The Shadow of the Hague –
Ballistic Problems Past and
Present.
Peter J. T. Knudsen
Institute of Forensic Medicine
University of Southern Denmark
And
Danish Defence Health Services
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The Hague Declaration of 1899
The Contracting Parties agree to abstain from
the use of bullets which expand or flatten easily
in the human body, such as bullets with a hard
envelope which does not entirely cover the core
or is pierced with incisions
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Dèclaration de la Haye 1899
Les Puissances contractantes s'interdisent
l'emploi de balles qui s'épanouissent ou
s'aplatissent facilement dans le corps humain,
telles que les balles à enveloppe dure dont
l'enveloppe ne couvrirait pas entièrement le
noyau ou serait pourvue d'incisions.
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Interpretation
The Contracting Parties agree to abstain from
the use of bullets which expand or flatten easily
in the human body,
vs.
such as bullets with a hard envelope which
does not entirely cover the core or is pierced
with incisions
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The effect on the bullet
The Contracting Parties agree to abstain from
the use of bullets which expand or flatten easily
in the human body,
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The design of the bullet
such as bullets with a hard envelope which
does not entirely cover the core or is pierced
with incisions
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Wound profile – 7,62 x 51 mm expanding bullet
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Application of the Hague
Declaration in Denmark –
a hundred years later
Fragmentation behaviour of 7,62 x 51
mm NATO bullets
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Case
In 1989 a man killed his son, his ex-wife and her boyfriend
and finally killed himself when confronted by a police
officer. The child was killed with a hunting rifle, but the
couple and he were killed with his Home Guard rifle, a
M/75 rifle, the German Heckler and Koch G3, using
Danish service ammunition produced by the State
ammunition factory, the “Ammunitions-arsenalet” (AMA)
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Bullet parts found at the autopsy
of the woman
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Bullet parts found at the crime
scene
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Reported in1980 (1) and by Fackler in 1989
(2).
1. Stiefel D: Die Wirkung von Vollmantelgeschossen gegen Weichteile, Deutsche
Waffenjournal 1980:750 (letter).
2. Fackler ML: Wounding patterns of military rifle bullets, International Defence
Review.1989;5:59-64.
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Experimental confirmation
Tests were conducted at the Army Combat School, Experimental and Safety
Section, confirming the fragmentation of the M/75 bullet in ordnance gelatin
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Collection of Danish cases
Having obtained the necessary permissions all know fatal
cases using the M/75 were collected. The results confirmed
previous reports – they were all fragmented.
Knudsen PJT, Theilade P: Terminal ballistics of the 7.62mm NATO bullet, Autopsy
findings. International Journal of Legal Medicine 1993;106:61-67.
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The problem
Having drawn the attention of the manufacturer to the fragmentation of the
Danish ammunition an redesign was performed, after some discussions,
however.
The M/75 bullet was of similar design to the German bullet, a natural
decision since the weapon was German. It had a steel jacket with a
thickness of 0,35 mm.
The redesigned bullet is of a design very similar to the US bullet, not as a
result of copying but after considerable experimentation. The need to follow
NATO standardisation requirements led to a similar solution to the similar
problem. The new M/94 bullet has a tombak jacket that is 0,80 mm thick
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The ”Scandal”
A year after the publication of the findings, a newspaper
happened to read it, and suddenly the front page was
decorated with a story that the Danish Defence used Dum-dum
bullets. The redesign was fortunately under way, but the
Minister of Defence had to take action, and ordered a recall of
all cartridges from Danish Forces in international operations –
ex-Yugoslavia – and a purchase of a large number of bullets
from a foreign manufacturer to be fitted into Danish produced
cases, until the new bullet could be in production.
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The old and the new
M/75
M/94
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
This bullet, that is now the standard 7,62 x 51 NATO bullet in
the Danish Defence is still in use as M/94, and has been
proved to fulfil the requirements. I was allowed to publish the
experimental work leading to the new bullet.
Knudsen, PJT, Vigsnæs JS, Rasmussen R, Nissen PS: Terminal ballistics of
7.62mm NATO bullets: experiments in ordnance gelatin, International Journal of
Legal Medicine, 1995;108:62-67.
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
And now for something not so
different, but more relevant
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The 5.56 x 45 mm NATO bullet
Developed for military use based on the .223 rifle
bullet.
In the NATO countries used in the original M16 rifle.
Modified as the US M855 or NATO SS109 for the M16
and derivatives
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Design of the SS109
Full metal jacketed bullet
Lead core and steel penetrator in the tip
High velocity – approx. 920 m/sec at the muzzle
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Wound ballistic properties of the
SS109
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
7,62 x 51 mm NATO M/75
vs.
5,56 x 45 mm NATO SS109
Similarities
FMJ
Fragments by break-up at cannelure
up to 100 m
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
7,62 x 51 mm NATO M/75
vs.
5,56 x 45 mm NATO SS10
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
7,62 x 51 mm NATO M/75
vs.
5,56 x 45 mm NATO SS109
Dissimilarities
No non-fragmenting bullet that will
pass NATO requirements is commercially
available, as far as I know!
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The – moral - dilemma
One day – perhaps yesterday – there
will be a NATO-certified non-fragmenting
bullet.
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
The – moral - dilemma
What will YOU do?
Call your MoD to tell them to buy new bullets and
scrap the millions in the depots?
Is that a wise move – career-wise?
Or do you shut up and hope nobody notices?
And what if someone else finds out and they ask you,
the expert?
And so on and so forth……
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014
Questions?
First Ballistics and Wound Ballistics International Congress, Lyon, 16-17th June 2014