Full Metal Jacket discarded that in favor of a film about the Vietnam War. They met in England, and the director told Herr that he wanted to do a war film but had yet to find a story to adapt. Kubrick discovered Gustav Hasford's novel "The Short-Timers" (1979) while reading the "Virginia Kirkus Review." Herr received it in bound galleys and thought that it was a masterpiece. In 1982, Kubrick read the novel twice, concluding that it "was a unique, absolutely wonderful book", and decided, along with Herr, to adapt it for his next film. According to Kubrick, he was drawn to the
Total metal jacket Total metal jacket Total metal jacket (or full metal case) bullets are made by electroplating a thin jacket of ductile metal (usually copper) over a core of different metal requiring protection from abrasion or corrosion. Similar full metal jacket bullets mechanically swage a thin sheet of metal over the core. The swaging process leaves an opening exposing the core on the base of the bullet, while electroplating deposits a jacket over the entire bullet surface. Protecting the base of a lead-core bullet from burning powder gas may prevent molten lead from being released as a fine spray in turbulent gas