Wax bullets are made of paraffin wax, and are pressed into a primed cartridge case. Gun powder is not used; the primer provides all the power. .357 Magnum cartridges, containing bullets A bullet is a solid projectile propelled by a firearm and is normally made from metal (usually lead). ... Paraffin is a common name for a group of alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20, discovered by Carl Reichenbach. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ...

Inexpensive practice

Wax bullets may be manufactured quickly and easily by the user, and a number of companies sell commercially made wax bullets. Rubber or plastic bullets designed for short range target shooting with primed cases can also be purchased; these are generally reusable if a proper bullet trap is used, but are prone to ricochet. With wax bullets, a simple sheet of plywood is sufficient to stop the bullet--upon impact the wax deforms and sticks to the wood, where it can later be scraped off and reused. The cost per round of wax bullets is very low; primers can be purchased for under US$1 per 100 in case lots, and the wax can be reused. Reloading is very quick, and requires minimal equipment. A decapper tool to knock out the used primer is under US$5 and a priming tool costs as little as US$10. With these, loading 50 rounds of wax bullets will take under ten minutes. Wax bullets are normally used only in revolvers and single shot pistols for short range target practice. Magazine fed firearms can use wax bullets, but they may need to be fed individually. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Non-lethal round. ... Toy constructed from plywood. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ...

Safety issues

Wax bullets are not normally lethal, and will not penetrate walls so they are safe to use indoors or in situations where live ammunition is dangerous. This is not to say that they are entirely safe — velocities exceed those of paintballs, and serious damage could be done to sensitive areas like the face, so eye protection is still required. Fast draw and trick shooters use wax bullets for safety reasons, so that if they shoot themselves in the foot or leg when drawing from their holsters, they are not seriously injured. The World Fast Draw Association uses wax bullets in many of their competitions, along with special "balloon popping" blanks that fire coarsely ground gunpowder. A tournament player shooting from behind an inflatable bunker. ... Fast Draw is a sport based on the romanticized art of the gunslingers in the American Old West, using traditional single action revolvers. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ...

Wax bullets for training

US Marines use Simunitions during urban warfare training.

Simunitions, short for "simulated munitions", are special cartridges that fire colored wax projectiles which are used to mark targets much like paintballs. Simunitions are designed to cycle the actions in specially modified semiautomatic rifles and handguns. The wax projectiles are more durable and accurate than paintballs, and it is safe to be shot by them when wearing protective clothing. Simunitions are used by police and military forces for realistic training. Unlike normal wax bullets, simunitions are not an inexpensive substitute for live ammunition — costs for simunitions cartridges are as much as three times the cost of live ammunition. Simunitions do, however, provide the most realistic training available. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1260x840, 910 KB) Lance Cpl. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1260x840, 910 KB) Lance Cpl. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... Simunition is a trademark for training ammunition produced by SNC Technologies Inc. ... Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from the late 1990s A semi-automatic firearm is a gun that requires only a trigger pull for each round that is fired, unlike a single-action revolver, a pump-action firearm, a bolt-action firearm, or a lever-action firearm, which require the shooter... A rifle is a firearm with a stock and a barrel that has a spiral groove or grooves (rifling) cut into its interior. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ...

External links

• Rec.guns FAQ entry on wax bullets, with added commentary.
• World Fast Draw Association home page