This section focuses on what happens inside the gun barrel from the moment of ignition until the projectile leaves the muzzle. Key topics include:

This describes the short, complex period when the projectile emerges from the muzzle and is still influenced by the escaping high-pressure gases (the "muzzle blast"). : The visible byproducts of combustion.

: How different materials (steel, concrete, ballistic gelatin) react to impact.

The final stage analyzes the interaction between the projectile and its target.

: How wind, gravity, and even the Coriolis effect (Earth's rotation) influence the strike point. 4. Terminal Ballistics