Shell Casing Not Likely Evidence in Shootings (7.62mm, not .233)

Washington Post ^ | October 19, 2002 | Carol Morello and Allan Lengel

[Demidog]

But what would be the advantage of that (aside from the higher velocity possible)?

Especially if you're only going to fire it at 50 - 100 yards from the target. Would make a louder report.

[El Gato]

The problem with saboting is that the rifling in a barrel is typically selected for a bullet of a specific weight to acheive maximum stability and accuracy. A .223 is typically rifled with one complete twist every 9 inches, called 1 X 9, while a .30 caliber barrel is typically rifled with a 1 X 12 twist rate.

Doesn't the velocity figure into that too? If the velocity were 1/3 faster with the sabot round, the bullet spin rate, in terms of revolutions per second, rather than revolutions per foot of forward motion, be the the same as the slower round fired from the 1 in 9 twist barrel.

[El Gato]

Note to anyone so tempted: if the recovered bullets have striations, best to find another theory.

True, but we don't know if they do or don't.

[El Gato]

A shooter will not be able to recover his sabot parts; the police certainly will.

That's kind of a strong statment. They aren't big, they are very light, and they'd look like anyother piece of plastic junk to the average police cadet, or most anyone else other than a real gun nut, such as ourselves. Even I would probably have to be clued to be looking for something like that before I'd notice it.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yes, velocity does. But there is a reason that the serious precision shooters don't use them; they are not as accurate as a full bore diameter bullet.

[Oberon]

You forgot to mention .30-40 Krag, .30-03, and .30-30.

That's okay... I did it for you. =]

Oh, and don't forget .300 Savage, .30 Remington, .30 Newton, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Holland & Holland Magnum, and .308 Norma Magnum.

Your turn... Take it, CPDIII!!!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I thought 7.62 = .308 and 5.56 = .223?

Me too...

[Travis McGee]

Good point. IF they knew to look, they'd probably find.

But I doubt VERY much they are getting anything matchable from a thin jscketed high vel HP.

[The Red Zone]

Well what took them so long to classify it.

[cyncooper]

The casing, found by a truck rental company and turned over to police on Friday, was for a 7.62 mm bullet, which is the equivalent of about .30 caliber, the sources said. In 12 shooting incidents attributed to the sniper in which nine people have been slain and two wounded since Oct. 2, authorities have said .223-caliber bullets have been used.

Whoops!

FBI stated today that the casing was a .223.

Looks like the media was wrong---again.

After conducting tests they have concluded the casing and truck are not tied to the sniper, however, the delay in giving an official report is very valid.