Comparison of pressure measurement methods used in ballistic tests

In ballistics, the measurement of the internal pressure developed with the firing of ammunition propellant has extreme relevance for the design of weapons and ammunition. Pressure measurement, as a rule, can be performed by means of a copper crusher (copper cylinders), or by a piezoelectric transducer. Both methodologies are presently accepted in ammunition tests by standardization organizations (SAAMI and CIP), which motivates the comparison between them. The main objective of this study is to determine the relationship between the maximum pressures determined by copper crushers and piezoelectric transducers, aiming to verify the feasibility of using the copper crusher as a method of checking the calibration of piezoelectric transducers. For this, three series of shots were fired with 7.62 mm × 51 mm ammunition, where the maximum pressure was measured simultaneously with a copper crusher and three different piezoelectric transducers for each series.