Spitzer (bullet)

The spitzer bullet, also commonly referred to as a spire point bullet, is primarily a small arms ballistics development of the late 19th and early 20th century, driven by military desire for aerodynamic bullet designs that will give a higher degree of accuracy and kinetic efficiency, especially at extended ranges. To achieve this, the projectile must minimize air resistance in flight.

Bullets with a lower drag coefficient (C_d) decelerate less rapidly. A low drag coefficient flattens the projectile's trajectory somewhat at long ranges and also markedly decreases the lateral drift caused by crosswinds. The higher impact velocity of bullets with high ballistic coefficients means they retain more kinetic energy.

The name "spitzer" is an anglicized form of the German word Spitzgeschoss, literally meaning "pointed projectile."

The development of spitzer bullets made military doctrines possible which expected rifle volleys at area targets at ranges up to 800 to 1,000 m (870 to 1,090 yd). Combined with machine guns equipped with clinometers that could deliver plunging fire or indirect fire at more than 3,000 m (3,280 yd), spitzer bullets greatly increased the lethality of the battlefield during World War I. During and after World War I some militaries adopted aerodynamically more refined spitzer bullet designs with improved maximum ranges of 4,700 to 5,500 m (5,140 to 6,010 yd), though plunging fire or indirect fire methods were not commonly used by machine gunners during World War II.