How it connects
Wire is crimped into the barrel; the male bullet is pushed into the spring socket and held by friction/spring tension. The insulating sleeve covers the socket mouth so the joint is shielded; not sealed against water.
Male and female halves
This is the female (socket/receptacle) half; the male half is a solid round pin with a bulged tip. Insulated female sleeves cover the whole socket.
Usually connects to
- Male bullet terminal of matching nominal diameter, commonly 0.156 in (5/32 in, about 4 mm)
Common sizes
- Common bullets: 0.156 in (5/32 in, about 3.9–4 mm), 0.180 in and 0.187 in; metric versions include 2.8, 3.5, 3.9/4.0 and 5 mm.
- Wire color codes: red 22–18 AWG, blue 16–14 AWG, yellow 12–10 AWG.
Where it is used
automotive wiring; motorcycle wiringcar audiomarine and RV wiringappliance and lighting wiringLED lighting; trailer lightinggeneral low-voltage DC wiringmarine electricalRC models
Variations
- vinyl (PVC) insulated
- nylon insulated
- heat-shrink insulated
- double-crimp
- fully insulated vs partially insulated
- non-insulated open barrel
How to recognise it
Short colour-coded plastic tube (red/blue/yellow) with a round hole at one end showing a metal tube socket and a wire entry at the other; typically ~6 mm OD, ~20-25 mm long.
Often confused with
| Confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Female spade / quick-disconnect (Faston) terminal | Spade receptacles take a flat blade with a rectangular opening; bullet sockets have a round opening. Faston receptacles accept a flat blade tab and have a flat rolled-over opening; bullet sockets have a round opening for a round pin. |
| Butt splice connector | A butt splice is a permanent crimp on both ends with no socket; a bullet female has one crimp barrel and an open round socket. A butt splice is a permanent tube crimped on both ends; a bullet socket has one crimp barrel and an open socket end. |
| Hobby RC bullet (gold) connectors | RC bullets (2-8 mm) are usually soldered and uninsulated with slotted male pins; crimp bullets have colour-coded sleeves. |
| RC hobby gold bullet (2/3.5/4/5.5 mm) connectors | RC bullets are solder-cup, gold-plated, slotted pins without crimp barrels or color-coded sleeves. |
Also called
female bullet terminalbullet splice (female half)female snap plug terminalfemale quick-disconnect bullet
Good to know
Bullet sizes are not tightly standardized; 0.156 in is most common in US automotive kits, but 0.180 in and 3.5/4 mm exist and do not intermate. Sample part (Gardner Bender 15-163P) is 0.156 in, 16-14 AWG.
Related connections
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