Silver bullets are legendary for their effectiveness. However, they exist firmly in the realm of metaphor. Obviously, the price of silver makes bullet production cost-prohibitive, but is that the only factor? In this blog post, we’ll review both the refining and ballistic properties of silver bullets to see if they live up to the legend.
The History of Silver Bullets
The concept of silver bullets gained traction after the events of the 1760s in Gévaudan, France. During that time, the Beast of Gévaudan attacked and killed multiple people living in or near the town. The deaths were recorded in detail, but historians still cannot say with 100% certainty what kind of creature the beast was. Records refer to the Beast of Gévaudan as a wolf-like creature; common theories are that it was either a wolf, wolf-mastiff hybrid, or possibly a now extinct species of Asian hyena that had been imported into the region.
Whatever it was, it attacked people so frequently (neglecting cattle and other animals) that major efforts were made to hunt the beast down. The beast was finally killed by Jean Chastel. Hunters had shot the beast many times before, but the legend is that Chastel did the deed with a blessed silver bullet of his own manufacture. Why silver? Silver had long been believed to be supernatural in some way because its lustrous surface resisted corrosion unlike any other ancient ore and it had medicinal properties.
While it’s possible that Chastel’s silver bullet existed, it’s unlikely. While we melt and cast silver all the time, it’s because we have technology and metallurgical know-how. When it comes to making bullets, silver and lead don’t have much in common.
Understanding Silver versus Lead
First we have to look at the properties of silver vs. lead when it comes to refining them into bullets.
Density is one of the most important factors in bullet design. An object’s energy is directly related to its mass (remember, E = mc2). To put it simply, heavy bullets work better than lighter bullets. This principle is one of the reasons why lead (renowned for its density) is used to make bullets. Silver is less dense than lead, but not irredeemably so. Silver is roughly 7.5% less dense than lead – so it can still make an effective bullet in that regard.
But that doesn’t mean silver bullets are just as easy to make. To refine the metal into bullets, it must be melted first. Here, silver presents a two-fold problem. Lead melts at 621.43 °F, which in refinery terms is rather cool – ordinary fire can do the trick. Silver, however, has a melting point almost three times higher than lead at 1763.2 °F. Additionally, the bullet mold needs to be heated to nearly the same temperature of the metal being poured into it. A mold that is too cold will crack or produce malformed bullets.
Examining Metal Hardness
The hardness of a metal (not to be confused with density) is a major determining factor for how well a bullet performs. The reason is because bullets are subjected to various forces and pressure changes when they are forged, loaded, fired, and even when they impact a target. Changing the hardness of a bullet changes how it works. Compared to each other, pure silver is almost five times harder than lead – which can present several problems.
First, there is the pressure from the reloading press – which packs gun powder into the bullet and passes it through a sizing die. Lead is soft enough to reshape itself in a reloading press. But with silver, there is no room for error. A millimeter or two off, and the silver’s hardness can break the die or the press.
Secondly, there are the multiple pressure forces that act on a bullet when it’s fired. When the trigger is pulled, the bottom is ruptured and the resulting explosive force seals the bullet against the bore of the gun. This seal against the bore (aka obturation) is critical for accuracy. The bore of a gun is engraved with rifling, which etches into the bullet – giving it a controlled spiral as it leaves the gun. This spiraling motion is what makes the bullet accurate. Because silver is so hard, it leaves the barrel un-etched with less spiral and less control.
Additionally, if the bullet isn’t a perfect fit, power is also affected. If the bullet is even one-thousandth of an inch too big, it will generate extra friction as it travels through the barrel – slowing it down. Lastly, when a bullet hits a target, the pressure of the impact flattens it and slows it down. Because of its hardness, silver bullets are very resistant to this.
Lead bullets have an easier time adapting to all of variables because they are softer.
The Bullet Points
But just how well do silver bullets work? What better way to break down everything we’ve learned than using some “bullet points:”
- Silver bullets are extremely difficult to make because of the price, the intense heat needed to melt them down for molding, and exact measurements required for them to fit gun barrels and function properly.
- Because silver has a lower density, it has less power than a lead bullet.
- Silver’s hardness makes it resistant to the rifling of a gun barrel, which makes silver bullets slower and less accurate.
- Silver bullets are hard enough to resist flattening upon impact, which causes them to pierce through targets.
As you can see, the refining properties of silver make it an ill-suited material for bullets. Although they do actually work, lead is just an all-around better metal to use.
