FIREARM CARTRIDGE/AMMUNITION

Ammunition
Refers to a loaded shell for rifles, muskets, carbines, shotguns, revolvers, and pistols
from which, a ball, bullet, shot, shell, or other missiles may be fired by means of gunpowder
or other explosives. The term also includes ammunition for air rifles.

A complete unfired unit consisting of bullet, cartridge case, gunpowder, and primer.
The term may be called also a single round.

Origin
It was evolved during the 16th century. 1635, when the first cartridge was invented by
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. These were simple packages. The earliest small arms
cartridge consists of a paper-measured powder wrapped in paper. The term cartridge is
derived from the word charta, the latin word for paper. Also, a French word cartouche,
meaning a roll of paper which indicates that the original cartridges were not brass gilding
metal but paper cartridges.

Parts of Cartridge or Ammunition

For Pistols, Rifles, and Revolvers

1. Bullet – A projectile propelled from a firearm by means of the explosive force of gases
coming from burning powder.

2. Cartridge Case – A tubular metallic container for gunpowder. Sometimes called a shell or
casing.

3. Gun Powder – This is a propellant that when ignited by the primer flash is converted to gas
under high pressure and propels the bullet or shot charge through the barrel and on the target.

4. Primer – The metal cap containing the highly sensitive priming mixture of chemical
compounds which when hit or struck by the firing pin would ignite, such action is called
“PERCUSSION”.

For Shotgun Cartridge or Ammunition

1. Shot cup – a plastic cup that holds shots/pellets in a pattern as it leaves from the muzzle of
the gun.

2. Tube or case - the case is what houses all of the above. Modern-day cases are usually made
of plastic and are crimped at the end. Cartridge cases used to be made with paper but plastic
cases are now the norm.

3. Primer – serves to ignite the gunpowder when it is struck by a firing pin.

4. Gunpowder – Also, a propellant that when ignited by the primer flash is converted to gas
under high pressure and propels the bullet or shot charge through the barrel and on the target.
5. Crimp – a portion of a cartridge case that is bent inward to hold the shot in place.

6. Wad – serves as a seal to separate gunpowder and the shots/pellets.

7. Shots/Pellets –multiple projectiles exclusively propelled for a shotgun firearm.

Classification of Cartridges

According to the type of firearms

1. Revolver cartridges
2. Pistol cartridges
3. Rifle cartridges
4. Shot cartridges

According to location of the primer

1. Pin fire cartridges no longer used (absolute)

2. Rim fire – the primer is located at the rim or the base portion

3. Center fire – Priming powder is located at the center

According to Caliber

Note: The caliber of the gun is the diameter of its bore. Measured an inch between two
opposite lands.

Different Systems of Measurement of the Caliber of Cartridge and Firearm.

American System English System Continental/European System

.22 inch .220 inch 5.56 mm

.25 inch .250 inch 6.5 mm
.28 inch .280 inch 7 mm
.30 inch .300 inch 7.65 mm
.32 inch .320 inch 8 mm
.35 inch .350 inch 9 mm
.38 inch .360 inch 9.3 mm
.40 inch .405 inch 10 mm
.41 inch 410 inch 10.5 mm
.44 inch .440 inch 11 mm
.45 inch .450 inch 11.25 mm
.50 inch .500 inch 12.7 mm

For Shotgun Bore Diameter

Shotgun gauge number, with equivalent bore diameter of the barrel, is expressed in thousands
of an inch, in English System of Measurement, are as follows:
Gauge Inch Gauge Inch
4 gauge .935 inch 20 gauge .615 inch
8 gauge .835 inch 24 gauge .580inch
10 gauge .775 inch 28 gauge .550inch
12 gauge .729 inch 32 gauge .501inch
14 gauge .697 inch 40 gauge .410inch
16 gauge .662 inch

CARTRIDGE CASE

CARTRIDGES CASES/ SHELL

Is a tabular metallic or non-metallic container that holds together the

bullet, gunpowder, and primer.

The cartridge case is the portion of the cartridge area that is automatically ejected
from the automatic firearm during firing and this remains at the scene of the crime. This is
firearm evidence than can help trace particular firearms use.

Purpose

1. It serves as a means whereby the bullet, gunpowder, and primer are

assembled into a unit.
2. It serves as a waster proof contained for gunpowder.
3. It prevents the escape of the gases to the rear as the sidewalls of the
cartridges cases are forced against the walls of the chamber by the pressure.
It serves as the “gas seal” at the breech end of the barrel.

Parts of Cartridge Case

a. RIM – Serve the purpose of limiting the forward travel of the cartridges
into their chambers and this also limits the clearance. If any between the
heads and the supporting surface of the bolt or breech block.

b. PRIMER POCKET – Performs tipple function:

b.1 Holding primer securely in a control position

b.2 Providing or means to prevent the escape of jobs to the rear of the
cartridges.
b.3 Providing solid support from primer anvil without which the latter
could not be fired.

c. VENTS OR FLASH HOLE – Is the hole in the web or bottom of the primer
pocket through which the primer “flash” impart ignition to the primer
charges.
The “opening” or “canal” connects the priming mixture with the gunpowder.
d. THE HEAD – THE BODY – constitute the “cork” that plugs the breech of
the barrel against the escape of the gas.

e. NECK – That part of the cartridges case that is occupied by the bullet.

f. CANNELURES – are the separate grooves that are sometimes found

“rolled” into the neck and bodies of the cases at the location of the bullets
bases to prevent the bullet from being pushed back or loosened.

g. CRIMP – Is that part of the mouth of the cases that are turned in upon the
bullet.

g.1 if aid in holding the bullet in place

g.2 if resistance to the movement of the bullet out of the neck affects
the burning of the powder.
Types of Crimp

a. Roll Crimp – rolled into the bullet material or groove

b. Taper Crimp – used primarily in the cartridge with headspace on the
case mouth.
c. Stab/ring Crimp – used only on jacketed ammunition.

h. BASE – The portion of the case which contains:

h.1 The primer which contains the priming mixture

h.2 The shell head contains the headstamp caliber and the year of
manufacture.

i. SHOULDER – That portion that supports the neck.

j. EXTRACTION GROOVE – The circular grooves near the base of the case
of the shell are designed for automatic withdrawal of the case after each
firing.

CLASSIFICATIONS

ACCORDING TO THE CASE SHAPE

a. Straight
All rimfire shells and most centerfire revolver cartridges that are newly
manufactured have straight cases.

b. Tapered
Is very rare but presently being used in the so-called “magnum jet”
cartridges cal .22

c. Bottleneck
 Most modern centerfire rifle cartridges case is of bottleneck types.
Since this case form provided the greatest powder capacity commensurate
with overall case length.

ACCORDING TO HEAD FORMS

a. RIMMED – designed to use in revolvers, the diameter of the base of the

cartridges is very much bigger than the diameter of the body of the
cartridges.

b. SEMI-RIMMED – designed to be used in automatic weapons like pistols

and sub-inactive guns such as super .38 uz1, 9mm.

c. RIMLESS – case within the diameter of the body of the cartridges is the
same as the diameter of the cartridges case.

d. REBATED – designed to provide the ability of having larger diameter case but with an
existing smaller bolt face.

e. BELTED – designed to provide positive head spacing.

ACCORDING TO LOCATION OF PRIMER

1. Pinfire – obsolete, no longer used for modern firearms.

2. Rimfire – the primer is located at the rim or the base portion. It was invented in 1845
by French gun maker, Louis Nicolas Auguste Flowbert. Called bullet breech cap
(BB).
3. Centerfire – invented in 1858, the priming mixture is located at the center of the base
of the cartridge.