P4_7 Do bullets flash on impact with solid objects?

Abstract

During Hollywood films, such as James Bond, special effect teams often portray a bullet hitting a solid object giving off a flash of bright light. This article investigates whether for normal lead bullets from a handgun/submachine gun would do this. It was found that, assuming all the energy from the bullet was thermal and remained inside the bullet it would melt upon impact and not glow/flash.