.22lr "devastator" rounds

S

simonrichter

New member
The wikipedia page about the Reagan assassination attempt claims that the assassin used "exploding" rounds called "devastator". Does or did something like an "exploding" 22lr really exist outside a James Bond novel? Or is it just a misconception of the term "expanding"?
Kind of an odd combination, an outspoken Saturday Night Special revolver with such a fancy type of ammunition, in any case. I of course googled "devastator", but it brings forth only pics of rounds which are obviously centerfire, and not 22lr, and no real explanation...
 
yes... "exploding" 22 LR ammo existed. I didn't work too well in a rifle let alone in a snub handgun. All it really was meant to do was make the bullet expand reliably. It failed miserably in a 22.

edit to add: What you seek
 
I heard the round was meant for air marshals. They needed something that would not penetrate the aluminum wall of an aircraft cabin.
 
That's an old wive's tale. Almost any ammunition will penetrate an aircraft's skin, and if it does, the results are not catastrophic.
 
Bill West wrote: I heard the round was meant for air marshals. They needed something that would not penetrate the aluminum wall of an aircraft cabin.
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A 22 SHORT from a NAA will penetrate the skin of an aircraft cabin unless it hits a spar. We fly in the equivalent of a laminated beer can. Bill DeShivs nailed it!
 
More marketing hype than reality. Several other forums have discussions where the concensus is they're flakey at best. The problem with an "explosive" round is they generally require a hard(er) target surface impact to set off the explosive.
The (likely) only effective explosive round you'll hear much about is the Raufoss Mk211 .50 BMG round. When it hits soft targets they tend to act as ball ammo. When they hit a brick wall the explosive blows a conic hole forward. Well documented by US forces and others in the Middle East conflicts.
You can buy these legally in many states but they are not cheap and not easy to find.
 
"Devastator" .22 bullets are true exploding bullets, not just expanding bullets. The bullet contains a small charge of lead azide (also used in primers in about the same amount) that will explode on impact with a hard surface. Contrary to some reports, the bullets will not explode in soft flesh nor will they explode when handled or while being extracted from a body. (The bullet that was removed from President Reagan's body had not exploded and did not explode; it acted just like any other .22 bullet.)

Naturally, writers of fiction, conspiracy theorists, and anti-gun types have latched onto the idea of an exploding bullet, describing bodies being blown into tiny pieces and surgeons being blown up as they try to save the lives of innocent people shot with those awful bullets. Anti-gunners have deliberately confused exploding bullets with expanding bullets in an effort to achieve an effective gun ban by banning the sale and possession of all bullets.

Jim
 
JamesK wrote: Contrary to some reports, the bullets will not explode in soft flesh nor will they explode when handled or while being extracted from a body.
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Fisrt part "not so much" second part is correct.

They have always been advertised as intended to work in soft flesh and to "grossly expand" in the target. They STILL advertise that Devestator ammo. But NIH has also published guidance on this ammo advising doctors that if this is in a patient (living or not) UXO that it won't explode in a physicians face.
 
I think that might depend on the definition of soft tissue. According to what I have seen, if the bullet strikes bone, it can explode, but is extremely unlikely to do so if striking only muscle tissue or soft organs.

It is essentially the same idea that many folks have tried over the years of drilling out the nose of a bullet and inserting a primer. When the bullet strikes a hard surface, the primer fires. But effects on dangerous game, the intended use, were not very consistent, plus many areas outlawed such bullets for hunting, partly out of fear that the bullets would explode if a loaded round was dropped.

Jim
 
I bought some of the 44 mags with a primer inserted in the nose, back in the day. Shot some old steel tanks out in the country with them. I was not impressed. Doesn't seem like they did anything special, but all I found were large splatter marks. I don't think regular 44's would have been much different. Just my personal experience.
 
I bought some of the 44 mags with a primer inserted in the nose, back in the day. Shot some old steel tanks out in the country with them. I was not impressed. Doesn't seem like they did anything special, but all I found were large splatter marks. I don't think regular 44's would have been much different. Just my personal experience.
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I wouldn't think a .44 mag would need much help!:D
 
I bought them back in the eighties, and still have a couple left. A total gimmick, they did explode when hitting wood, leaving what amounted to a drop of lead instead of a bullet.
 
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