Attempts to eliminate lead ammunition use for hunting through regulatory approaches can be controversial and contentious, despite extensive scientific evidence of the detrimental effect of lead on wildlife species. In the United States, voluntary approaches to non-lead use that have used outreach and education in place of regulatory approaches have achieved sustained behavioral change in hunter ammunition choice. However, voluntary approaches to alternative ammunition use can be confronted with both practical and social barriers. In collaboration with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Units Program, this study assessed the practical and social barriers associated with a voluntary approach to transitioning to non-lead ammunition for hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on targeted National Wildlife Refuges in the Northeast United States. This thesis is presented in two sections. Section one examines the continued use of lead ammunition in the context of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (the Model). The Model presents a unique approach to wildlife conservation grounded in the sustainable use of wildlife resources maintained in a public trust. In accordance with the Model, wildlife resources in the trust are managed by the government at a population level to maintain trust resources in perpetuity for the benefit of current and future generations of the American public. Continued lead ammunition use for hunting that facilitates pathways to exposure for non-target species presents a unique challenge to a core principle of the Model – known as legitimate purpose -- and questions whether lead ammunition use can align with the Model even in the absence of population level impacts. In addition, chapter one explores whether continued lead ammunition use can be considered ethical hunting behavior under the current definition of a “clean kill”. Chapter two presents the results of a both a quantitative mail-back survey and qualitative focus group discussions conducted at three refuges in the Northeast Region: Rachel Carson in Maine, Edwin B. Forsythe in New Jersey and Rappahannock River Valley in Virginia. The mail-back survey assessed how current lead users view the practical barriers associated with the voluntary use of non-lead ammunition for the purpose of harvesting white-tailed deer and what factors would influence hunters to switch. Focus group discussions assessed hunter understanding of the mechanism of exposure for non-target species and how hunters contextualize the continued use of lead ammunition for the purpose of harvesting white-tailed deer.

Forensic ballistics Abstract This thesis deals with one of the disciplines falling under forensic science, forensic ballistics. Forensic ballistics is a forensic field focused on firearms, ammunition and other objects used in shooting incidents associated with committing a crime. The aim of this thesis is to provide a basic explanation of the term forensic ballistics, ballistics evidence and briefly describe the most important methods of ballistics examination. At the end is also mentioned the legislation of firearms and ammunition. The diploma is divided into five chapters. First chapter is focused on the history of forensic ballistics, one part of this chapter describes the history on the territory of the Czech Republic, the other part deals with worldwide history. This section is complemented by several case that have become significant milestones for forensic ballistics, such as the case of Charles Stielow from the US state of New York. The following chapter provides a definition of forensic ballistics, its purpose and divides ballistics into several parts. Forensic ballistics is composed of four basic areas internal, intermediate, external and terminal ballistics and two others dealing with phenomena occur before and after the actual shot prenatal and postterminal ballistics. In the other part of the...

A projectile which missed its target and falls into the bullet trap at the end of the shooting range might not be viewed as dangerous. Yet, hazardous fumes and fine metal fragments from the bullet might contaminate the users of the shooting range. The aim of this study was to investigate if there were elevated concentrations of lead and other metals in dust found at indoor shooting ranges in relation to common household dust. My hypothesis stated that, at least lead concentrations were elevated in the dust from indoor shooting ranges, given the common use of lead in ammunition. Results from the collected dust samples proved that shooting ranges had an approximately 330 times higher mean concentration (20 354 mg/kg) compared to the reference sites (62 mg/kg). Except for iron, shooting ranges had higher concentrations for all investigated metals (lead, iron, zinc and copper). The concentrations of lead, iron, zinc, and copper at the shooting ranges likely originated from the use of different types of ammunition, and their various ways to disintegrate. Previous studies have proved a relationship between elevated lead levels in blood and lower IQ, and with the fact that shooting ranges had elevated lead concentrations it seems of high relevance to continue monitoring how lead accumulates in indoor dust in order to avoid potential effects on the human health.

<p>Denna undersökning påvisar möjligheten att gradera verkan med stridsvagn 122 vid en insats i Sveriges insatsområde i Afghanistan. Hotbilden som råder gör att personalen måste ha ett gott skydd och möjlighet till verkan vilket stridsvagnen erbjuder. Tyngdpunkten i undersökningen ligger på modern 120 mm ammunition där Försvarsmaktens övningsammunition kan användas för att minska effekten i målet och på så sätt gradera verkan. På marknaden finns det ammunition som skulle komplettera redan befintlig ammunitionsportfölj framförallt på korta avstånd och då även med möjligheten att skjuta varningseld. Sekundärbeväpning (kulsprutor) på vagnen kan även den användas för att gradera verkan. Vidare finns det möjlighet att med rökkastarna verka med icke dödliga medel som tårgas och chockgranater då eskaleringen i en situation är låg. De olika vapensystem som undersökningen tar upp har värderats och placerats in i en eskaleringsmodell där lägsta nivån är att visa närvaro och högsta är verkanseld med flertalet vagnar.</p> / <p>The study indicates the possibility of obtaining scalable effects with Leopard 2A5 (S) in a mission in Sweden’s area of responsibility in Afghanistan. The threat that exists against the soldiers makes the ability to have good protection and possibility to obtain effect, which the Leopard 2A5 (S) offers, amust. The main part of the study stresses on modern 120 mm munitions in which the Swedish Armed Forces’ training munitions can be used to reduce the effect in a target and thus makes it a scalable effect. In the market there are munitions that would complement the existing portfolio of munitions, particularly at short distances, and with the ability to shoot warning shots. Secondary Armament (machine guns) on the tank can also be used to obtain a scalable effect. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to use the smoke launchers with non lethal means such as teargas and stun grenades when the level of escalation in a situation is low. The different weapon systems that is discussed in the study has been valued and placed into aescalation model where the lowest level is to show presence and the highest is fire for effect withmultiple tanks.</p>

Denna undersökning påvisar möjligheten att gradera verkan med stridsvagn 122 vid en insats i Sveriges insatsområde i Afghanistan. Hotbilden som råder gör att personalen måste ha ett gott skydd och möjlighet till verkan vilket stridsvagnen erbjuder. Tyngdpunkten i undersökningen ligger på modern 120 mm ammunition där Försvarsmaktens övningsammunition kan användas för att minska effekten i målet och på så sätt gradera verkan. På marknaden finns det ammunition som skulle komplettera redan befintlig ammunitionsportfölj framförallt på korta avstånd och då även med möjligheten att skjuta varningseld. Sekundärbeväpning (kulsprutor) på vagnen kan även den användas för att gradera verkan. Vidare finns det möjlighet att med rökkastarna verka med icke dödliga medel som tårgas och chockgranater då eskaleringen i en situation är låg. De olika vapensystem som undersökningen tar upp har värderats och placerats in i en eskaleringsmodell där lägsta nivån är att visa närvaro och högsta är verkanseld med flertalet vagnar. / The study indicates the possibility of obtaining scalable effects with Leopard 2A5 (S) in a mission in Sweden’s area of responsibility in Afghanistan. The threat that exists against the soldiers makes the ability to have good protection and possibility to obtain effect, which the Leopard 2A5 (S) offers, amust. The main part of the study stresses on modern 120 mm munitions in which the Swedish Armed Forces’ training munitions can be used to reduce the effect in a target and thus makes it a scalable effect. In the market there are munitions that would complement the existing portfolio of munitions, particularly at short distances, and with the ability to shoot warning shots. Secondary Armament (machine guns) on the tank can also be used to obtain a scalable effect. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to use the smoke launchers with non lethal means such as teargas and stun grenades when the level of escalation in a situation is low. The different weapon systems that is discussed in the study has been valued and placed into aescalation model where the lowest level is to show presence and the highest is fire for effect withmultiple tanks.

Thesis. 1978. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil Engineering. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 97-100. / M.S.

- 1 - 9. Abstract Forensic ballistics The goal of this thesis is to initiate readers into the branch of criminalistic or forensic ballistics and to its basic terminology. It is not possible to compile this theme at full length, there is no sufficient space for it, therefore I offer professional minimum of criminalistic ballistics. The fundamental purpose of my thesis is to afford the complex view of problems of modern forensic ballistics. The thesis is composed of introduction, six chapters, conclusion and supplements. Introduction defines short acquaintance with theme and with reasons why I decided on the subject of criminalistic ballistics. The following chapter "Historic development of fire arms" features history of weapons or fire arms. The subchapter "Historical development of forensic ballistics" includes the development of the branch abroad and in the territory of late Czechoslovakia too, including the well-known case of manslaughter of countess Windischgrätz. The chapter "Conception of forensic ballistics and its signification" illustrates basic division of criminalistic ballistics, then illustrates objects of investigation and occurrence of ballistics clues. The chapter named "Categories of object in ballistics investigation" is divided into three subchapters and readers can learn basic dividing of...

In seeking to develop environmentally friendly lead-free non-toxic bullets, the research ballistically evaluated the performance of copper-jacketed handgun bullets containing a pure bismuth core. The lead was first removed from 140 grain HornadyTM XTP® bullets of 38 caliber (.357 diameter) by melting. The empty jackets were then refilled with pure bismuth, including the forming of a correctly sized hollow-point cavity. Due to the lower density of bismuth as compared to lead, the bismuth-cored bullets consistently weighed 125 gains. Conveniently this allowed direct comparison to commercially available 125 grain HornadyTM XTP® lead-cored bullets of 38 caliber. Both bismuth-cored and lead-cored versions of the 125 grain bullets had identical nose dimensions and jacket material, the only dimensional difference being the bullet length below the cannelure. Shooting took place at an outdoor range using a 357 Magnum RugerTM SP101® revolver with 3" barrel as the test weapon. FBI protocols were followed when firing through clothing, wallboard, plywood, steel plates and laminated glass. Wound paths and bullets were captured in ballistic gelatin, with data collected for velocity, penetration, expansion, and weight retention. Bismuth compared favorably with lead in all but the laminated glass test, where it under penetrated due to jacket separation.

Ammunition Transfer System (ATS) is the electro-mechanical system of the Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (ARV) which will be used to meet T-155 mm Firtina howitzers&rsquo / ammunition demand for tactical requirements of higher firing rate by off-road mobility and survivability. The transfer of ammunitions from ARV to Firtina is to be optimized for an effective improvement of firing rate. In this thesis the transferring order of carried ammunitions is being optimized to minimize the total ammunition transferring time. This transfer problem is modeled as a modification of Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). The given locations of the ammunitions are treated as cities to be visited and the gripper of ATS is treated as the traveling salesman. By GAMS / the small-size problems are solved optimally but large-size ones get only local optimum. A heuristic algorithm that contains nearest neighbor heuristics as construction method and 2-opt exchange heuristic as improvement method is developed to obtain same or better solutions obtained by GAMS with less computational time.

The paper examines lead isotope and trace element analysis in the context of a battlefield and their role in determining the course of the battle and categorizing the bullets within and to each participating side. It uses a theoretical framework with papers from both the archaeological and the forensic field. It concludes that trace element analysis has its criticism, especially from the forensic field, but can act as a complement to lead isotope analysis as it can give different answers from other parts of the bullet’s life cycle and should have a place in archaeology. The focus is on lead isotopes but concludes ICP-MS as a tool for examining bullets and other ammunition from archaeological battlefields is preferable. This is because of ICP-MS’s capability to analyse both lead isotope and trace elements. The paper also studies the ethical problems of using these methods and the answers they may give as a vessel for a discussion about what actions we are measuring with these methods.