Combat Firearms “Report Card” from Afghanistan

A Firebase Phoenix Overlooking the Korengal Valley

This is from a Marine who’s in Afghanistan; his buddy Jordan provides many of the details.

No politics here; just a Marine with a bird’s eye view opinion.

US Weapons:

1) The M-16 rifle: Thumbs down. Chronic jamming problems with the talcum powder like sand over there. The sand is everywhere. Jordan says you feel filthy 2 minutes after coming out of the shower. The M-4 carbine version is more popular because it’s lighter and shorter, but it has jamming problems also. They lack the ability to mount the various optical gun sights and weapons lights on the pica tinny rails, but the weapon itself is not great in a desert environment..

They all hate the 5.56mm (.223) round; Poor penetration on the cinder block structure common over there and even torso hits can’t be reliably counted on to put the enemy down.

Fun facts:

1) Random autopsies on dead insurgents show a high level of opiate use.

2) The M243 SAW (squad assault weapon): .223 cal. Drum fed light machine gun. Big thumbs down. Universally considered a piece of sh-t. Chronic jamming problems, most of which require partial dis-assembly (that’s fun in the middle of a firefight).

3) The M9 Beretta 9mm: Mixed bag. Good gun performs well in desert environment; but they all hate the 9mm cartridge. The use of handguns for self-defense is actually fairly common. Same old story on the 9mm: Bad guys hit multiple times and still in the fight.

4) Mossberg 12 ga. Military shotgun: Works well, used frequently for clearing houses to good effect. (Great weapon – I used these when transporting prisoners.)

5) The M240 Machine Gun: 7.62 NATO (.308) cal. belt fed machine gun, developed to replace the old M-60 (what a beautiful weapon that was!!) Thumbs up. Accurate, reliable, and the 7.62 round puts ‘em down. Originally developed as a vehicle mounted weapon, more and more are being dismounted and taken into the field by infantry. The 7.62 round chews up the structure over there.

6) The M2 50 cal heavy machine gun: Thumbs way, way up. “Ma Deuce” is still worth her considerable weight in gold. The ultimate fight stopper – puts their dicks in the dirt every time. The most coveted weapon in-theater.

7) The .45 pistol: Thumbs up. Still the best pistol around out there. Everybody authorized to carry a sidearm is trying to get their hands on one. With few exceptions, one can reliably be expected to put ‘em down with a torso hit. The special ops guys (who are doing most of the pistol work) use the HK military model and supposedly love it. The old government model .45′s are being re-issued en masse.

The M-14: Thumbs up. They are being re-issued in bulk, mostly in a modified version to special ops guys. Modifications include lightweight Kevlar stocks and low power red dot or ACOG sights. Very reliable in the sandy environment, and they love the 7.62 round.

9) The Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle: Thumbs way up. Spectacular range and accuracy and hits like a freight train. Used frequently to take out vehicle suicide bombers (we actually stop a lot of them) and barricaded enemy. It is definitely here to stay.

10) The M24 sniper rifle: Thumbs up. Mostly in .308 but some in 300 win mag. Heavily modified Remington 700′s. Great performance. Snipers have been used heavily to great effect. Rumor has it a marine sniper on his third tour
in Anbar province has actually exceeded Carlos Hathcock’s record for confirmed kills with OVER 100.

11) The new body armor: Thumbs up. Relatively light at approx. 6 lbs. and can reliably be expected to soak up small shrapnel and even will stop an AK-47 round. The bad news: Hot as sh-t to wear, almost unbearable in the summer heat (which averages over 120 degrees). Also, the enemy now goes for head shots whenever possible. All the bullsh-t about the “old” body armor making our guys vulnerable to the IED’s was a non-starter. The IED explosions are enormous and body armor doesn’t make any difference at all in most cases.

12) Night Vision and Infrared Equipment: Thumbs way up. Spectacular performance. Our guys see in the dark and own the night, period. Very little enemy action after evening prayers. More and more enemy being whacked at night during movement by our hunter-killer teams. We’ve all seen the videos.

13) Lights: Thumbs up. Most of the weapon mounted and personal lights are Surefire’s, and the troops love ‘em. Invaluable for night urban operations. Jordan carried a $34 Surefire G2 on a neck lanyard and loved it. I can’t help but notice that most of the good fighting weapons and ordnance are 50 or more years old!! With all our technology, it’s the WWII and Vietnam era weapons that everybody wants!! The infantry fighting is frequent, up close and brutal. No quarter is given or shown.

Bad guys weapons:

1) Mostly AK47′s (7.62x39mm or AK74 5.45mm ). The entire country is an arsenal. Works better in the desert than the M16 and the .7.62x39mm Russian round kills reliably. PKM (7.62x54mm rimmed rifle cartridge) belt fed light machine guns are also common and effective. Luckily, the enemy mostly shoots like sh-t. Undisciplined “spray and pray” type fire. However, they are seeing more and more precision weapons, especially sniper rifles. (Iran, again)

2) The RPG: Probably the infantry weapon most feared by our guys. Simple, reliable and as common as dogsh-t. The enemy responded to our up-armored Humvees by aiming at the windshields, often at point blank range. Still killing a lot of our guys.

3) The IED: The biggest killer of all. Can be anything from old Soviet anti-armor mines to jury rigged artillery shells. A lot found in Jordan’s area were in abandoned cars. The enemy would take 2 or 3 155 mm artillery shells and wire them together. Most were detonated by cell phone and the explosions are enormous. You’re not safe in any vehicle, even an M1 tank. Driving is by far the most dangerous thing our guys do over there. Lately, they are much more sophisticated “shape charges” (Iranian) specifically designed to penetrate armor. Fact: Most of the ready made IED’s are supplied by Iran , who is also providing terrorists (Hezbollah types) to train the insurgents in their use and tactics. That’s why the attacks have been so deadly lately. Their concealment methods are ingenious, the latest being shape charges, in Styrofoam containers spray painted to look like the cinderblocks that litter all Iraqi roads. We find about 40% before they detonate, and the bomb disposal guys are unsung heroes of this war.

4) Mortars and rockets: Very prevalent. The soviet era 122mm rockets (with an 18km range) are becoming more prevalent. One of Jordan ‘s NCO’s lost a leg to one. These weapons cause a lot of damage “inside the wire”. Jordan ‘s base was hit almost daily his entire time there by mortar and rocket fire, often at night to disrupt sleep patterns and cause fatigue (It did). More of a psychological weapon than anything else. The enemy mortar teams would jump out of vehicles, fire a few rounds, and then haul ass in a matter of seconds.

Fun fact: Captured enemy have apparently marveled at the marksmanship of our guys and how hard they fight. They are apparently told in Jihad school that the Americans rely solely on technology, and can be easily beaten in close quarters combat for their lack of toughness. Let’s just say they know better now.

Bad guy technology: Simple yet effective. Most communication is by cell and satellite phones and also by email on laptops. They use handheld GPS units for navigation and “Google Earth” for overhead views of our positions. Their weapons are good, if not fancy, and prevalent. Their explosives and bomb technology is TOP OF THE LINE. Night vision is rare. They are very careless with their equipment and the GPS units and laptops are treasure troves of Intel when captured.

Who are the bad guys? These are mostly “foreigners”, non-Afghan Arab Jihadists (Like David Hicks) from all over the Muslim world (and Europe ). Some are virtually untrained young Jihadists that often end up as suicide bombers or in various “sacrifice squads”. Most, however, are hard core terrorists from all the usual suspects (Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas etc.). These are the guys running around murdering civilians en masse and cutting heads off.

The Chechens (many of whom are Caucasian) are supposedly the most ruthless and the best fighters. They have been fighting the Russians for years. The terrorists have been very adept at infiltrating the Afghan local govt.’s, the police forces and the Army. They have had a spy and agitator network there since the Iran-Iraq war in the early 80′s.

Bad Guy Tactics: When they are engaged on an infantry level, they get their asses kicked every time! Brave, but stupid. Suicidal Banzai-type charges were very common earlier in the war and still occur. They will literally sacrifice 8-10 man teams in suicide squads by sending them screaming and firing AK’s and RPG’s directly at our bases just to probe the defenses. They get mowed down like grass every time (see the M2 and M240 above). Jordan’s base was hit like this often. When engaged, they have a tendency to flee to the same building, probably for what they think will be a glorious last stand. Instead, we call in air and that’s the end of that more often than not. These hole-ups are referred to as Alpha Whiskey Romeo’s (Allah’s Waiting Room).

We have the laser guided ground-air thing down to a science. The fast mover’s, mostly Marine F-18′s, are taking an ever increasing toll on the enemy. When caught out in the open, the helicopter gunships and AC-130 Spectre Gunships cut them to ribbons with cannon and rocket fire, especially at night. Interestingly, artillery is hardly used at all.

Fun facts: The enemy death toll is supposedly between 45-50 thousand. That is why we’re seeing less and less infantry attacks and more IED, suicide; bomber sh-t. The new strategy is just simple attrition. The insurgent tactic most frustrating is their use of civilian non-combatants as cover. They know we do all we can to avoid civilian casualties and therefore schools, hospitals and especially Mosques are locations where they meet, stage for attacks, cache weapons, and ammo and flee to when engaged. They have absolutely no regard whatsoever for inflicting civilian casualties. They will terrorize locals and murder without hesitation anyone believed to be sympathetic to the Americans. Kidnapping of family members, especially children, is common to influence people they are trying to influence but can’t reach, such as local govt. officials, clerics, tribal leaders, etc.. The first thing our gu ys are told is “don’t get captured.” They know that if captured they will be tortured and beheaded on the internet. They openly offer bounties for anyone who brings in a live American serviceman. This motivates the criminal element who otherwise don’t give a sh-t about the war. A lot of the beheading victims were actually kidnapped by common criminals and sold to them. As such, for our guys, every fight is to the death. Surrender is not an option. The Afghanis are a mixed bag. Some fight well; others aren’t worth a damn. Most do okay with American support.

Finding leaders is hard, but they are getting better. Many Afghanis were galvanized and the caliber of recruits in the Army and the police forces went right up, along with their motivation. It also led to an exponential increase in good intel because the Afghanis are sick of the insurgent attacks against civilians.

Morale: According to Jordan, morale among our guys is very high. They not only believe that they are winning, but that they are winning decisively. They are stunned and dismayed by what they see in the American press, whom they almost universally view as against them. The embedded reporters are despised and distrusted. We are inflicting casualties at a rate of 20-1 and then see sh-t like “Are we losing in Iraq” on TV and the print media. For the most part, they are satisfied with their equipment, food, and leadership. Bottom line though, and they all say this, is that there are not enough guys there to drive the final stake through the heart of the insurgency, primarily because there aren’t enough troops in-theater to shut down the borders with Afghanisan and Pakistan. The Iranians and the Syrians just can’t stand the thought of Afghanistan being an American ally (with, of course, permanent US bases there).

Maxim, Gatling, Spandua, Vickers, Lewis, Mg 34, Bren,

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Hon. N. J. Turner (Nicklin) (3.51 p.m.): In answer to the honourable member for Ashgrove, I put myself before the House and was quite happy not to speak in the debate if the House so chose. I would then have followed the precedent set by the honourable member, if need be, and spoken during the debate on the clauses.

I thank the Parliament for granting me leave to speak as the member for Nicklin on the legislation before the House. It gives me no great joy to take this action. However, my conscience dictates that I do so. I believe that what I have to say today will strike a chord in quite a few members in this Chamber and, were it possible to have, a secret ballot on this issue, there would be enough Liberal, Labor and National Party members to vote against the Bill and defeat its passage through the House.

The Weapons Amendment Bill is the most divisive legislation to have ever come before the Parliament since I entered this House in 1974. It contains the most un-Australian proposals this nation has ever seen. These laws were conceived out of the Port Arthur tragedy with the best of intentions, and I extend my deepest sympathy to the families, relatives and friends of everyone killed on that tragic day. If I could believe that this Bill included suitable proposals and solutions to prevent a similar tragedy occurring, it would have my utmost support. However, not even the Prime Minister, in his own words, believes this to be the case.

Governments have a responsibility to bring in practical, sensible, workable, legislation. Sadly, those criteria do not apply in this case, no matter how well meaning it may be. In fact, I venture to say that it could possibly have the opposite effect and cause even more deaths and an escalating crime wave such as this nation has never seen.

Since the loss of 35 of our fellow Australians at Port Arthur, some 25,000 people have died as a result of smoking-related illnesses and 1,500 people have died in motor vehicle accidents. That is all very tragic, but no-one is suggesting that we go to the extreme and make it almost impossible for people to own a car in the way that is proposed with guns. Everyone who steps into a car is a potential killer, butt we cannot brand Australian citizens as potential law breakers because they possess the machinery which has the capacity to do harm.

Drugs, alcohol, cars, guns, knives, petrol, bombs–all are a problem. Prohibition of all these potential dangers is not the solution. There is enough evidence to show that prohibition has never saved lives. America did not solve its alcohol-related problems during Prohibition. In fact, the opposite occurred. Prohibition encouraged an escalation in the size of the criminal element and an unprecedented crime wave which in itself killed many more people than did alcohol, and citizens were worst off.

We in this State already have extremely strict gun laws. Why drive the trade underground lining the pockets of unscrupulous people while leaving us unprotected in our homes? It is naive to believe that all Australians will happi1y hand over their guns. We can recall guns until we are blue in the face, but I venture to say that no criminals will hand over their weapons. All we will be targeting are our law abiding citizens with the insulting inference that they have the potential to be killers. This is very offensive to me and many of my fellow Australians feel the same way.

To top it off, anyone who premeditates a massacre like Port Arthur will have no problem illegally obtaining a gun to carry out his bizarre act. Surely we do not believe that the criminal dealer has any concern about the outcome of his sale? His motive is profit only. A gun kills, effectively, be it licensed or unlicensed.

A madman who wants to kill does not even need a gun. If one looks at the history of tragic events, there will always be a way to do the unspeakable: the Oklahoma bombing killed 168 people; the Lockerbie air disaster, 258 killed; the New York air disaster; the Alabama bombing; the events at Waco, Texas; the Birmingham bombing; the Hilton bombing in Sydney; three gallons of petrol thrown at the Whisky Au-Go-Go in Brisbane, a mile from this place, killed some 15 or 20 young people several years ago; the fatality at Ayers Rock when a drunk was thrown out of a bar, cranked up his Mack truck and drove it through a wall, killing six or eight people; and the Tokyo subway gassing. An empty beer bottle full of petrol and detergent creates napalm, and thrown into a bus load of old tourists going to the casino would virtually kill them all. Gang bashings of innocent people taking a stroll–just kick them to death. Smashing up their spleen or head will do the trick. There is no need for a gun. You name it–the potential to kill is with us and all around us, whether we like it or not. Banning the hard-toed boot, petrol, bullets and so on will not solve the problem.

Perhaps money spent on a punishment that fits the crime and money spent on social solutions to overcome many of the social problems confronting society would be a better alternative. Many police officers have put the proposal to me that $4m to $5m spent on police enforcement work with criminals and dealers would be money better spent and would achieve more than the estimated cost of the gun laws proposal, which is somewhere between $500m and $1,000m. In which other areas could that sort of money be spent to better effect to save Australian lives?

The possession of any heirloom firearm will be allowed through an heirloom licence which limits ownership to one firearm, a brace or a set and requires the firearms to be rendered permanently inoperable. This action then makes them totally valueless. Although I am not aware of it, I venture to say that no massacre in Australia has ever occurred as a result of the use of an heirloom firearm. All thinking persons accept that military-type weapons should not be in the hands of civilians. It should also be noted that the lunatic who committed the massacre in Tasmania was not a licensed shooter and stole the weapon that he was using.

As a result of the massacre and the media-created hysteria which followed, all true law-abiding, legitimate shooters in many and varied disciplines have been insulted. They have been insulted because they will be classed as criminals should they pursue their sport as it presently exists. Many shotgun shooters prefer a gas operated, low-recoil semiautomatic shotgun as it provides comfort and stability, especially if the shooter is aged, has arthritis, is a woman or teenager or is handicapped. Why on earth do we want to punish tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens and deprive them of the opportunity to participate in their chosen sport, simply because the Prime Minister, Mr. Howard, will not allow crimping of their shotguns? To think that any of those people would reverse the crimping is ludicrous, because they only need to fire two shots out of a five-shot shotgun. However, the criminals will not be crimping; they will still have their automatic and pump-action shotguns. The people to whom I have referred cannot use any ordinary shotgun to fire 50 or 60 rounds on a Sunday afternoon: it would destroy their shoulder.

All State Governments should have forced a referendum on this issue alone if the Prime Minister could not or would not understand their very real concerns. Turning to the bureaucrats behind the introduction of this particular legislation, I have in my hand–although it will not go into Hansard–a brochure entitled. “Gun Use. How it Affects You”. That brochure was put out by the Commonwealth Government in June 1996. When looking at the front page, I do not wonder that they would not know the difference between centre-fire and rim-fire. There is a picture of a gun on the front of the brochure, but I do not know what it is. It is a break-open, lever-action gun. I have been around a long time, and I have never seen one in my life. That shows how knowledgeable they are!

I turn to the supposed genuine reasons necessary to possess a firearm. The one paramount reason for the possession of a firearm is not included in that section and it is essential that it be included if this legislation goes through, namely, a reason allowing “appropriate self defence”. This is so vital that to leave it out implies ulterior motives by politicians and those behind the basic intention of the legislation. It is inconceivable, unbelievable, incomprehensible and downright un-Australian that self defence against criminals and hoons is not reason enough to own a gun.

The Bill suggests that every firearm requires a separate permit and has to be licensed, which means that what was once a lifetime license now becomes a licence for a maximum of five years. What a great revenue raiser for the future for all forms of Government! We will have a nationwide register of all guns. Apparently we do not learn from other jurisdictions. New Zealand tried this tactic, but it proved an administrative nightmare and was dropped.

Shooters will require a genuine reason and need to have a weapon, and the police, of all people, will decide whether we can have one. The power of the police to make that decision leads me to the issue of the regulations which do not accompany this Bill but which cannot be separated from it. The Bill is so complex, convoluted and bound up in red tape that it is a nightmare. To this legislation after it is passed will be added volumes of regulations–regulations governing how guns will be seized, stored, destroyed and the rights of entry of the police. Such regulations do not have to go before the Parliament. Many of our fellow citizens of European origin have concerns about the extent of the powers of these as yet unknown regulations which rekindle fears of past experiences in Europe, Bosnia, Cyprus and so on.

Unfortunately, we are now also faced with the stirring up of racial tensions–something compounded by Pauline Hanson’s campaign–which is instilling a sense or unease in people who have come here to avoid the very insecurities that they now perceive, rightly or wrongly. This sense of the unknown, insecurity and resentment no nation can afford. We are undermining the core of our belief system, the very foundation which allows Australia to be an example to the world of how people from many nations can work together cohesively to build a strong, vibrant nation and live in peace and harmony. Why sow the seed and potentially destroy all this?

Following Port Arthur, my belief is that all Governments had to do three particular things: firstly, ban all bazookas, cannons, mortars, hand grenades, machine guns and military-style semiautomatics and leave the law-abiding citizens alone; secondly, revoke the right of gun ownership for people with criminal records or who are the subject of domestic violence orders; and, finally, they should have strengthened the penal provisions such that anyone–and I mean anyone–who committed any gun offence had the full force of the law brought down on them, with something up to an extra five years’ penalty being given on top of the sentence imposed by the Judge, for example, if a bank or service station was robbed or any gun offence was committed in this nation.

I know that there is a limit on the speaking time. I thank the House for giving me the opportunity to have my say. In conclusion, I wish to say that we have the strictest gun laws possibly in the world pertaining to concealable firearms. There would not be one member of this Chamber who could go out tomorrow and obtain a licence to carry a concealable firearm. However, every criminal has one. If we passed legislation tomorrow recalling every concealable firearm in Australia, I will tell honourable members what would happen. Some 99.9 per cent of all law-abiding citizens would hand in their pistol reluctantly. They would feel antagonized and would not be very happy with the political parties which instigated that legislation. However, not one criminal or bank robber in Queensland would hand in his gun.

As a hypothetical example, honourable members might have a family heirloom which has been handed down from their grandfather who used it to win the Military Medal in 1918 on the Western Front. Such an heirloom would have to be handed in to be either rendered inoperable or destroyed. I think it is crazy legislation. I thank honourable members for giving me the opportunity to express my views on it

Using  BallisticSS -  a ballistic spreadsheet           (notes by J. S. Andrew  Dec. 2009)

This public domain (free) spreadsheet file is made available for download by Owen Guns. The Ballistics Calculator will give a lot of answers to questions by shooters who have a computer with either Excel or OpenOffice.org installed. To obtain a copy of the FREE Ballistics Calculator, please send an email to owenguns@spiderweb.com.au with the subject line “Ballistics Calculator”.

DESCRIPTION

By entering values for any practical combination of MV (or velocity at a nominated range), Ballistic Coefficient, Bullet Weight, Sight Height (scope axis above bore axis), a desired Zero Range, and the actual target ranges you are interested in, the spreadsheet will instantaneously display ballistic predictions at those ranges. Remaining velocity and kinetic energy, drop from line of departure, bullet path above or below line of sight, and the bullets time of flight are given in metric and Imperial units. If you also care to nominate a crosswind speed in metres per second, deflection at each nominated range will be given, in metres, inches, and M.o.A, along with the wind strength equivalent in Km/h, MPH, or Knots.

Inputs for range can be entered in metres, yards, or both and output can be selected to display either or both in combination with the predictions for those ranges, also in the desired measurement units, for printing.

A lot of questions can be answered by working the process backwards. For instance published ballistics for factory ammo are based on a MV that is often higher than shooters find when they test the ammo in  a shorter barrel over a chronograph. In this case the implied BC of the factory projectile can be found by getting the spreadsheet (usually in the “G1” drag model worksheet) to mimic the published ballistics. This is done by nominating the same MV and increasing or decreasing the BC value as required to obtain the same remaining velocity at the furthest range given. If, as likely, the manufacturer also used the G1 drag model, the remaining velocity at intermediate ranges should match also. With the BC found this way you then simply nominate the actual chronographed velocity and the range of the midpoint of the screens (the Range X input), and you’ll get a set of more realistic downrange predictions at any of the ranges that you want.

Other calculations such as finding how hard a particular bullet has to be driven to deliver a desired amount of kinetic energy at a certain range can also be worked in reverse by trial fitting the MV. Better still, if you know the velocity that gives the desired KE for your bullet weight at the required range, simply input that range as “Range X” (Cell B6) and input the remaining velocity needed in Cell B5.

It is often interesting to find where the other Zero Range is. The usually nominated Zero Range, at 200 metres for instance, is where the bullet falls back across the line of sight after which it hits ever lower as range increases. But  where does the bullet first cross the line of sight as it climbs from the muzzle, which is, for practical purposes, at the “sight height” distance below? By trial and error on one of the range input cells you’ll soon find this other point where the bullet crosses the line of sight and the bullet path value comes up “0.0”, the short range zero.

COMPARISONS

Currently there are numerous ballistic programs available for PCs but the better ones cost money and may offer little advantage in practical terms over this free file (BallisticSS.xls) that adapts common spreadsheet software to answer the same questions. BallisticSS  actually has some advantages, as already mentioned, with its’ versatility of range input and the usual spreadsheet facility that allows output to be shuffled in different combinations of columns containing just the useful info for the job at hand. For instance you could show just Bullet Path data in the desired units for uncluttered use in the  field.  Or you might include a “Remaining Energy” column if theoretical comparisons are to be made about target damage. Being able to nominate any particular shooting distance (range) is also likely to be an advantage over some bought programs that are restricted to even increments of range.

ORIGIN

Hatcher’s Notebook, first published in 1947 describes how drag functions/models work, It also describes how to construct a table of space (range) and time values from them corresponding to decrements in velocity. These decrements are caused by the atmospheric drag acting on the standard projectile at a standard atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. Applying a particular bullets’ BC as a factor to space and time intervals for the standard projectile (which has a BC of 1.0 ) allows predictions to be made for  the bullet of known BC.

There are sources, on the internet, for retardation functions for all the commonly known drag models including the one for Krupp’s 1881 standard projectile, the basis of Mayevski’s work that was then adapted to Imperial units by Ingalls for his table published in Hatcher’s Notebook.

The  third edition, second printing of Hatcher’s Notebook, lists retardation functions (in log form) on page 559 and the method of finding drag at a particular velocity, and thereby the distance and time increments as velocity decreases on pages 565 to 567. With the power of spreadsheet software it was easy to make a three column table for velocity in 1 fps decrements with corresponding distance and time increment, (3600 rows in the case of Ingalls’) in a matter of minutes. A whole new ballgame from the days when Julian S. Hatcher’s book was first published in 1947….After creating such a table on a spreadsheet there remains the task of extracting and processing data from such long columns. This turns out to be a breeze  when Excel’s LOOKUP function is unleashed.

As well as the Krupp-Mayevski-Ingalls version Hatcher’s book also gives the retardation functions for the British 1909 model so tables for this can also be easily replicated on a spreadsheet in the same quick and easy manner. Hatcher mentions the origin of the now widely used G1 model but does not list it’s retardation functions. These are available by Google search which leads to www.snipercountry.com/ballistics/index.html. One advantage of the G1 model is that it covers velocities above 4230 fps. Just how far above is uncertain but BallisticSS applies the top retardation function to over 5000 fps with the idea that at least it would provide some approximations at that extreme level. Another advantage is that the G1 drag model is now by far the most popular one in the sporting arms industry.

Things have certainly moved on since the pre-computer days. The same principles apply but the application is so much easier that there are no longer any time or effort impediments to following your curiosity about practical ballistic questions using modern ballistic software, which includes this spreadsheet.

MORE DESCRIPTION

Presently the spreadsheet will calculate results by the G1, Ingalls, and British 1909 models, each on  its’ own separate worksheet. All three are similar, probably having a standard projectile of the same sectional density, but are apparently different enough in form factor (or accuracy of original test data) to require slightly different Ballistic Coefficients to be determined for a particular bullet. A fourth worksheet called “G1 Sierra” is included. It is the same as G1 except there is provision for inputting various values for BC in different brackets of the velocity spectrum in the manner advocated by the bullet maker Sierra. Based on their own tests they publish these varying BC values (on the www) for the bullets they make. So why not use them if it will improve accuracy in the calculated data?

Using the current (Dec.’09) G1 Sierra worksheet requires entry of the various BC values in the order in which they occur during the bullets flight with a corresponding entry of the velocity at which each BC value first applies. Not difficult at all, and certainly much easier than dragging the values down a column with thousands of rows required in the previous version (Sept. ’09) which at least worked unlike the first version that had a fault causing errors.

Lots of other commercially available bullets have their BC stated by their manufacturer in either the Ingalls’ or G1 model, mostly G1 nowadays. If a bullet’s BC in one drag model is known it is simple to arrive at a figure in another by trial guessing it till you get the same velocity drop over the same distance (Range). Likewise a BC can be found from manufacturers published ballistics for factory loaded cartridges. This will enable the calculation of better info if your rifle or pistol produces a different MV than the one published. This will usually be the case, especially if your gun has a different  barrel length than the factory test gun.

Regardless of which drag model is used to find remaining velocities (and time of flight), the subsequent calculations for Kinetic Energy, Drop, Bullet Path, and Cross Wind Deflection are all done with the same formulas that are normally used to produce published ballistics. In addition to the worksheets for each of the drag models mentioned there is a supplementary worksheet that provides an easy way to calculate an unknown BC from a known SD and shrewdly estimated Form Factor, or to use a known BC to calculate a Form Factor etc.. there is also provision for calculating a change in the value of a BC due to temperature and or barometric pressure varying significantly from standard conditions.

Note:-

There was a fundamental error in the “G1 Sierra” worksheet on the first version of BallisticSS circulating since early in 2009. This was fixed in the  Sept. ’09 version and the current improved Dec. ’09 version that should be used instead. The early faulty ones can be identified by checking cells  C27 and D27 which should correctly show “T Increment” and “S Increment”  and not “T Sum” and  “S Sum m” which are only correct for the worksheets other than “G1 Sierra”. Get a later copy if those two cells show the same names in the “G1 Sierra” worksheet as they do in the others.

The post Sept.’09 versions also have provision (in the supplementary calcs. Worksheet) for finding the BC of spherical projectiles of various diameters and weights calculated according to the density (SG) of lead, iron, etc.. According to the Coxe-Bugless chart the form factor (i), and consequently the BC, is different depending on whether a spherical projectile is traveling in the supersonic, transonic, or subsonic zone. So here’s another use for the G1 Sierra worksheet if your projectile will be dropping into a lower speed zone to reach a range where you want answers.

The file BallisticSS.xls  runs in the popular  Microsoft Excel. If you don’t have that software check out OpenOffice.org  which is free and includes spreadsheet software that will also handle the .xls format.

As supplied the area to the left of column “S” in the various drag model worksheets is “protected” with only the red numbers and text changeable as user inputs. This avoids accidentally disrupting cells with formulas or fixed data. “Protected” status can be removed without a password via the “Tools” menu if constructive changes are needed. Save an original version somewhere in case your modifications  don’t turn out well.

OPERATING TIPS

To save space on your computer you should  save just one or two copies of the BallisticSS file as it is supplied and rename working copies of it which can then be greatly reduced in size by deleting the worksheets that aren’t needed. As the “Ingalls” and “British 1909” would rarely be used and only one of the other two (G1 and G1 Sierra) would normally be used for a particular purpose an almost 75% reduction in file size can be achieved in your renamed working version.

Where you want to easily compare two ballistic scenarios, you can create a duplicate worksheet by inserting a new blank worksheet perhaps called “G1a”, then do a “select all” and “copy” with the “G1” worksheet open, then open the blank “G1a” worksheet and “paste” at the top left cell. Then by using each worksheet for one or the other case you are comparing you can flick back and forth between the two worksheets to see what performance differences you’ll get.

If you want to save  numerous calculation results by renaming the working file to “Load Z for rifle Y” for instance, you could also start to use a lot computer memory to store a relatively small data table. The remedy to this is to format the data in the desired combination in cells to the right of column “S” then copy just the required output data to a storage file by using Excel’s “Special paste” function. This way you won’t be keeping an unneeded copy of the relatively huge tables used to calculate each and every final result that you want to store.

END NOTES

There is some uncertainty on the subject of the standard projectile that the G1 drag model is meant to describe. Hatcher’s Notebook seems to indicate Ingalls and British 1909  tables are for a one inch diameter flat based projectile weighing one pound with a two diameter radius ogive and no mention of a meplat (flat spot) on the nose. This may or may not also be the definition for standard G1 projectile.

Whether the Coxe-Bugless chart shown in Hatcher’s Notebook  (for the purpose of estimating form factor) is meant to be used with all three models or just the Ingalls’ Tables is also unclear. Either way it adds further to the confusion by indicating that a two calibre radius ogive without a meplat (the most likely recipe for the standard projectile) has a form factor of  0.85 instead of the expected 1.0 to accompany a weight of 1.0 pounds and a diameter of 1.0 inches which is needed to arrive at a BC of 1.0, as expected for the standard projectile. In the face of this I’ve taken the approach of  just doing the best I can with available information and am forced to be content to be able to mimic numerous published ballistic tables by using the same input values. With a chronographed value for  velocity near the muzzle and the best available value(s) for BC in the drag model used (G1, Ingalls’ etc.), I am confident that the spreadsheet will give useful predictions for times of flight up to half a second, adequate to cover any sensible hunting range for any class of cartridge.

To extend the useful accuracy of calculations to abnormally long range, shooters (using bullets other than Sierra’s) might need  start collecting ‘time of flight” data additional to a simultaneous short gap velocity measurement) with widely spaced chronograph screens (say 50 m apart). These measured times of flight (with simultaneous observations for temperature  pressure and humidity) would indicate true BC values at various brackets of velocity in the method  pioneered  by Sierra in producing BC data for their bullets. This approach virtually removes any doubts on the appropriateness of the drag model (you’d probably use G1) by bending it to the shape you want by using different BC values through various velocity zones as required.

End

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INTRODUCTION

From the time a firearm is grasped in the hand, the shooter becomes a part of a system over which the shooter has complete control. The shooter is the only part of the system that can make a gun safe – or unsafe.

Hunting and target shooting are among the safest of all sports. This study is intended to make them even safer by re-emphasizing and reaffirming the basics of safe gun handling and storage and by reminding each individual shooter that he or she is the key to firearms safety.

You can help meet this responsibility by constantly stressing safety when handling firearms, especially to children and non-shooters. Newcomers in particular must be closely supervised when handling firearms with which they may not be acquainted. Don’t be timid when it comes to gun safety. It you observe anyone violating any safety precautions, you have an obligation to suggest safer handling practices, such as these.

When Someone Is Pointing It The Wrong Way, Tell Them.

Please read this carefully and follow the safety procedures outlined. Firearms safety is up to you. Make no mistake about it.

ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND GUNS DON’T MIX

1. Always Keep the Muzzle Pointed in a Safe Direction

This is the most basic gun safety rule. If everyone handled his firearm, so carefully that the muzzle never pointed at something he did not want to shoot, there would be virtually no firearms accidents. It’s as simple as that, and it’s up to you.

Never point your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. This is particularly important when loading or unloading a firearm. In the event of an accidental discharge, no injury can occur as long as the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction.

A safe direction means a direction in which a bullet cannot possibly strike anyone, taking into account possible ricochets and the fact that bullets can penetrate walls and ceilings. The safe direction is nearly “up” all occasions but if other people are above you on another floor it has to be “down”, but never at anyone or anything not intended as a target. Even when “dry firing” with an unloaded gun, you should never point a gun at an unsafe target. Always develop safe shooting habits.

Make it a habit to know exactly where the muzzle of your gun is pointing at all times, and be sure that you are in control of the direction in which the muzzle in pointing, even if you fall or stumble. This is your responsibility and only you can control it.

2. Firearms Should Be Unloaded When Not Actually in Use

Firearms should be loaded only when you are in the field or on the target range or shooting area, ready to shoot. Firearms and ammunition should be secured in a safe place, separate from each other, when not in use. It is your responsibility to prevent children and careless adults from gaining access to firearms or ammunition. Unload your gun as soon as you are finished shooting. A loaded gun has no place in or near a car, truck or building. Unload your gun immediately when you have finished shooting, well before you bring it in, into a car, camp or home.

Whenever you handle a firearm, or hand it to someone, always open the action immediately and visually check the chamber, receiver and magazine to be certain they do not contain any ammunition. Always keep actions open when not in use. Never assume a gun is loaded – check for yourself! This is considered a mark of an experienced gun handler! Its good manners.

Never cross a fence, climb a tree, or perform any awkward actions with a loaded gun. There are many times during nearly all hunting trips when common sense and the basic rules of firearms safety will require you to unload your gun for maximum safety. Never pull or push a loaded firearm toward yourself or another person. There is never any excuse to carry a loaded gun in a scabbard, a holster not being worn, or a gun case. When in doubt, always unload your gun.

3. Don’t Rely on Your Gun’s “Safety”

Treat every gun as though it can fire at any time, regardless of pressure on the trigger. The “safety” on any gun is a mechanical device which, like any such device, can become inoperable at the worst possible time. Besides, by mistake the safety may be “off”, when you think it is “on”. The safety serves as a supplement to proper gun handling, but cannot possibly serve as a substitute for common sense. You should never handle a gun carelessly and assume that the gun won’t fire just because the “safety is on”.

Never touch the trigger on a firearm until you actually intend to shoot. Keep your fingers away from the trigger while loading or unloading. Never pull the trigger on any firearm with the safety on the “safe” position or anywhere in between “safe” and “fire”. It is possible that the gun can fire at any time, or even later when you release the safety, without your ever touching the trigger again. Never place the safety in between positions, since half-safe is unsafe. Only close the action when you are absolutely ready to fire.

Regardless of the position of the safety, any blow or jar which is sufficient to actuate the firing mechanism of a gun can cause it to fire. This can happen even if the trigger is not touched, such as when a gun is dropped. Never rest a loaded gun against any object because there is always the possibility that it will be jarred or slide from its position and fall with sufficient force to discharge. The only safe gun is one in which the action is open and which is completely empty. You and the safe gun handling procedures you have learned are your only real “gun safeties”.

4. Be Sure of Your Target And What’s Beyond It

No one can call a shot back. Once a gun fires, you have given up all control over where the shot will go or what it will strike. Don’t shoot unless you know exactly know what your shot is going to strike. Be sure that your bullet will not injure anyone or anything beyond your target. Firing at a movement or a noise without being absolutely certain of what you are shooting at constitutes criminal disregard for the safety of others. No target or animal is so important that you do not have the time before you pull the trigger to be absolutely certain of your target and where your shot will stop.

Be aware that even a .22 short bullet can travel over 1.1/4 miles, and a high velocity cartridge such as a .30-06 can send its bullet more than three miles. Shotgun pellets can travel 500yards and shotgun slugs have a range of half a mile.

Shooters should keep in mind how far a bullet will travel if it misses its intended target or ricochets in another direction.

Some People Just Don’t Think, And Need Telling.

5. Make sure you use the Correct Ammunition.

You must assume the serious responsibility of using only the correct ammunition for your firearm. Read and heed all warnings including those that appear in the gun’s instruction manual and on the ammunition boxes.

Improper or incorrect ammunition can destroy a gun and cause serious personal injury. It only takes one cartridge of improper caliber or gauge to wreck your gun and only a second to check each one as you load it. Use only ammunition that exactly matches the caliber or gauge of your gun.

Firearms are designed, manufactured and proof tested to standards based upon factory loaded ammunition. Hand loaded or reloaded ammunition deviating from pressures generated by factory loads or from component recommendations specified in reputable hand loading manuals can be dangerous and can cause severe damage to guns and serious injury to the shooter. Do not use improper reloads or ammunition made of unknown components.

Ammunition that has become very wet or has been submerged in water should be discarded in a safe manner. Do not spray oil or solvents on ammunition or place ammunition in excessively lubricated firearms. Poor ignition, unsatisfactory performance, or damage to your firearm and harm to yourself or others could result from using such ammunition.

Form the habit of examining every cartridge you put into your gun. Never use damaged or substandard ammunition – the money you save is not worth a ruined gun or very much worse.

6. If Your Gun Fails to Fire When the Trigger is Pulled, Handle with Care!

Occasionally, a cartridge may not fire when the trigger is pulled. If this occurs, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Keep your face away from the breech. Then, carefully open the action, unload the firearm, and dispose of the cartridge in a safe way.

Any time there is a cartridge in the chamber, your gun is loaded and ready to fire – even if you’ve tried to shoot and it did not go off. It could go off at any time, so you must always remember. Rule No 1 and watch the muzzle!

7. Always Wear Eye And Ear Protection When Shooting

All shooters should wear protective shooting glasses and some form of hearing protectors while shooting. Exposure to shooting noise can damage hearing and adequate vision protection is essential. Shooting glasses guard against twigs, falling shot, clay target chips and the rare ruptured case or firearm malfunction. There is a wide variety of eye and ear protectors available. No target shooter, plinker or hunter should ever be without them. Wearing eye protection when disassembling and cleaning any gun will also help prevent the possibility of springs, spring tensioned parts, solvents or other agents from contacting your eyes.

Most rules of shooting safety are intended to protect you and others around you, but this rule is for your protection alone. Furthermore, having your hearing and eyes protected will make your shooting easier by helping to improve your concentration and your enjoyment of the shooting sports.

8. Be Sure the Barrel is Clear of Obstructions Before Shooting

Before you load your firearm, open the action and be certain that no ammunition is in the chamber or magazine. Then glance through the barrel to be sure it is clear of any obstruction. Even a small bit of mud, snow, excess lubricating oil, or grease in the bore can cause dangerously increased pressures, causing the barrel to bulge or even burst on firing, which can cause injury to the shooter and bystanders. Make it a habit to clean the bore with a cleaning rod and patch to wipe away anti-rust compounds in the gun ,each time immediately before you shoot it. If the noise or recoil on firing seems weak, or doesn’t seem quite “right”, cease firing immediately and be sure to check that no obstruction or projectile has become lodged in the barrel.

Placing a smaller gauge or caliber cartridge into a gun (such as a 20 gauge shell in a 12 gauge shotgun) can result in the smaller cartridge falling into the barrel and acting as a bore obstruction when a cartridge of proper size is fired. This can cause a burst barrel or worse. You can easily avoid this type of accident by paying close attention to each cartridge you insert into your firearm. This is really a case where “haste makes waste”.

9. Don’t Alter or Modify Your Gun, and Have Guns Serviced Regularly

Firearms are complicated mechanisms which are designed by experts to function properly in their original condition. Any alterations or changes made to firearms after manufacture can make the gun dangerous and usually void any factory warranties. Do not jeopardize your safety or the safety of others by allowing unqualified persons to repair or modify them. You’ll usually ruin an expensive gun. Don’t do it!

Your gun is a mechanical device which will not last forever and is subject to wear. As such, it requires periodic inspection, adjustment and service. Check with the manufacturer of your firearm for recommended servicing.

10. Learn the Mechanical and Handling Characteristics of The Firearm You are Using

Not all firearms are the same. The method of carrying and handling firearms varies in accordance with the mechanical characteristics of each gun. Since guns can be so different, no person should handle any firearm without first having thoroughly familiarized himself with the particular type of firearm he is using, the safe gun handling rules for loading, unloading, carrying, handling that firearm and the rules of safe gun handling in general.

If You Don't Know How It Works Find Out, Read or Ask, Before You Use It.

Just by way of one example, many handgun manufacturers recommend that their handguns always be carried with the hammer down on an empty chamber. This is particularly true for older single-action revolvers, but applies equally to some double-action revolvers to automatic pistols. You should always read and refer to the instruction manual you received with your gun, or if you have misplaced it, simply write to the manufacturer for a free copy.

The person with the gun in his possession has a full-time job. He cannot guess, he cannot forget. He must know how to use, handle and store his firearm safely. Do not use any firearm without having a complete understanding of its particular characteristics and safe use. There is no such thing as a fool proof gun.

An injury to the muzzle of a rifle can cause shots to keyhole. This condition is most likely to occur in rifles cleaned from the muzzle, but may be due to accident, such as striking the muzzle against any metal.
A very small burr on the muzzle crown can make the bullets unstable in flight.

Anything that reduces the rotations per second may cause a bullet to tip. Low bullet velocity may reduce the spin enough to cause this effect. A long bullet requires more spin than a short one, so that too long a bullet for the twist or too slow a twist for the bullet may cause tipping. Excessive wear of the rifling or too loose a fit of the bullet in the barrel may cause the bullet to fail to take the full spin required.
As barrel erosion progresses, the portion of the barrel just forward of the bullet seat becomes enlarged and channelled out. When this occurs, tipping or keyholing shows up, partly due perhaps to the distortion of the bullet as it slaps into this enlarged portion of the barrel, and partly due perhaps to failure of the worn rifling to grip the bullet sufficiently to spin it fully. In barrel life tests with rifles and machine guns the appearance of tipped or keyholed shots on the target is usually the first sign that the barrel is approaching the end of its useful life and should be replaced.
Even in the absence of any of the disturbing factors mentioned above, some types of bullet such as revolver wad cutters may show a certain amount of tipping which seems inherent in the bullet shape. In such a case it will be noticed that the bullet often makes elongated holes, or keyholes, in the target. This leads to the belief that the bullets are tumbling, or turning end over end. Despite this appearance, the bullets probably are not tumbling.
One example was a 25-06 in a known brand that would shoot well with 120 grain bullets but would in variable key hole 87 grain bullets through the targets at 200 metres. This was due to twist rate problem stabilising the large bullets but not the shorter 87 grain ones.
A good idea of their actual motion can be obtained by firing through a series of paper targets set up at close intervals-2 ft. is usually suitable. When the spin is insufficient, the holes will show the bullet assuming a greater and greater yaw at first, but after reaching a maximum the yaw then decreases to nearly zero. This cycle is repeated with the amplitude slowly decreasing. A bullet yawing at 30° or 45° makes a very bad keyhole, looking as though the bullet were nearly broadside on, but measurement of the holes in comparison with the bullet length reveals it never reached broadside.

Normal bullets fired from insufficient rifling twist, in any rifling likely to be encountered in practice, thus do not tumble but instead swing as described.

The 1 twist in 66 inches shown above is an example from a Muzzle Loading Rifle, the Round Ball has a very short bearing surface in the barrel, and would strip off, if the rifling twist was two quick. Conversely, elongated bullets having a longer bearing surface need a much faster twist to gain stability.

The tremendous dispersion of shots fired under this condition of insufficient rifling twist is due to the deflection of the bullet in its first yaw, the direction is usually random.

“I didn’t know it was loaded”

“I didn’t know it was loaded” is the stock expression used by those who are rudely awakened by an explosion when they pull the trigger of a any loaded firearm. Muzzle loading firearms seem to be even more prevalent in this due to the lack of observation of the chamber. They seem to be always presumed empty.

Always Presume They are Loaded

An old muzzle loader is more likely to be loaded than would at first be thought. One reason lies in its slowness of loading. This resulted in many muzzle loaders being kept loaded habitually, as the only way of keeping them ready for use. Another reason lies in the difficulty of unloading, which caused many users to put off that tedious operation and finally forget it.
It was usual to leave the cap (or priming charge, depending on the type of ignition) off the lock of a gun thus left loaded, as a partial safeguard. However, old charges have been set off by a chance spark from snapping the big hammer against the empty nipple, or the residues of priming compound left on the nipple after the removal of an unfired percussion cap may be detonated by the hammer. The odds are long against such occurrences but stranger things have happened.

Always Presume They Are Loaded

A breech loader can be opened in a moment and checked as to whether it is loaded. That is not possible in a muzzle loader, in which the breech cannot be opened short of disassembling the firearm. To check it, pass the ramrod into the barrel until it reaches bottom, and mark it at the muzzle. Withdraw and lay it alongside the barrel with the mark at the muzzle, and note the position of the lower tip. If it is nearly opposite the breech face (the position of which can be estimated), there can be no load in the barrel. If however this measurement shows something present, it must be presumed to be a loaded charge. People not qualified and equipped to strip the firearm and remove the breech plug should entrust that work to a gunsmith.

A Muzzle Loader Should always be Presumed Loaded