Bullet Types: About Law Enforcement Ammo

There are lots of different types of bullets, some of which are designed for sporting applications, and others that are suitable as defensive or law enforcement ammo.  This short post will break down the basic details of the major different bullet types and what they’re used for.

What Types of Bullets Are There?

The most common types of bullets are, in no particular order…

Round nose bullets are just what they sound like - bullets with a round nose. If the bullet has a pointed nose (as is the case with a lot of rifle ammo) it is called a spitzer bullet. The sharper the nose, the higher the ballistic efficiency and the flatter the bullet will shoot and the more accurate it will be (all else being equal).

When used in law enforcement ammo (and in military applications) this type of bullet is sometimes referred to as “ball” ammo.

Full metal jacket, sometimes referred to as FMJ, is a type of bullet in which the lead core of the bullet is completely enclosed by a harder alloy, usually copper (except at the base).

FMJ ammo is highly reliable, stable and accurate, and minimizes lead exposure, which keeps the gun cleaner. It is designed for penetration and stability, so it is more effective for range training applications than for most duty uses.

A slightly more expensive type of bullet is total metal jacket or TMJ which has a completely enclosed lead bullet core, further reducing lead exposure. This makes TMJ slightly more suitable for indoor ranges.

One spin on FMJ is total synthetic jacket, or TSJ, in which case a polymer synthetic material encloses the bullet core. Because the polymer keeps the lead contained, TSJ ammo is ideal for indoor and outdoor ranges. Upon impact with a flat steel target, the TSJ will flatten and drop to the ground vs. fragmenting like FMJ/TMJ can. With no shrapnel flying, it is safer, easier to clean up, and releases less dust into the air. Total synthetic jackets also produce less lead vapor and fouling, making them safer for indoor shooting and also cleaner. These are used primarily for indoor range training (IRT) as they don’t have a practical use in the field.

Flat nose bullets have a flat, rather than a rounded nose, hence the name. They are generally more expensive than FMJ bullets and are designed to punch clean, round holes in paper targets, making accurate scoring easier. As a result they are mostly reserved for sporting, rather than duty use.

Frangible bullets are made from a sintered compound of metal. As a result, frangible bullets disintegrate into dust on contact with a target. This drastically reduces the risk of ricochet, which makes frangible bullets safer for indoor range training as well as for outdoor shooting at steel targets. Frangible bullets are usually substantially more expensive than other training bullets, but since they are safer the cost is warranted. However, though they are useful for training, they have no practical use for officers in the field.

The vast majority of bullet types used by law enforcement are either hollow point or soft point bullets (though there are exceptions). This is because hollow point bullets have a depression in the nose of the bullet that causes the bullet to expand rapidly (a process known as disruption) on contact with a soft, fluid-filled target.

Hollow point bullets produce wide wound channels, cavitation, and generate impressive stopping power, dumping all of their energy rapidly into the target. They are also designed not to overpenetrate, making them safer to use in crowded areas.

Soft point bullets (especially rifle ammo) are sometimes used in place of hollow points for duty use as they offer most of the advantages and are superior in some ways.

Like hollow points, soft point bullets are designed to rapidly expand on contact with a soft target. However, unlike hollow points, rather than having a depression in the nose, soft point bullets expose the lead core at the nose.

This gives them higher ballistic efficiency and makes them more accurate at intermediate ranges than hollow point ammunition.

Light-armor piercing ammo, like green tip 5.56, and armor piercing ammo, like black tip 5.56, are made with steel or tungsten penetrator inserts that shift the center of gravity, harden the tip of the bullet, or both.

As a result, these types of bullets are used effectively on vehicles as well as against body armor, against which conventional ball and hollow point law enforcement ammo would be ineffective.

Boat-tailed bullets are a class of rifle bullets that have a tapered base that looks sort of like the stern of a boat. The purpose of these types of bullets is to reduce drag, thereby increasing ballistic coefficient.

As a result, boat-tailed bullets shoot flatter and are more accurate at intermediate and especially extended ranges than other types of bullets.

Kiesler Police Supply: Your Source for Law Enforcement Ammo

While there are other niche types of ammunition used as law enforcement ammo (and which have sporting applications) this guide covers most of the main types. If you have more in depth-questions about the different types of bullets used in law enforcement ammo, get in touch with us and our representatives will help you out .