eli5 Why does the shell of a bullet come out of a gun but can shoot people?

Question

eli5 Why does the shell of a bullet come out of a gun but can shoot people?

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Answer 1

So there’s 2 parts to the bullet. The actual “bullet” part that goes inside people and hurt them is the very tip 20% of the bullet. The other 80% is the shell which contains gunpowder. After the trigger is pressed, it releases a hammer on a spring which strikes the gunpowder and makes the bullet go boom. The shell casing is discarded after exploding because it’s useless weight.