gundigest.com GunDigest the magazine AUGUST 2019 | 15
It’s easy to see the difference in terminal performance when testing in blocks of 10 percent
ordnance gelatin. The real question is how the differences translate to the bullet’s actual terminal
performance in a bad guy. All we can do is guess.Results such as this are what you want to see when you test your ammo in ordnance gelatin. Deep
penetration and full expansion are the goals.water. Measure out the water and gela-
tin. You’ll need a candy thermometer,
funnel, stirring spatula, mop bucket
and one to two 1-gallon pots in which
you can heat the water on the stove.
Heat the water to 140 degrees (F) and
add 1.7ml of foam eater and 0.5ml of
cinnamon oil. Foam eater cuts down
the foam while mixing, and the cin-
namon oil aids in the prevention of
bacteria and lessens the nasty smell.
With the help of a friend, pour the
water into a bucket while pouring the
gelatin in at the same time. Then, ag-
gressively stir the mixture for about 10
minutes or until the gelatin is dissolved.
Using a funnel, fi ll the half-gallon
container through the screw-off cap.
Screw on the cap and let the container
cool for four hours at room tempera-
ture. (Write the time and date on the
containers with a marker pen). After
cooling, place the container in the re-
frigerator for 24 hours. The tempera-
ture should be about 39 degrees (F).
The temptation will be to adjust
your percentages of the mix by the
size of blocks you wish to make.
You can concoct your own open-top
molds, but it is unnecessary for hand-
gun bullet testing. The problem with
this is that working with more than
a half-gallon becomes tedious in a
home kitchen, and the potential for a
divorce-causing mess exists! Spill this
stuff inside your refrigerator, and your
wife will say words she’s never said as
she throws things that should not be
thrown. Mix your gelatin—one at a
time—in an enclosed half-gallon card-
board container.
Calibrating the Blocks
The FBI requires that gelatin blocks
be calibrated. This is done by fi ring a
.177 steel BB at 590 fps +/-15 fps into
the gelatin. The BB should penetrate
2.95 to 3.74 inches. I used to do this,
but after never having a block fail the
test, I stopped.
Do you have to calibrate your
blocks by the FBI method? Only if
you are the FBI. Can blocks that have
not been calibrated yield inconsistent
results? Yep. Nevertheless, tests have
shown that slight variations in block
consistency only minimally impact
the results. Follow the preparation in-
structions, and your tests will provide
meaningful information.At the Range
The cardboard containers make trans-
porting gelatin to the range in a cooler
easy. When you set them out to shoot,
simply peel the cardboard off. Always
shoot into gelatin on a safe range, and
don’t assume the bullet will stop in
the gelatin or that it will not come out
the side. It is not safe to stand beside
gelatin blocks when they are being
shot at. When shooting ordnance gel-
atin, all common fi rearms safety prac-
tices should be observed at all times.Why Test via Ordnance Gelatin?
What should you do with the results,
and why should you test in ordnance
gelatin? You can use the results to
compare how various bullets perform
in your handgun. You can also place
different types of clothing or barriers
in front of the gelatin.
Granted, a lot of this information is
available on the Internet for a lot of
different loads and barriers. However,
there is no substitute for doing and
learning on your own. GDTMRichard A. Mann is one of today’s most popular
gun writers. He’s contributed to numerous
publications and authors the blog, Empty-Cases.
com. Mann has also authored several fi rearms
books, including Gun Digest’s own Handgun
Training for Personal Protection.