velex/velet exploding ammo??
not alot of info out there about these exploding rounds. some info is contradictary (made for soft tissue vs only explode on hard surfaces). they don't seem to be made anymore, I get no google hits for Velex Cartrige Company. some sources say theyre illegal. anybody know the truth?
I did find a review of a velet ammo test done for pathologists and it seems pretty good. I bet the lawyers would have a field day if someone used it for SD![:0][xx(]
here's the test;
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=65108
EDIT#1:
another company, (Cambridge??)made the rounds hinkley used. they were call "devastators" if i remember right. one of them, velet or devastator had a single steel shot in with the lead azide, just can't remember which. copper/lead/steel frangibles!! Like 20 year old Hydrashock with an extra "shock"![;)]
I did find a review of a velet ammo test done for pathologists and it seems pretty good. I bet the lawyers would have a field day if someone used it for SD![:0][xx(]
here's the test;
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=65108
EDIT#1:
another company, (Cambridge??)made the rounds hinkley used. they were call "devastators" if i remember right. one of them, velet or devastator had a single steel shot in with the lead azide, just can't remember which. copper/lead/steel frangibles!! Like 20 year old Hydrashock with an extra "shock"![;)]
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VELET CARTRIDGE COMPANY
Address: NORTH 6809 LINCOLN
City, ST Zip: SPOKANE,WA 99208
Whether they are around or not- who knows? As I understand it, these were intended to be sort of a "power assisted" hollowpoint. They contained just enough lead azide to open up the HP cavity. However, I do recall discussions that they were irregular in function- depending on what they hit, at what angle, etc. Vaugely recall something about Hinkley using exploding type ammo when he shot Pres. Reagan.0 -
I tested some of these rounds about 20 years ago for my department. They were inconsistent when it came to going off on targets. They worked on hard targets and generally failed on soft targets.
Upon close examination they looked like they were simply a hollow point opened up to accept a pistol primer.0 -
pretty much all they were just a primer in a hollow point needed a hard surface to go off 0 -
This type was used on President Reagan and Mr. Brady. I remember it well because I had seen the ads which guaranteed a fatality if hit in the chest cavity. President Reagan obviously was not a fatality (the explosive did not detonate), so the big question is...did Hinkley get a refund? Brady was hit in the brain (and the explosive worked) and it still did not result in a fatality, though that was not part of the guarantee. In all fairness, the one that hit the President hit his limousine first, but if it would not detonate when hitting metal, it obviously was not reliable. 0 -
A bullet driven at high velocity and of the correct construction is explosive. Now if a explosive result was desired at a slow velocity ie. a quiet round then some sort of explosive would be required inside the bullet. This would be quite expensive and difficult to achieve the desired result on various target and range. One such way to achieve this effect would be with a mercury filled bullet tip. Never having done this myself, for obvious reasons but I believe such a bullet was demonstrated and used in the movie "Day of the Jackal "? , title? the movie released in the early 70's ,anyone?.......just a second two black suburbans just pulled into my driveway. 0 -
Some of the old Lyman big bore moulds cast a hollow point large enough for a 22RF that supposedly worked. 0 -
There were explosive bullets for muzzle loading rifles during the Civil war- at least 2 type- one with a cap in the nose of the bullet (careful with the ramrod, boys!) and one with a fuse at base (ignited on firing) They were intended for use against equpment- sniping at the limber (powder storage) for an artillery field piece. I also have one round of a big bore sporting rifle round made with an exploder- from the nitro express days. Power to assist a BIG slow bullet in opening up, producing a larger wound channel. BTW, liquid mercury does not explode- concept was bullet would stop, mercury would continue forward, and burst open the bullet from kinetic energy. FULMINATE of mercury is quite another story! 0 -
interesting stuff. so, i'm guessing theyre legal to own and use? there aren't any restrictions here in kansas for them....... 0 -
Velet / Velex / Exammo cartridges and all other "exploding-bullet" containing cartridges are legal to own everywhere in the U.S. where any other pistol-caliber cartridge can be possessed except for the states of Florida, Hawaii, Iowa and Tennessee where exploding pistol projectiles are restricted. Each of those states laws is a little different, but if you go to their state .gov website, and search the codes & statutes, you'll find the info. Velet was originally started by a guy named Howard Angel in the early 80's, and after a few years he changed the company named to "Velex" for whatever reason. Later on his original business partner Greg Lloyd went on to start his own competing exploding bullet company called "Exammo" which went nowhere. Bingham also made exploding pistol bullets under the name "Exploder" and "Devastators", as did National Cartridge, Hi-Vel, Powerplus, and Firequest. The only ones still made today are the Elliminator-X aka "Devastators" marketed by Firequest, and sold through the likes of Hi-Vel, Hitechammotogo, and others. Those rds are just hollow points with some sort of "detano-exploder" compound which as far as I can tell is some sort of sulfur / tannerite mix which usually doesn't work. You can see an absurd video about Eliminator-X here: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXn7bulop5Y and here is a pic of some exploder ammo:
Some exploders in here:
None of these exploders ever worked very well.0 -
For what its worth, in his assassination attempt on President Reagan, Hinckley got off six shots with his crappy 2" barrel .22LR Rohm revolver.
According to reporting by the Washington Post, all six chambers were loaded with "Devastator" lead-azide-containing .22LR rounds; NONE of the rounds actually detonated: Not the ones that hit a DC cop on the scene, the one that bounced off the limo and hit Reagan, the USSS agent guarding him, nor the one that penetrated Brady's skull.
quote:The Exploding Bullets
Bullet That Hit President Identified as 'Devastator'
The Washington Post
By Pete Barley and Charles Babcock Washington Post Staff Writers
Date: Apr 4, 1981
The bullets that struck President Reagan and two of the three other persons wounded in Monday's assassination attempt were positively identified yesterday by the FBI as "Devastators" -- expensive, customized 22-caliber cartridges designed to explode upon impact with the force of slugs fired from much more powerful handguns. None of those bullets exploded, however.
Note that HAD the bullets actually exploded, the outcome of this shooting would likely have been totally different.
The bullet that hit Reagan richocheted first, and had it exploded on impact, Reagan probably would have escaped with a significantly lesser wound, or even been totally unharmed.
Likewise, had the bullet that hit Brady exploded on impact with his skull (instead of penetrating deeply into his brain), he paradoxically may have emerged with a more superficial (and less serious) injury.0
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