5 Types of Bullets You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of

Hollow points and armor-piercing rounds are types of bullets you’ve probably heard about — But, why were these invented?

The answer, as the saying goes, is because of necessity.

Faced with a tough enemy wearing Kevlar? Design a bullet that can pierce through that armor. Are you a police officer who is worried that the bullet will pass through an attacker and injure a civilian? Use hollow points that mushroom out and simply stop when they hit the target.

Most modern-day ammunition makes perfect sense for the situation that calls for them. But there are also bullets that make you wonder, “what were they thinking?”

Let’s take a look at five of the weirdest ammunition in the history of firearms.

1. Wax Bullets

The Olympics has had its history of weird sport events. There was one side event that they tried in 1908 that thankfully didn’t become a major sport.

That event was dueling, with real pistols!

Duelists wear heavy canvas clothes and wire-mesh masks similar to what fencers use. To simulate the conditions of a duel, the combatants would use real dueling guns and gunpowder. But to avoid fatalities and serious injuries, the bullets were made of wax.

Injuries were common, as you would expect, even with the “safety features.”

2. Square Bullets

You wouldn’t find the dimensions of these bullets in The Handgun Caliber Comparison Chart and Guide. The gun for these bullets, the Puckle gun, was never used in any combat operation or war.

Curious about the square shape? Mr. James Puckle actually intended to use two types of ammunition depending on the religious affiliation of the enemy. As he was pitching the idea to the patent office, he said that conventional round bullets will be used for Christian enemies.

But when up against Muslim Turks, the square bullets will cause more damage and would “convince the Turks of the benefits of Christian civilization.” However, the square configuration makes the bullet aerodynamically unstable. Having terrible accuracy, the gun never saw mass production.

3. The Most Offensive of the Weird Types of Bullets: The Jihawg

If you thought that the square bullets for use against Muslims were reprehensible, then you’ll be shocked and disgusted by the Jihawg.

A portmanteau of “Jihad” and “hog”, jihawg bullets are coated with paint infused with pork. During the ammo’s release in 2013, the company’s intention was to “make it Haraam or unclean to a radical Jihadist.” They claimed that Muslims who got hit and killed by these bullets will face eternal damnation.

You can imagine the backlash and criticism the company got from much of the gun owning community.

4. Rock Salt

If you were fighting zombies, you’d probably want hollow points for stopping power. But ghosts aren’t affected by conventional bullets. What might work, though, are rock salt slugs.

Since we’re not in the world of Supernatural, what would rock salt shells be used for? Some shotgun owners use them as non-lethal ammunition. Salt fired from a shotgun will typically shatter upon contact. They’ll still hurt but should not break the skin unless fired from a very close distance.

5. Dragon’s Breath

If you love fireworks, you’ll appreciate the dragon’s breath rounds. Containing a magnesium-based incendiary compound, these shotgun shells produce a fountain of fire that can grow up to 100 feet.

They look absolutely gorgeous, especially at night. But these can also ignite flammable objects, such as dried leaves or curtains. Do not use indoors, unless you want to see your house go up in flames.

Bing, Bang, Boom

These are some of the wackiest types of bullets that have been invented. While some may have a method to their madness, the types of ammo on this list will make you question the sanity of the person who came up with them.

We have to accept that however crazy they are, these bullets are still part of our history. Just like these forgotten military facilities, which you can read about in this article.

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?