Regarding the fact that the medical evidence clearly indicates JFK’s head was hit by frangible ammo, not by fully metal-jacketed (FMJ) ammo, below are some statements I recently gathered on the behavior of FMJ bullets from various firearms/ballistics/medical journals.
The ammo that hit JFK's head left dozens of fragments in his skull, a veritable "snowstorm" of fragments, which is very typical for frangible ammo but not for FMJ ammo. The lone-gunman theory claims that JFK was hit in the back of the head by one FMJ bullet, whereas most conspiracy theorists believe that at least two bullets hit JFK in the head, that at least one of them was a frangible bullet, and that one of them was fired from the front.
Please note that all of these sources are talking about tests or cases where FMJ bullets were fired at a single target and penetrated one or two layers of bone (mostly skull bone or simulated skull bone), one or two layers of skin, and one layer of tissue. I am noting this so that WC apologists do not say, “These articles prove that the SBT is possible!” No, none of the bullets discussed below passed through five layers of skin, three layers of tissue, tore up 4 inches of rib bone, and shattered the radius bone, one of the hardest bones in the body.
Since some of the URLs are very long, I have put all the links to the quotes on a separate page, and a link to this page is given after each quote.
This comes from “Contact Wounds” from GUWS Medical. The article notes that the presence of small fragments along the wound track “virtually rules out” FMJ ammo, and that in “rare” cases, an FMJ bullet will leave “a few” dust-like fragments if it perforates bone—“a few,” not 40-plus. The article further notes that if x-rays show a “snowstorm” of fragments in the head, this “rules out” FMJ ammo:
This comes from “Gunshot Injuries: What Does a Radiologist Need to Know?” The author notes that FMJ bullets typically do not leave a trail of fragments along their path but that hollow-point and semi-jacketed bullets do leave a fragment trail:
This comes from “Ballistic Impacts on an Anatomically Correct Synthetic Skull with a Surrogate Skin/Soft Tissue Layer,” a study done in England. The authors observe that five of the six FMJ bullets fired into simulated human skulls did not fragment but emerged intact:
This comes from “Wound Ballistics of Injuries Caused by Handguns With Different Types of Projectiles.” Partially metal-jacketed bullets and hollow-point bullets fired into pig skulls left numerous fragments along the wound track, but none of the FMJ bullets left any fragments that could be seen on the x-rays:
This comes from “Gunshot Wounds” from Pathology Outline. The author notes that FMJ bullets tend to transit a body without being deformed, and that when x-rays reveal a “lead snowstorm,” this indicates the bullet was a semi-jacketed (partially jacketed) bullet:
This comes from “Radiographic Examination of Jacketed and Non Jacketed Bullet Fragment Patterns.” The author notes that the pig skulls hit with FMJ bullets (labeled Pattern C) “contained no radiographic evidence of fragments in the tissue or bone,” whereas the skulls hit by hollow-point bullets (Pattern D) “contained some fragments of lead”:
For more evidence that JFK’s head was hit by frangible ammo, please see my article “Forensic Science and President Kennedy’s Head Wounds”:
https://miketgriffith.com/files/forensic.htm
Fine. Except no one is talking about Western Cartridge Company Mannlicher-Carcano bullets. The WCC/MC bullets. The reason is because these bullets do fragment upon striking bone at high velocity, like around 1900 feet per second.
Let’s look at these articles:
“Contact Wounds” from GUWS Medical
; Mentions rifles firing FMJ bullets, but not a WCC/MC bullet.
https://www.guwsmedical.info/contact-wounds/info-sxi.html; Mentions rifles firing FMJ bullets, but not a WCC/MC bullet.
“Gunshot Injuries: What Does a Radiologist Need to Know?”
Real heading: Ballistic impacts on an anatomically correct synthetic skull with a surrogate skin/soft tissue layer
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-017-1737-9; 7.62 x 39 mm full metal jacket bullet, but not a WCC/MC bullet.
“Gunshot Wounds” from Pathology Outline.
From Ohio State:
http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/forensicsgunshotwounds.html?mobile=off; Not talking about a WCC/MC bullet.
“Radiographic Examination of Jacketed and Non Jacketed Bullet Fragment Patterns.”
http://faculty.mnsu.edu/jamesbailey/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2014/05/Radiographic-Examination-of-Jacketed-and-Non-Jacked-Bullet-Fragment-Patterns.pdf; Not talking about a WCC/MC bullet.
This comes from “Wound Ballistics of Injuries Caused by Handguns With Different Types of Projectiles.” Partially metal-jacketed bullets and hollow-point bullets fired into pig skulls left numerous fragments along the wound track, but none of the FMJ bullets left any fragments that could be seen on the x-rays:
; Not talking about a WCC/MC bullet. Not even talking about rifle bullets but the generally much slower handgun bullets.
These articles are not talking about WCC/MC bullets, but Full Metal Jacket bullets in general. Which differ from each other. And even so, are full of qualifiers.
“typically do not leave a trail of fragments”
“five of the six FMJ bullets”
Etc.
Lots of stuff on how many types of FMJ bullet generally do not fragment. Nothing about WCC/MC bullets do not fragment.
But we have a whole book on WCC/MC bullets. Larry Sturdivan’s “The JFK Myths”. On page 118, in Table II. It shows that a WCC/MC will start to deform at velocities at or above 1700 feet per second. Larry Sturdivan explains that if a WCC/MC deforms long enough, it will fragment.
On page 122, Figure 20, we have a picture of a WCC/MC bullet fragment from a bullet fired into a skull. It is labeled “Skull Shot # 8170”. This test was conducted by the Biophysics Division. “Skull Shot # 8170” looks at least as damaged as either CE 569 or CE 567, the fragments recovered from the limousine.
Where is the Pro CT equivalent? An article showing a WCC/MC bullet, fired into a skull, at high speed, and recovered intact with little damage, or at least not fragmented? There is none. Because clearly WCC/MC can and do fragment, and leave a trial of fragments behind them, when they strike a skull at high speed. Regardless of what other types of FMJ bullets, fired from rifles or handguns, may do.
It occurs to me that I should clarify what I have been calling for. A true ballistic expert who supports the CT position. But not when talking about other FMJ bullets, or FMJ bullet fired from handguns. But WCC/MC bullets. It’s got to be a true ballistic expert. And he or she has to be talking about WCC/MC bullets, not other types of bullets, not even other types of FMJ bullets.