Core jacket separation

General Firearms Terminal Ballistic Information
1

I did a search and wasn’t really able to come up with a definitive answer on the subject…

Why is core jacket separation a big deal in handgun rounds when moving through tissue? Or rather, is it?

I.E. the standard Remington Golden Saber rounds are known for having this problem or coming close to core-jacket separation. I know modern bullets use the bonded jacket-core for barrier penetration, but for an unobstructed shot, is it a big deal ballistically if the core separates from the jacket in tissue? Is the permanent crush cavity less if the jacket separates?

I know it’s better to have bonded rather than not since nobody can guarantee an unobstructed shot, but was curious if there was a huge difference in the terminal performance if the jacket separates while moving through tissue.

Again, checked the stickies at the top and did a search, but nothing specific to this question.

2

Core-jacket separation typically reduces the size of the permanent cavity.

3

Thank you

4

Just a note on the Golden Sabers; I have heard claims that these are prone to sperations, but I have only seen this in water testing.

I have seen a number of autopsies where Golden Sabers were recovered and none had this issue. I have seen the jacket apearing to be near this point, but in each case the jacket was still attached to the core.

5

I asked myself this a number of times also.

6

Yes, most pictures I’ve seen online from gel testing show the jacket starting to separate near the tip, but is still attached as well. Nothing beats first hand knowledge though, thanks.