Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1895 — The Tungsten Bullet. [ARTICLE]

The Tungsten Bullet.

The gradual diminution of the caliber in modern rifles is of course accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the size of the projectiles. Lead bullets of such a small size are too light, and lack penetrating power, so a metal heavier becomes necessary. Such a metal is tungsten, which is almost as hard as steel, and has a density varying from seventeen to 19.8, say one and a half times that of lead. A tungsten ball penetrates a steel plate three inches in thickness at a distance of 650 yards, while a similar one of lead penetrates a 2 8-4 inch plate at 825 yards only. The present obstacle to the use of tungsten is its high price, but there are indications that this will soon be lowered.