dumdum

ammunition

Also known as: expanding bullet

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Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

A "dumdum" refers to a type of bullet designed to expand upon impact, causing a larger wound. The name originates from the Dum Dum Arsenal near Kolkata, India, where these expanding bullets were first manufactured.12

While "dumdum" specifically denotes an expanding bullet, it is often used interchangeably with the term "expanding bullet". These bullets are typically made with a soft metal core and an exposed soft metal nose. Upon hitting a target, the nose deforms, pushing back into the jacketed portion. This expansion increases the bullet's diameter, causing greater tissue damage and shock. Expanding bullets are commonly used in hunting but are outlawed in warfare.34

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Dum Dum
…ammunition factory in which the dumdum, an expanding bullet, was first made. Jute mills, a tannery, iron- and steel-rolling works, and glass, match, and soap factories, as well as several large engineering concerns, are located in Dum Dum. The city has several hospitals and a college affiliated with the University…
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…ammunition factory in which the dumdum, an expanding bullet, was first made. Jute mills, a tannery, iron- and steel-rolling works, and glass, match, and soap factories, as well as several large engineering concerns, are located in Dum Dum. The city has several hospitals and a college affiliated with the University…
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bullet
Expanding bullets, used in game hunting and long outlawed in war, are made with an exposed nose of soft metal, which will push back into the jacketed portion to deform it on impact, enlarging the wound and increasing the shock of the impact. See also…
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Expanding bullets, used in game hunting and long outlawed in war, are made with an exposed nose of soft metal, which will push back into the jacketed portion to deform it on impact, enlarging the wound and increasing the shock of the impact. See also…
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Hague Convention
…use of expanding bullets (dumdums), and another prohibiting the discharges of projectiles or explosives from balloons. Last, and most important, was the adoption of the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, creating the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
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…use of expanding bullets (dumdums), and another prohibiting the discharges of projectiles or explosives from balloons. Last, and most important, was the adoption of the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, creating the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
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