People have been talking trash on their ammo for over two thousand years. Honestly, if you thought "personalized" bullets were a modern invention of some edgy tactical shop, you're looking at it all wrong. It started way before gunpowder was even a thing.
Archeologists keep digging up these small, almond-shaped lead slugs in places like Greece and Italy. They weren't fired from guns, obviously. They were hurled from slings. And the guys throwing them had a really dark sense of humor.
The Roman "Bite This" Mentality
Imagine you're a Roman legionary standing on a dusty ridge. You've got a leather sling and a pocket full of lead. You don't just want to hit the guy across the valley; you want him to know exactly how you feel about him. So, you take a stylus and scratch something into the soft metal.
We find these all the time now. One of the most famous inscriptions found on ancient Greek sling bullets (glandes) says DEXAI. It basically translates to "Take this" or "Catch!" It’s the original "To: You, From: Me." It’s incredibly petty, and it proves that human nature hasn't changed a bit in two millennia.
The Romans took it a step further. During the Siege of Perusia in 41 BC, the messages got personal. Some bullets were inscribed with the names of the opposing generals. They weren't being polite. They’d write things like "I’m aiming for Octavian’s backside" or "Lucius Antonius, you’re bald." It’s the ancient equivalent of a Twitter feud, but with the very real possibility of a fractured skull at the end of it.
Trench Art and the Message on the Shell
Fast forward to the World Wars. This is where things get heavy, literally and figuratively.
You’ve probably seen the photos. GIs in the Pacific or British soldiers in the trenches of the Somme sitting around with chalk or paint. They’d write on the side of 155mm artillery shells or even individual cartridges. Sometimes it was just a name—a girlfriend back home, a fallen buddy. Other times, it was a grim joke. "Return to Sender" was a classic, though a bit cliché even back then.
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In World War II, the practice of writing on ordnance became a huge morale booster. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, "Easter Eggs for Hitler" became a common phrase seen on bombs headed for Europe. It wasn't just about the damage the bullet or bomb would do; it was about the psychological connection between the person making the weapon and the target. It’s a way of reclaiming agency in a war that feels like a giant, impersonal machine.
The Myth of the "Silver Bullet" and Modern Engravings
There’s a lot of nonsense floating around about what people think was written on bullets versus what actually was. You’ve probably heard stories about soldiers carving crosses into the tips of their bullets. This did happen, but usually not for religious reasons.
In the 19th century, soldiers discovered that if you carved an "X" into the lead nose of a bullet, it would expand upon impact. This created the "dum-dum" effect. While some might have thought the cross offered divine protection, it was really just a DIY way to make a bullet more lethal. International law eventually stepped in to ban these types of modifications because they caused "unnecessary suffering."
In modern times, the tradition lives on through "trench art" and custom engraving. You can go online right now and buy laser-engraved brass. People put everything on them:
- Zodiac signs
- Bible verses (Psalm 23 is a perennial favorite)
- Political slogans
- Personal initials
But there’s a massive difference between a collector's item and what’s actually used in the field. Professional militaries today have strict rules about this. You won't find a modern US Marine officially allowed to "personalize" his 5.56mm NATO rounds. It’s a liability issue. If a round is recovered and it has something inflammatory written on it, it’s a PR nightmare and a potential war crime piece of evidence.
The Bizarre Case of the Pork-Coated Bullets
One of the most persistent—and often debunked—stories involves bullets dipped in pig fat or inscribed with messages designed to offend religious groups. This specific legend pops up every few decades, most notably during the 1857 Indian Rebellion. The rumor that the new Enfield rifle cartridges were greased with beef and pork fat (offensive to both Hindus and Muslims) sparked a massive uprising.
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While that was a matter of the grease itself, rumors of people writing offensive things on bullets to deny an enemy entry into heaven have circulated during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Usually, these stories are urban legends or isolated incidents by rogue actors rather than any kind of standard practice. Experts like those at the Imperial War Museum point out that such "magic bullets" are almost always more about the psychology of the shooter than the reality of the projectile.
Why Do We Do It?
Why write on a bullet? It's gone in a literal flash. The person being hit will almost never see the message.
Psychologists suggest it’s about intent. A bullet is an anonymous piece of lead. By writing a name or a message on it, the soldier makes it personal. They are no longer just a cog in a machine; they are a person delivering a specific consequence to an enemy. It’s a way to deal with the overwhelming stress of combat. If you can make a joke about the "gift" you're sending, maybe the reality of what you're doing doesn't feel quite as heavy.
Recovering the Messages
Modern forensic science has a hard time with this. If you scratch something onto a lead bullet and then fire it through a rifled barrel at 2,000 feet per second, that message is going to get shredded. The friction and the "rifling" (the grooves inside the barrel that make the bullet spin) act like a giant eraser.
Most of the "written" bullets we have today that are actually readable come from:
- Unfired caches: Found in ancient battlefields or sunken ships.
- Large ordnance: Artillery shells where the message is on the casing, not the projectile that moves through the barrel.
- Soft-lead sling stones: Which don't spin through a barrel and thus preserve the engravings better.
What This Tells Us About History
Looking at what was written on bullets gives us a raw, uncensored look at history. It’s not the polished version you find in textbooks. It’s the voice of the guy in the mud, scared, angry, or just plain bored.
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Whether it’s a Roman soldier telling a general to "suck it" or a modern hobbyist engraving a memento mori on a .45 ACP, these objects are more than just weapons. They are tiny, violent time capsules. They remind us that even in the middle of a war, people still feel the need to express themselves, to joke, and to leave a mark—even if that mark is only intended to last for a fraction of a second.
How to Authenticate Historic Engraved Bullets
If you happen to come across what looks like a "message bullet" at a flea market or in a collection, be skeptical. History is full of fakes.
- Check the patina: For ancient lead, the oxidation should be deep and consistent. If the scratches look "bright" or fresh, it’s a modern fake.
- Context matters: A Civil War bullet with a perfect, long poem on it is almost certainly a hoax. Soldiers had tiny bits of lead and very little time.
- Rifling marks: On modern (post-1850) bullets, look at the grooves. If the message is "over" the grooves, it was written after it was fired. If the grooves have wiped out parts of the message, it was written before.
Summary of What to Look For
Focus on the physical evidence. Genuine historical inscriptions are rarely "pretty." They are hurried, scratched with knives or nails, and often use slang that was specific to that exact year and location. If you’re researching these for a collection or a paper, the best resources are the archaeological databases from the University of Oxford or the finds recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme. They have thousands of documented examples of these "talking" projectiles.
Study the specific linguistic shifts in the messages. You’ll notice that as warfare became more distant and impersonal, the messages became more about the "group" than the individual. But the core impulse remains the same: the desire to be heard, even at the very end of the line.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Verify the Source: If you're looking at "trench art" for sale, ask for the provenance. Real engraved bullets from the World Wars usually come with a documented history or are still seated in their original (inert) casings.
- Visit Local Museums: Many regional military museums have "soldier's effects" displays that include personalized gear. These are much more common—and often more heartbreaking—than the bullets themselves.
- Use Proper Tools for Research: If you are an amateur historian, use high-resolution macro photography to document any engravings you find. Often, what looks like a random scratch under a magnifying glass is actually a faint piece of Latin or shorthand.
- Consult Ballistic Experts: If you're trying to determine if a message could survive being fired, consult a ballistics chart for that specific caliber. Lead at high velocities behaves almost like a liquid; most surface engravings on the "bearing surface" of the bullet will not survive the trip down the barrel.