The Primary & Secondary Terminal Ballistics Knowledge Hub organizes articles, discussions, and expert profiles addressing how projectiles perform after striking a target. The collection emphasizes penetration, permanent and temporary cavities, expansion, fragmentation, intermediate barriers, calibrated testing, and the limits of informal demonstrations.
Wound Ballistics Fundamentals
Basic Wound Ballistic Terminal Performance Facts
A foundational reference explaining penetration, permanent and temporary cavities, yaw, fragmentation, bullet construction, and the mechanisms most relevant to projectile performance.
A Missing Terminal Ballistic Frame of Reference
An explanation of why penetration must be understood in relation to anatomy, shot placement, projectile expansion, velocity, and the depth required to reach critical structures.
Duty-Handgun and Defensive Ammunition
A Simple Explanation of Duty Pistol Caliber Terminal Ballistics
A concise guide to duty-pistol ammunition performance, the practical similarities among service calibers, and the importance of selecting ammunition that meets established performance requirements.
Understanding Why Birdshot Is Not for Defense
An applied discussion of birdshot, defensive shotgun use, and why visually dramatic shallow damage should not be confused with adequate penetration.
Long-Form Terminal Ballistics Discussions
P&S ModCast 125 — Terminal Ballistics
A detailed discussion with Dr. Gary Roberts covering wound ballistics, handgun and rifle ammunition, calibrated gelatin, intermediate barriers, projectile construction, suppressors, and common misconceptions.
P&S ModCast 438 — YouTube Ballistics: Misinformation or Ads
A discussion about evaluating online ballistic demonstrations, recognizing advertising presented as testing, and separating useful evidence from visually compelling but poorly controlled content.
Ballistics Experts in the Extended P&S Network
Dr. Gary K. Roberts — Wound and Terminal Ballistics Researcher
Professional profile of “DocGKR,” whose work and educational contributions have shaped many Primary & Secondary discussions of duty-ammunition selection and terminal performance.
J. Buford Boone III — FBI Ballistics Expert
Professional profile of the former head of the FBI Ballistic Research Facility and a central figure in standardized ammunition evaluation and forensic ballistics.
How to Use This Collection
Begin with the foundational wound-ballistics article and the missing-frame-of-reference discussion. Continue to the duty-pistol and birdshot articles for applied ammunition selection. The ModCasts provide deeper technical discussion and media-analysis context, while the expert profiles identify two of the people most closely associated with the professional body of knowledge represented here.