The Soldier at the Western Front – The Use of Dum-Dum-Projectiles
Source 6: Different kinds of ammunition in: Max Schwarte: Die Technik im Weltkriege (trans.: Technology in the World War)
Numerous writers processed the experience of the German defeat in the war through detailed comparisons of the used military technologies and tried to show that the German weapons have been of at least the same quality as the ones used by the other side. In the book “Die Technik im Weltkriege” (trans.: Technology in the World War) by Schwarte the different types of ammunition are compared as well – the most important detail was the speed of the projectile. The Dum Dum Bullets can only be found here as an allocation to the enemy.
“Germany had with its pointed projectile that had a muzzle velocity of circa 900 m/sec a quite fast projectile on close distances, which accuracy wasn’t easy to match.France had with its ‘balle D’, that had a muzzle velocity of circa 740 m/sec, a pointed projectile with an tapered end made of copper, during the war tombac (red brass), an inferior projectile on close distances compared to the S-projectile, on long distances superior projectile by far […]
England shot its projectile Mark VII, which had as is known an impact of a Dum Dum Bullet, with a muzzle velocity of 745 m/sec, its core is made of two separate parts. The top is platted with an alloy made from nickel and cooper and filled with aluminum that had been substituted with paper during the war the back was filled with lead. This light top made the projectile slightly more precise on close distances.
The United States also used a pointed bullet with a quite huge load of 3,5g and a muzzle velocity of 825 m/sec, like Russia with circa 900 m/sec and Japan.
All these pointed projectiles only differed gradually in their performance compared with the German S-projectile, while the performance of the Austrian with 620 m/sec and the Italian with 710 m/s and ogival top was much worse concerning their ballistic properties.” Max Schwarte: Infanterie-Fernkampfwaffen, in: idem: Die Technik im Weltkriege (trans.: Infantry Distande Range Weapons, in: The Technology in the World War), Berlin 1920, p. 34
