What occurs during the terminal ballistics phase?

During the terminal ballistics phase, the focus is on the effects of a projectile upon impact with a target, which includes understanding the permanent tissue damage caused by the projectile. This phase occurs after the projectile has traveled through the air and is about to or has made contact with a surface, such as skin or other materials.

Permanent tissue damage refers to the destruction of body tissues that result from the energy transfer and impact of the projectile, which can lead to various injuries depending on factors such as the type of projectile, its speed, and the angle of impact. Understanding this phase is crucial in fields like forensic science and medical trauma care, as it provides insights into injury patterns and potential survival outcomes for individuals who have been shot.

The other options relate to different phases or aspects of ballistic science. For instance, the functioning of the firearm before firing pertains to pre-shot operations, while flight dynamics of the projectile deals with the behavior of the bullet in the air, and extraction and ejection of the spent cartridge focus on the firearm’s mechanics after a shot is fired. None of these directly address the effects and impact resulting from the projectile’s interaction with a target, which is the essence of terminal ballistics.