History
There was a time when interior ballistics didn't have a lot of information. The barrels would be built strong enough to survive a known overload (proof).
Muzzle velocity could be measured.
Then barrels were instrumented. Holes were drilled in the barrel, "crusher gauges" using copper pellets were attached, the gun was fired, and the pressure was measured indirectly by how much the copper pellet was deformed. The measurement only indicated the maximum pressure that was reached at that point in the barrel.
Later, piezoelectric sensors were used. They allow the instantaneous pressure to be measured. Also strain gauges on the barrel did not need a pressure port.
Instrumented projectiles were developed that could measure the pressure at the base of the projectile and the acceleration.
Read more about this topic: Internal Ballistics
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