Ballistic Research Laboratory

The Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland was the center for the United States Army's research efforts in ballistics (interior, exterior, and terminal) as well as vulnerability/lethality analysis.

Dates And Events Of Some Note
On March 27 of 1964, the U.S. Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory, according to the 36th U.S. President's Commission (commonly known as the Warren Commission), played host to one of the most famous rifles in U.S. history. On that date, three marksmen test fired a Mannlicher-Carcano T-38 which is the rifle alleged to be used by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dealey Plaza on Friday, November 22nd of 1963.

The results of this test: Only one of the three expert marksmen was able to fire three shots somewhat close to the established official time limit attributed to Oswald. But unlike Oswald from the 6th Floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building, these three marksmen were allowed to use a gun rest, and they were also allowed to take as much time as they needed to line up their first shot at a stationary target. Oswald shot at a moving target.

In 1992, the BRL's mission, personnel, and facilities were incorporated into the newly created Army Research Laboratory, and BRL was disestablished.

Computers
BRL played an important role in the history of computer development:
 * Sponsored the development of ENIAC - widely regarded as the first general-purpose electronic digital computer - to aid the creation of firing tables for artillery and mortars
 * Developed and built several generations of computers: EDVAC, ORDVAC and BRLESC
 * Developed BRL-CAD, a solid geometric modeling system - now open sourced
 * The network ping utility was authored by Mike Muuss of BRL in December 1983 to troubleshoot network problems