Testing

Latest Testing Results, September 13, 2004

California Department of Justice, Firearms Division

Ballistic Test, Serialized Ammunition
Caliber	Load	Bullets Fired	Distance	Substance	Thickness	Recovered	Readable
No Jacket 45 APC	250 LRN 5.5 GR	25	10 Yards	Gel	18"	25	25
Jacket 40 S&W	180 GR 5.0 GR	25	10 Yards	Gel	18"	25	25
45 APC Jacket	185 JHP 6.9 GR	30	10 Yards	1/2 plywood R-13 insulation 1/2 sheetrock wall	4 1/2"	29	29
45 APC No Jacket	250 LRN 5.5 GR	30	10 Yards	1/2 plywood R-13 insulation 1/2 sheetrock wall	4 1/2"	29	29
45 APC	185 JHP 6.9 GR	30	5 Yards	1" rubber	1"	28	28
38 Special	158 LRN 4.0 GR	30	10 Yards	GM car door	5"	22	21
9 mm	147 LRN 4.0 GR	30	10 Yards	GM car door	5"	23	23
TOTAL		200				181	180

Initial Testing Results, November 8, 2003

All testing of the Ammunition Coding System was performed by shooting the coded bullets into a four-foot long tube of chipped tires. The tube was created by taking two five gallon plastic buckets and filling each of them with chipped tires. The bottom of the first bucket was cut off and the bucket was placed inside the mouth of the second bucket.

First Test:

Test date: May 19, 2003
Caliber tested: .45 cal. with a copper base. The copper base was engraved with the code sequences.
Distance to target: five feet
Test 1A	10 shots into chipped tires
Test 1B	10 shots through 3/8-inch pressure treated plywood and then into the chipped tires
Test 1C	10 shots through a 7-inch cardboard box tightly stuffed with newspaper and then into the chipped tires
Test 1D	10 shots through 3/4-inch MDO plywood and then into the chipped tires
Test 1E	10 shots through 3/4-inch pine board and then into the chipped tires
All rounds were recovered and placed into individual bags and labeled according to test material. In 49 of the 50 shots, the code was easily readable. For one bullet in Test 1E the copper jacket separated from the lead. The copper jacket was not recovered.

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Second Test

Test date: November 7, 2003
Caliber tested: .45 cal. all lead, no jacket, with etching on the base of the lead projectile.
Distance to target: Five feet
Test 2A	25 rounds shot into bucket/chipped tire assembly. All rounds were recovered and the codes were readable in all cases.
Results/Conclusion: A total of 75 shots were fired and 74 codes were readable for a 98.7% success rate. We are confident that had the stripped off copper jacket been found in Test 1E, it would still carry the code.

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