BULLET. A projectile discharged from a musket, fowling-piece, pistol or similar weapon. When the smooth-bore arms alone were used, the bullets were made by casting. Molten lead was poured into molds and the molds were dipped in cold water, to hasten the solidification of the lead. The molds were cooled after using a few times, and the lead was heated only just to the degree for maintaining fluidity. Bullets are now, however, made more expeditiously, and more truly spherical in form, by compress ing machines. The lead is first fashioned into a rod about a yard long by five- or six-eighths of an inch thick; this rod is passed between rollers to condense it; then between other rollers to press it into a row of nearly globular pieces; then a spherical die gives proper form to each of these pieces; and, lastly, a treadle worked punch separates them into bullets. With one of these and two dies, nine boys can make 40,000 bullets in a day.
Kinds and Sizes.— Spherical bullets for the old muskets, carbines and pistols varied from 14 to 20 to the pound, and from .60 to .68 of an inch in diameter. There is a particular ratio, depending on the specific gravity of lead, by which the number to the pound will 'give the diameter, or vice-versa. Such bullets are, how ever, becoming every year less and less used, being superseded by other forms better suited for rifles. Robins' bullet was egg-shaped„with the centre of gravity at the larger end; Beau foy's was ovoid, with a hemispherical cavity at one end; Manton's was a spherical ball• put into a wooden cup, with projections on the exterior; Greener's was oval, with a plug of mixed metal driven into a hole barely large enough for it ; Norton's, Delvigne's, Minie's, and others of various elongated shapes, mostly with sqmc kind of plug, which, driven into the lead by the force of the explosion, causes it to fill op the grooves in the rifling of the barrel.
Since the advent of powder and ball, there have been thousands of varieties of all. sizes and imaginable shapes, round and long, with points of every conceivable curve that tan be geometrically figured,' some with a flat base, others with depressions of all depths and shapes, some to be patched with paper, or covered with steel, copper or nickel, others with grooves, the width, depth and number of them varying ac cording to the theories of many scientific men. The manufacturers of the various arms have by a long series of experimenting' decided upon a standard size of bullet to be used in their differ ent calibres, and the manufacturers of ammuni tion make the bullets to that' standard and they will not vary .001 of an inch as they cane from
the factory. There are, however, some who dif fer in their opinions as to what diameter of a bullet should be for their rifles; they will push a bullet through the barrel, and if the impres sions of the rifling on it are not deep enough to suit their ideas, they deeide that a bullet of the standard siaet is not .large enough-. and may condemn the mold. Others there are who de« sire to have their bullets smaller than the standard size and point to their fine records to prove that they are correct Of course, a bullet should fit so as absolutely to prevent the escape of the gas by the side of the bullet; all pres sure generated by the ignition of the powder should be kept at the base of the bullet to expel it. If gas escape through the barrel past the bullet, so much force is lost, and if the escapement is greater on one side than on the other, it will deflect the bullet and make the flight irregular, and accuracy under such con ditions is out of the question. A bullet when seated in the barrel by hand should fit to the bottom of the rifling so as to shut off all gas before the powder is ignited. As to how a bullet of the standard size will 'fit a barrel de pends wholly upon the bore and the depth of the rifling. Variations in both of these points are found, as well as in everything else; there are no two rifle barrels alike any more than there are two human beings; each has its own individuality and must be humored in accord ance with its peculiarities. The bore of a rifle is the size of the smooth hole in the barrel be fore it is rifled, which is commonly called the calibre; this, however, is not the size of the bullet. The diameter' of the bullet is deter mined by the depth of the rifling and should be large enough to shut off the gas. The depth of the grooves in the ordinary rifle barrel is from .001 'to' .004 of an inch according to the ideas of the various manufacturers. It must be remembered that it is the barrel, not the shells, that the linnet should fit properly to get good results. A reloading tool should have a bullet sizer as well as a bullet mold combined with the loadiw chamber in a convenient and handy form. e molds thus can be made so as to cast the bullets a trifle above the standard size, allowing the use of any mixture of metal that the shooter desires; and, after the lubrica tion is in the grooves, they can be forced through the sizing die, this will press the lubri cation solidly 'into the grooves, Wipe off all surplus grease and at the same time make the bullet perfectly round.