Tri-Service

How Exploding Bullets Could Save Lives

How Self-Destructing Bullets Could Save Lives

'Self-destructing' bullets have been patented which could decrease the likelihood of innocent bystanders being accidentally harmed.

Researchers for the US Army have created a "limited range projectile" which will explode a short time after being fired.

The built-in pyrotechnic technology allows the range of the bullets to be controlled. It's hoped this will prevent innocent bystanders standing further afield from being hit by missed shots.

The technology will be used in .50 calibre ammunition initially, but could potentially be introduced with other cartridges in future.

The .50 BMG cartridge (far left), next to the 300 Win Mag, .308 Winchester, 7.62×39mm, 5.56×45mm NATO, and .22 Long Rifle

The British Army is currently known to use the .50 Browning Machine Gun (.50 BMG) cartridge, made for long-range target and sniper rifles, as well as machine guns, in three different weapons.

The L121A1 and L135A1 LRPAS sniper rifles both use .50 BMG cartridges, as does the L111A1 heavy machine gun, which is used on armoured vehicles and tripods, such as the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles used by the Special Forces.

The M82A1, known in British Army service as the L135A1 Long Range Precision Anti Structure rifle (LRPAS)

Snipers across the world have used .50 BMG rifles for extreme long-range kills. A US Marine sniper set a then-record long-distance kill in 1967, at a distance of 2,090 metres (2,286 yd), using a .50 BMG bullet in an M2 Browning Machine Gun equipped with a telescopic sight.

A Canadian Army corporal then used the cartridge to achieve the longest-range confirmed sniper kill in history, when he shot a Taliban fighter at 2,430 meters (2,657 yards) in Afghanistan in 2002, although this was surpassed in 2009 by a British sniper using a .338 Lapua Magnum (8.58×70 mm) rifle.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), meanwhile, is now working with Lockheed Martin on the EXACTO program, which is developing .50-caliber bullets with microprocessors and steering vanes that allow them to adjust their trajectory mid-flight if the flight path changes.

A Household Cavalry Regiment soldier manning a .50cal heavy machine gun on a Jackal 2 All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)

Speaking about the self-destructing bullet, researcher Stephen McFarlane said: "The biggest advantage is reduced risk of collateral damage."

"In today's urban environments others could become significantly hurt or killed, especially by a round the size of a .50 calibre, if it goes too far."

Another idea for stopping accidental deaths is designed to act like an 'airbag' on a bullet.

Called 'The Alternative', it's a metal ball which attaches to the end of a gun, which breaks off when a bullet is fired and melds with it. This slows it down and can mean less serious injuries for anyone it hits.

Developer Christian Ellis said: "Just like an airbag, a certain amount of people will die when they get into an impact and the airbag hits their chest.

"There is a chance they could die with this but it does mitigate the risk of death tremendously."