces approximately parallel to the axis of bullet movement and grazing ricochets typically depart the surface at a smaller angle than the angle of incidence or approach 2 Probability of bullet penetration increases as the axis of bullet movement becomes perpendicular to the target surface but penetration may create a depression or crater within which the bullet may ricochet more than once possibly following the arc of the crater floor to depart the crater at a greater angle from the original surface than the angle of incidence 10 In an extreme case a strong cohesive bullet striking a nearly perpendicular elastic surface may ricochet directly back at the shooter 11 12 This situation is sometimes observed when hardened armor piercing bullet cores fail to completely penetrate steel plate The United States Army noted increased ricochet range after adopting the M855A1 green bullet with a larger steel core than the M855 bullet it replaced 13 Buckshot and subsonic bullets may be similarly reflected from rubber vehicle tires 14 Consequences edit nbsp The roughened abrasions and asymmetrical jacket damage were caused when this recovered bullet ricocheted from a hard granular surface Not all ricochets are accidental Some bullets are fired to intentionally ricochet just as in ricochets of some ball games like basketball and pool Bullet traps at indoor shooting ranges often include durable steel plates to deflect bullets downward into a material intended to stop and capture the bullets 15 Cannonballs were often fired to strike the ground or water in front of their target in anticipation of ricochets which would keep the projectile at an effective distance above the ground or water surface through massed troops or ships The behavior of iron cannonballs documented during the era of muzzle loading cannon may be a useful approximation for a BB gun or steel pellets fired from a shotgun but inelastic collisions between the various shapes and materials of high velocity bullets and the objects they may strike make bullet ricochets less predictable than the intuitive symmetry of low velocity game spheres 16 The problem with unintentional ricochets is potential damage caused to objects outside the intended path of the bullet A responsible shooter anticipates potential bullet interactions within a cone of space around the aim point The shooter is at the apex of the cone and the cone is symmetrical around the intended bullet path The angle of that cone may initially be defined by the accuracy of the firearm and the skill of the shooter but any ricochet potential within the cone becomes the apex of a ricochet cone with a broader angle The ground surface is a frequent source of ricochets A bullet may be deflected more than once before it comes to rest 17 Damage potential of ricochets like bullets is proportional to the mass of the bullet fragment and the square of its velocity Ricochet velocity is always lower than collision velocity but may be close to collision velocity for small angles of deflection Ricochet mass may be similarly close to original bullet mass for full metal jacket bullets or green bullets replacing soft lead with solid copper or a steel core Frangible bullets or lead core varmint hunting bullets are more susceptible to collision damage and produce smaller ricochet fragments Lower initial mass gives small fragment ricochets less damage potential and distance of travel is reduced by more rapid loss of velocity from air resistance Reduced ricochet range is one of the reasons the newer 17 HMR round with its frangible bullet has gained popularity against the older non fragmenting 22 WMR Ricochets can be lethal A notable death caused by ricochet was the hostage Katrina Dawson during the Lindt cafe siege in December 2014 killed by a ricochet from a police bullet when tactical officers stormed the building 18 19 See also editBallistics Gun safety Ricochet firingReferences edit Russell Harold November 1955 The Young Trail blazers Club Boys Life Boy Scouts of America 45 11 86 ISSN 0006 8608 via Google Books Never shoot a bullet at a flat hard surface or the surface of water a b c Fitchett Bev Ricochet Analysis Introduction Bev Fitchett s Guns Magazine Archived from the original on October 26 2014 Retrieved 2 March 2017 Bullet Ricochet A Comprehensive Review Burke TW Rowe WF Journal of Forensic Sciences September 1 1992 Burke T W Rowe W F Bullet Ricochet A Comprehensive Review National Criminal Justice Reference Service Journal of Forensic Sciences Retrieved 2 March 2017 Haag Michael G Haag Lucien C 2011 Shooting Incident Reconstruction Academic Press p 150 ISBN 978 0123822413 The Box O Truth 7 The Sands O Truth The Box O Truth Retrieved 5 October 2014 Haag L C Bullet Ricochet from Water AFTE Journal Vol 11 No 3 July 1979 pp 27 34 Nennstiel R Study of Bullet Ricochet on a Water Surface AFTE Journal Vol 16 No 3 July 1984 pp 88 93 Jauhari M Approximate Relationship Between the Angles of Incident and Ricochet for Practical Application in the Field of Forensic Science Journal of Criminal Law Criminology and Police Science Vol 62 1970 pp 122 125 Koene L Hermsen Rob Brouwer S D Projectile Ricochet from Wooden Targets Retrieved 2 March 2017 Karger B Joosten U October 2001 A case of boomerang bullet ricochet International Journal of Legal Medicine 115 70 71 doi 10 1007 s004140000148 50 sniper gets hit by ricochet bullet YouTube Retrieved 5 October 2014 Plaster John Testing The Army s M855A1 Standard Ball Cartridge American Rifleman National Rifle Association of America Retrieved 26 June 2018 Evans D D Young R S Bullet Trap Feasibility Assessment and Implementation Plan PDF United States Army Environmental Center Archived PDF from the original on March 4 2017 Retrieved 3 March 2017 Wilcher Larry D Use of Bullets Traps and Steel Targets PDF United States Department of Energy Retrieved 3 March 2017 Backman Marvin E Finnegan Stephen A Dynamics of the Oblique Impact and Ricochet of Nondeforming Spheres Against Thin Plates PDF Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Archived PDF from the original on March 4 2017 Retrieved 3 March 2017 Safety Zones for Recreational Target Shooting PDF Bureau of Land Management Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2017 Retrieved 3 March 2017 Sydney siege Counter terrorism specialist questions weapons used by police says they may have contributed to death of hostage Katrina Dawson Australian Broadcasting Corporation January 2015 Archived from the original on 29 January 2015 Retrieved 24 March 2017 Martin Place siege victim Katrina Dawson struck by a police bullet investigations show Sydney Morning Herald 10 January 2015 Archived from the original on 12 January 2015 Retrieved 24 March 2017 Further reading editFederal Bureau of Investigation Bouncing Bullets FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Vol 38 Oct 1969 pp 1 9 Garrison D H Crown amp Bank Road Structure as it Affects Bullet Path Angles in Vehicle Shootings AFTE Journal Vol 30 No 1 Winter 1998 pp 89 93 Gold R E and Schecter B Ricochet Dynamics for the Nine Millimetre Parabellum Bullet Journal of Forensic Sciences Vol 37 No 1 Jan 1992 pp 90 98 Haag L C Bullet Ricochet An Imperical sic Study and a Device for Measuring Ricochet Angle AFTE Journal Vol 7 No 3 Dec 1975 pp 44 51 Hartline P Abraham G and Rowe W F A Study of Shotgun Ricochet from Steel Surfaces Journal of Forensic Sciences Vol 27 No 3 July 1982 pp 506 512 Jordan G E Bratton D D Donahue H C H and Rowe W F Bullet Ricochet from Gypsum Wallboard Journal of Forensic Sciences JFSCA Vol 33 No 6 Nov 1988 pp 1477 1482 McConnell M P Triplett G M and Rowe W F A Study of Shotgun Pellet Ricochet Journal of Forensic Sciences Vol 26 No 4 Oct 1981 pp 699 709 Rathman G A Bullet Ricochet and Associated Phenomena AFTE Journal Vol 19 No 4 Oct 1987 pp 374 381 External links edit Ricochet Off Glass at National Crime Investigation and Training web site 50 Cal Ricochet onto Shooter s Ear Muffs YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ricochet amp oldid 1165179071, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.