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A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. The term is from Middle French, originating as the diminutive of the word boulle , which means "small ball". Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and constructions , including specialized functions such as hunting, target shooting, training and combat. Bullets are often tapered, making them more aerodynamic. Bullet sizes are expressed by their weights and diameters in both imperial and metric measurement systems. For example: 55 grain.223 caliber bullets are of the same weight and caliber as 3.56 gram 5.56mm caliber bullets. Bullets do not normally contain explosives , but strike or damage the intended target by transferring kinetic energy upon impact and penetration.
Bullets are available singly , but are more often packaged with propellant as cartridges. Bullets are components of paper cartridges, or in the form of metallic cartridges. Although the word bullet is often used in colloquial language to refer to a cartridge round, a bullet is not a cartridge but rather a component of one. A cartridge is a combination package of the bullet , the case , the propellant and the primer. This use of the term bullet often leads to confusion when a cartridge, and all its components, are specifically referred to. The cartridges, in turn, may be held in a magazine or a belt.
The bullets used in many cartridges are fired at muzzle velocities faster than the speed of sound—about 343 metres per second in dry air at 20 °C —and thus can travel a substantial distance to a target before a nearby observer hears the sound of the shot. The sound of gunfire is often accompanied with a loud bullwhip-like crack as the supersonic bullet pierces through the air creating a sonic boom. Bullet speeds at various stages of flight depend on intrinsic factors such as sectional density, aerodynamic profile and ballistic coefficient, and extrinsic factors such as barometric pressure, humidity, air temperature and wind speed. Subsonic cartridges fire bullets slower than the speed of sound, so there are no sonic booms. This means that a subsonic cartridge, such as.45 ACP, can be substantially quieter than a supersonic cartridge, such as the.223 Remington, even without the use of a suppressor.
Bullets shot by firearms can be used for target practice or to injure or kill animals, or people. Death can be by blood loss or damage to vital organs, or even asphyxiation if blood enters the lungs. Bullets are not the only projectiles shot from firearm-like equipment: BBs are shot from BB guns, airsoft pellets are shot by airsoft guns, paintballs are shot by paintball markers, and small rocks can be hurtled from slingshots. There are also flare guns, potato guns , rubber bullets, tasers, bean bag rounds, grenade launchers, flash bangs, tear gas, RPGs, and missile launchers.