The current state of expert research of domestic firearms and cartridges for them in Ukraine

The development of the domestic engineering industry during the independence of Ukraine, in particular, led to the emergence of enterprises working in the field of development and production of firearms and ammunition for it. Experimental studies performed by forensic experts and criminologists to study the features of injuries and damage caused by modern models of domestic weapons need to be generalized and systematized. Aim of the work. To review the literature sources related to the study of lethal and non-lethal pistols and ammunition for them of domestic production. Materials and methods. In order to achieve this goal, we searched for literature sources within the scientometric databases of Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus by keywords, to a depth of 10 years using the criteria of selection of articles. Results. A review of literature sources revealed that the direction of the study of pistols and ammunition for them of domestic production is still relevant and tends to increase in the last 5 years; the departments of forensic medicine at Higher Education Institutions and Research Forensic Centers are most interested in studying this topic; publications on models of pistols developed 10 or more years ago are found in large numbers in the scientific literature, but publications on "younger" models in the scientific literature are not found. Conclusion. The vast majority of research on domestic firearms is devoted to the study of pistols produced by RPC «Fort». However, the available amount of research cannot meet the current needs of the expert service and, accordingly, the police. Research aimed at studying the ballistic properties of domestic weapons still remains a relevant and urgent area of forensic medicine and criminology.

Analysis of Application of Plasma Ignition in Closed Vessel Tests

This paper presents the results of a comparative investigation into the effects of the ignition method on the ballistic properties of three types of propellants: a single-base propellant, a double-base propellant and a low vulnerability (LOVA) propellant, as determined via closed vessel tests (CVT). Conventional gunpowder ignition and plasma jet ignition methods were used. The influence of the ignition method on the values of the propellant characteristics obtained in CVT was analysed. It was found that the method of ignition has an influence on the values of propellant characteristics, determined in CVT. An analysis of the experimental form functions showed that plasma ignition is not a solution to the problems inherent to the process of determining the ballistic properties of propellants in which the burning process deviates from the geometric burning law.

Impact Resistance of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Amazon Guaruman Fiber: A Brief Report

Fibers extracted from Amazonian plants that have traditionally been used by local communities to produce simple items such as ropes, nets, and rugs, are now recognized as promising composite reinforcements. This is the case for guaruman (Ischinosiphon körn) fiber, which was recently found to present potential mechanical and ballistic properties as 30 vol% reinforcement of epoxy composites. To complement these properties, Izod impact tests are now communicated in this brief report for similar composites with up to 30 vol% of guaruman fibers. A substantial increase in impact resistance, with over than 20 times the absorbed energy for the 30 vol% guaruman fiber composite, was obtained in comparison to neat epoxy. These results were statistically validated by Weibull analysis, ANOVA, and Tukey’s test. Scanning electron microscopy analysis disclosed the mechanisms responsible for the impact performance of the guaruman fiber composites.

Anti-Ballistic Properties of Aramid Fabrics and Composites: A Review

In studies of ballistic impact, the materials used in body armor must have high hardness, light weight, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and other high performance characteristics. Aramid fibers are widely used in anti-ballistic materials. To facilitate the further development of aramid materials, this study reviews aramid research in recent years and analyzes the main factors affecting, and new methods for optimizing, anti-ballistic performance, with the emphasis on bulletproof fabrics. This review provides suggestions for future research and use of aramid materials for anti-ballistic performance.

Selective Laser Melted M300 Maraging Steel—Material Behaviour during Ballistic Testing

Significant growth in knowledge about metal additive manufacturing (AM) affects the increase of interest in military solutions, where there is always a need for unique technologies and materials. An important section of materials in the military are those dedicated to armour production. An AM material is characterised by different behaviour than those conventionally made, especially during more dynamic loading such as ballistics testing. In this paper, M300 maraging steel behavior was analysed under the condition of ballistic testing. The material was tested before and after solution annealing and ageing. This manuscript also contains some data based on structural analysis and tensile testing with digital image correlation. Based on the conducted research, M300 maraging steel was found to be a helpful material for some armour solutions after pre- or post-processing activities. Conducted solution annealing and ageing increased the ballistic properties by 87% in comparison to build samples. At the same time, the material’s brittleness increased, which affected a significant growth in fragmentation of the perforated plate. According to such phenomena, a detailed fracture analysis was made.

Hypersonic impact properties of pristine and hybrid single and multi-layer C3N and BC3 nanosheets

Carbon, nitrogen, and boron nanostructures are promising ballistic protection materials due to their low density and excellent mechanical properties. In this study, the ballistic properties of C3N and BC3 nanosheets against hypersonic bullets with Mach numbers greater than 6 were studied. The critical perforation conditions, and thus, the intrinsic impact strength of these 2D materials were determined by simulating ballistic curves of C3N and BC3 monolayers. Furthermore, the energy absorption scaling law with different numbers of layers and interlayer spacing was investigated, for homogeneous or hybrid configurations (alternated stacking of C3N and the BC3). Besides, we created a hybrid sheet using van der Waals bonds between two adjacent sheets based on the hypervelocity impacts of fullerene (C60) molecules utilizing molecular dynamics simulation. As a result, since the higher bond energy between N–C compared to B-C, it was shown that C3N nanosheets have higher absorption energy than BC3. In contrast, in lower impact speeds and before penetration, single-layer sheets exhibited almost similar behavior. Our findings also reveal that in hybrid structures, the C3N layers will improve the ballistic properties of BC3. The energy absorption values with a variable number of layers and variable interlayer distance (X = 3.4 Å and 4X = 13.6 Å) are investigated, for homogeneous or hybrid configurations. These results provide a fundamental understanding of ultra-light multilayered armors' design using nanocomposites based on advanced 2D materials. The results can also be used to select and make 2D membranes and allotropes for DNA sequencing and filtration.

Comparative analysis of different types of ballistic barrels used in the ammunition researches

Manufacturers offer different types of ballistic barrels made in according to various standards. The paper presents comparison of three types of ballistic barrels: pressure, velocity and accuracy made according to C.I.P. and NATO EPVAT standards. Projectile velocities in a several measuring points on the flight path and propellant gas pressures in the barrels were measured and compared. The main aim of the article is to discuss whether all types of barrels to conduct most ballistic tests are needed, or whether one, the most universal in a specific caliber is enough. Keywords: mechanical engineering, ballistics, firearm, ammunition researches, ballistic properties