FMJ vs TMJ

[Maia007]

I am now seeing pistol ammo sold as TMJ or "total metal jacket". The rounds look identical to FMJ. Is there a difference?

If not, is there an apparent reason to rename FMJ?

 

[esheato]

A lot of FMJ bullets have a thick jacket that doesn't cover the base, and you can't see it because it's inside the case.

TMJ covers the entire bullet.

FMJ

TMJ

 

[Eric M]

FMJs leave the core exposed at the base of the bullet and TMJs jacket the base.

 

[Ramone]

an advantage to 'TMJ' is that no lead gets thrown into the air you are breathing.

 

[marktx]

Well that is only if you are using lead free primers.... a lot of them contain lead styphnate

 

[Jim Watson]

TMJ is a Speer trademark for bullets with such thick copper plating as to amount to a jacket. Thicker than Rainier or Berry's.

Other brands do it different ways. I have Hornadys with a separate copper disk swaged into the bottom of a regular drawn FMJ.