Journal IA - International Ammunition Association

S-Ball Plastik - Czech Shotgun Slug by
During the 1970s and 1980s in what is now the Czech
Republic, a new type of shotgun slug was developed. This
slug attained an almost dominant position, with other types
of shotgun slugs being used, during that period, only in a
limited way.
For a long time, there was no Czech domestic production
of shotgun slug projectiles. Those in use were either imported
or hand-cast by individual users. In the period between WWI
and WWII, the slug types most frequently used were the
Brenneke and Ideal types. The first slug of native design
and construction appeared c.1948, the creation of Victor
Hampl, who worked as designer at Sellier & Bellot. He
created, step by step, an entire series of lead bullets of
different forms, which were stabilized on the “arrow
principle” - all had, in the rear part of the slug, fins of different
forms. Some of these types achieved serial production.
In the year 1971, Sellier & Bellot began to supply the
market with cartridges loaded with Plastic S-Ball slugs. The
designation was derived from many former models of slug
bullets, becoming the name “S-Ball Plastik,”, as shown on
box labels. In common language, the designation “S-Ball”
and/or also “Brenek” (spelled phonetically) became the
popular title for whatever other slug bullets were in use.
The designer of the specific projectile “S-Ball Plastik”
was Sellier & Bellot’s employee Josef Hrdina. Initially these
bullets were supplied under the marketing title “Model 71”
and they were used for some time under that designation.
The projectile is formed with an iron core, encapsulated
within a plastic cover. This shotgun slug was introduced to
serial production after trials of many different evolutionary
types. These can be seen in Sellier & Bellot’s company
museum that is located in a chateaux in the city of Vlasim
(residential town of the firm Sellier & Bellot).
Construction of these bullets can be seen and understood
40
Slug in 12-gauge Slug in 16-gauge
from drawings and photography. The cylindrical iron core
has deep striae around its perimeter, which facilitates fixing
of the plastic cover onto the core. The cavity in the rear of
the core has technological reasons, including lightening of
the projectile. At the front of the core is the nose, which
protrudes from the plastic cover. On the nose it is possible
to see the plated iron core - for the longest production time
made of white metal and by the close of production also
yellow metal.
The design of the plastic cover has made it possible to
use the S-Slug projectile in barrels of any choke.
The forms of both the metal core and the plastic cover
have joined to produce a very well-stabilized projectile in
flight. At the rear of the plastic cover is a hemispherical
lightening cavity, that is linked with a central hole in the iron
core. On the front surface of the plastic portion of the
projectile are the raised markings “* S-
BALL * PAT.+CSSR”.
These slugs were manufactured in 12
and 16 gauges. There was no factory
manufacture of them in 20 gauge, although
some individuals have altered the diameter
of the 16 gauge slugs to work in 20 gauge
cartridges. The slugs in 16 gauge were
initially manufactured to the same
longitudinal proportion as those of 12
gauge, with only the diameter reduced for
use in the smaller 16 gauge.
However, this design did not
achieve the required ballistic
parameters so, before long, the
projectile was shortened as shown
in the drawings. This design has
been the standard supplied on the
market for the rest of production.
It is necessary to stress here that
using slug bullets in Czechoslovakia as well as in the present
Czech Republic is licensed only for the hunting of wild pigs.
Other animals cannot be hunted with them. These cartridges,
with a different crimp, were also used by Police for their
high-penetration capability. However, this same highpenetration
core, in the end, caused the ending of production
here of ammunition loaded with this bullet, in the mid-1990s.
The bullet is capable of complete penetration of police bulletproof
vests. In the phase of development of this type of
cartridge in the 1970s and 1980s, the relative safeness against
possible misuse wasn’t at all taken into account.
IAA Journal Issue 455, May/Jun ‘07