This video shows the effect on a ballistic gel block of a Victorian-era Martini-Henry rifle.

The study of terminal ballistics looks at the relative performance of different types of weapon and ammunition against different targets. A mixture of 10% ordnance gelatine and 90% water is the standard for scientific testing as it is closest to the consistency of human muscle tissue. This is chilled into a firm jelly-like block so that consistent measurements can be taken of the 'wound track'. A newer alternative is 'Permagel', a reusable gel mixture that sets into a more transparent clear block. There are three main considerations:

1. Permanent cavity -- this is the classical 'gunshot wound', a simple track or cavity formed by the crushing passage of the bullet. It's also an opportunity to recover the bullet to determine the extent to which it's deformed and/or fragmented, which will tend to increase the size of the track and the severity of a real wound.

2. Temporary cavity -- this is the stretching effect seen in the clips. You can see how the cavity collapses back down behind the bullet. Whether this cavity contributes to the severity of a wound depends upon the bullet's velocity, and where it strikes. Pistol ammunition (also used in sub-machine guns) is not capable of generating a significant temporary cavity.

3. Penetration -- law enforcement in particular require a minimum penetration depth to ensure that their targets are incapacitated. The American FBI specify 12 inches (30cm) of penetration to account for different angles, though more than this is considered dangerous as the bullet might, for example, continue on its path and harm a bystander. The blocks used in our clips are 40x32cm in size.

The famous Martini-Henry, as featured in 'Zulu' (1964), fires a round derived from the 1860s-vintage Snider .577 cartridge, 'necked down' to take a smaller but longer .45 calibre bullet. The Martini was a single-shot, lever actuated rifle with a tilting breech block, capable of rapid fire when compared to earlier British weapons, but nothing like the speed of the bolt-action magazine rifles that were just around the corner.

The clip shows that the Martini's bullet, although massive, does not produce much greater effect than a modern large-calibre pistol cartridge. It is not travelling fast enough to create a temporary cavity, and relies upon a large permanant cavity to incapacitate its target. The lead used in the bullet is harder than previous British military bullets, making it less likely to expand and cause a more severe wound, and unlike modern pointed bullets, it is not prone to tumbling early in the wound track.

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