Comparison of Interior Ballistic in 5.56 mm Rifle Using Single Perforated Grain and Spherical Grain Gunpowder
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Abstract
The 5.56-mm firearm is commonly used by infantry and border police units. Most firearms in service are gas-operated, which results from the internal combustion of gunpowder. Analysis of breech pressure and muzzle velocity is important for design and operation. This research comparatively examined two types of gunpowder single-perforated grains and spherical grains and two types of cartridges, M193 and M855. The interior-ballistic comparison showed that, for each cartridge type, single-perforated grains produced higher breech pressures and shorter burn times than spherical grains. The muzzle velocity and ballistic efficiency of single-perforated grains were also higher than those of spherical grains. A comparison between the M193 and M855 cartridges indicated that M855 exhibited better ballistic efficiency than M193 for both gunpowder types.
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