AFTE Store - A Rapid Non-Destructive Method for Analyzing and Comparing Bullet Lubricants

Various formulations and colors of waxy materials referred to as Abullet lubricants@ are used with cast lead bullets and some swaged bullets. With modern ammunition, these materials are designed to reduce or prevent the leading of the gun barrel as a consecquence of repeated discharges of lead bullets. This material is usually quite conspicuous on unfired bullets and often survives the discharge process and subsequent terminal ballistic events. Due to the variety in compositions of these products, this material represents potentially useful evidence of a class characteristic nature. This paper describes the general nature and composition of these products and a simple, non-destructive analytical method for their analysis and comparison.