Wood bullet?

[nwilliams]

This is an Israeli .308 cartridge with a wood bullet I found in my odds n' ends ammo crate. I remember someone gave it to me but never explained the purpose of it, or if they did I forgot.

Does anyone know what these were used for? I couldn't find out much about it on the internet but then again I didn't look very hard, I figured I'd try here first.

 

[Regolith]

The only use for a wooden bullet I can think of is either practice or for crowd control, though I have no idea how lethal a wooden bullet would be.

 

[kingpin008]

Some countries use those (and the rubber type) for crowd control. My grandpa once gave me a pair of HUGE bullets from Ireland - one was solid black rubber, one was wooden, like that. Both had been picked up off the street after a riot in the town he was living in at the time.

 

[Thain]

Vampires, mate.

 

[fixyurgun]

grenade launching round

Read sowhere(can't reacall where) that some grenade launchers used wooden bullets. But, I've been wrong before

 

[jkingrph]

I think the Swedes used them as "blanks" They had a device to attach to the end of the barrel to shred the wooden bullets.

 

[Hoppy590]

I think the Swedes used them as "blanks" They had a device to attach to the end of the barrel to shred the wooden bullets.

yes. also some are made with hollow soft wood bullets, so the wood works asa gas plug to cycle semi autos, but upon exit of the barrel. the pressure inside the hollow bullet causes it to explode.

 

[MD_Willington]

IIRC the mk7 ammo for the SMLE has a wooden tip under the metal jacket, when it hits something it will deform, I've used ammo like that in a SMLE... I've also seen ammo like that recovered, he bullet is almost bent into a "J"...

 

[SG Merc]

I remember reading that Germany used wooden bullets in WWII. From my understanding they would create quite a devastating wound (take my failing memory with a grain of salt though ...)

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

SG Merc
I remember reading that Germany used wooden bullets in WWII. From my understanding they would create quite a devastating wound


It seems that I have read that as well although I do not remember where, I also believe that the Japanese used them as well. I would think that having a wooden bullet in you that splintered up would be devastating.

 

[ChuckNorris]

i agree with Thain there for Vampires

 

[Ron James]

?????? They are short range training rounds, Every one knew that didn't they In fact they are still being advertised for sale.

 

[coolhand567]

I don't know what they were used for, but I have a couple in .30-06 that were handed down to me from my wife's grandfather along with his 1903 springfield (WW1).

 

[daniel (australia)]

IIRC the mk7 ammo for the SMLE has a wooden tip under the metal jacket, when it hits something it will deform, I've used ammo like that in a SMLE... I've also seen ammo like that recovered, he bullet is almost bent into a "J"...

The lightweight filler in the nose of a MkVII bullet - which can be wood pulp, bakelite or aluminium - is there to move the centre of mass further to the rear and thereby promote tumbling on impact with flesh for greater wounding effect. This was the British response to the 1899 Hague convention, which had outlawed the hollow point Mks III, IV and V rounds and the soft-nose rounds developed at Dum Dum arsenal in India, all 1890s answers to the marked lessening of knock-down power when the early jacketed round-nose .303 replaced the soft lead .577/.450.

BTW the bending of the bullet occurs as a result of the loads on the bullet as it tumbles in the target.

 

[daniel (australia)]

I remember reading that Germany used wooden bullets in WWII. From my understanding they would create quite a devastating wound


It seems that I have read that as well although I do not remember where, I also believe that the Japanese used them as well. I would think that having a wooden bullet in you that splintered up would be devastating.

I think this has been debunked fairly comprehensively. Both Germany and Japan had wooden bullet blank ammunition and also used wooden bullet ammunition to discharge rifle grenades. The idea in both cases was that the wooden bullet is fragile, and flies to pieces as it leaves the muzzle. Other than at contact or near contact distance perhaps it would not be effective in killing or even wounding a man.

Wooden bullet blank ammunition has been around since the 19th century. I have a wooden bullet blank for the 8x60 Rimmed Kropatschek which is from that early period.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I have an adapter for my BAR that uses these. Shreds the wood for use as a blank. I had one box of the things back in the 80s when I first got the rifle. Have never seen any since.

 

[.cheese.]

I think the Swedes used them as "blanks" They had a device to attach to the end of the barrel to shred the wooden bullets.

well... I don't know about the Swedes, you're probably right.... but yeah, I've heard of this concept before

doesn't seem the best solution, but I guess it works.

 

[Gifted]

Daniel got what I've heard. We've got several threads on here about this.

One thing mentioned was the Germans replacing some rounds in MG belts with wooden bullets, to help save the metal for the bullets. Not sure how practical that would be.

 

[mesomorphcujo]

Yep! Vampires.

 

[ok41]

paper to wood

My collection includes two boxes marked "U.S. Army .30 Government Training'
chambered for the 30-40 krag. Both boxes are Krag rounds with formed PAPER bullets! Kinda unusual. I guess the progression was to wooden projectiles for uniformity and more "ouch".?

 

[Ron James]

Folks, wood bullets ( not wood tipped, or part wood) are training rounds. They can not inflict devastating wounds or wounds of any type unless your hand is over the muzzle. if they exit the barrel at all they only travel a very short distance. They are not nor ever been combat rounds. FWIW Wood bullets will not operate any type of automatic weapon system. If used in something like a Garand, the bolt has to be manually operated . Not enough "weight or mass, remember Newton" . Sportsman Guide recently had some 9MM wood practice rounds. They will function through a 9MM auto but will not operate the slide.

 

[Mannlicher]

These DAG, West German, plastic bullets were used as practice rounds. The case and bullet are blue plastic, the end of the case is metal, and holds a primer.
They are not very loud, and have almost zero recoil. I find them fairly accurate out to about 25 yards.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

My father and his brother fought in WWII in the Pacific.
My father told me that Japanese wooden bullets were
blanks for grenade launching. When the Japanese ran
low on supplies, or were cut off, and were down to next
to nothing, they would stage a suicidial Banzai charge,
and would use the wooden bullet blanks (all they had
left) at bayonet fighting range.

 

[shadowalker]

I remember reading that Germany used wooden bullets in WWII. From my understanding they would create quite a devastating wound

My grandfather was wounded by a German wooden bullet near the end of WWII, others have reported wooden German ammunition as well. I'd imagine it would depend on the type of wood, and velocity on whether or not it would be effective on people.

In his case the reason he lived was a German woman yelled at him so he turned and was hit in the shoulder.

 

[vynx]

I think Sportsmans Guide still sells the wood ammo from time to time.

I'm waiting for the ceramic ammo to go with my ceramic glock.