Cartridge (firearms)

From left: .50 BMG, .300 Win Mag, .308 Winchester, 7.62x39mm,
5.56x45mm NATO, .22LR.
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and
primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber
of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical
that may be located at the center of the case head (centerfire
ammunition) or at its rim (rimfire ammunition). Electrically-fired
cartridges have also been made. A cartridge without a bullet is called a
blank; one that is completely inert is called a dummy.
Design

.30-06 Springfield cartridge specifications. This is a rimless cartridge case. Measurements are in inches.
The cartridge case seals a firing chamber in all directions except down the bore. A firing pin strikes the
primer, igniting it. The spark from the primer ignites the powder. Burning gases from the powder expand
the case to seal against the chamber wall. The projectile is then pushed in the direction that releases
this pressure, down the barrel. After the projectile leaves the barrel the pressure is released, allowing
the cartridge case to be removed from the chamber.

An M4 Carbine, with an ejected case visible in mid-air.

Various cases of assorted common calibers.

Aluminum .44 caliber cases.

Automatic and semiautomatic firearms, which extract and eject the case automatically as a part of their
operation, sometimes damage the case in the process of ejection. Brass is a commonly used material, as
it is ductile enough to be reformed and reloaded several times. However, some low-quality "plinking"
ammunition, as well as some military ammunition (mainly from the former Soviet Union and China) is
made with steel cases because steel is less expensive than brass. As militaries typically consider small
arms cartridge cases to be a disposable, one-time-use affair, the lack of ductility is inconsequential for
this application, although the mass of the case affects how much ammunition a soldier can carry. Some
ammunition is also made with aluminum cases (see picture).
Critical specifications include caliber, bullet weight, expected velocity, maximum pressure, headspace,
overall length and primer type. A minor deviation in many of these specifications could result in damage
to the firearm, and in extreme cases injury or death of the user. The diameter of a bullet is measured
either as a decimal fraction of an inch, or in millimeters. The length of a cartridge case may also be
designated in millimeters.
Where two numbers are together, the second number can contain a variety of meanings. Frequently the
first is the diameter (caliber) of the cartridge, and the second is the length of the cartridge case. For
example, the 7.62 x 51 mm uses a bore diameter of 7.62 mm and has an overall case length of 51 mm.
In the case of old black powder cartridges, the second number typically refers to the powder charge. For
example, the .50-90 Sharps is a .50 caliber bullet (.512) with a nominal charge of 90 grains (5.8 g) of
black powder with a case length of 2.50 inches (64 mm).
One should be aware that cartridge nomenclature is inconsistent and unhelpful when trying to determine
dimensions, tolerances or indeed almost any other characteristic of a given round. The .38 Special
actually has a bullet diameter of 0.357 inches (9.1 mm) (jacketed) or 0.358 inches (9.1 mm) (lead)
while the case has a diameter of 0.380 inches (9.7 mm). The .357 Magnum is a direct evolution of the .
38 special, but differently named, and no reference is made to the longer case. The .30-06 rifle round is
a (nominally) .30 inches (7.6 mm) caliber round designed in 1906; and the .303 British round may vary
wildly in actual dimensions (as do the surviving rifle chambers of its era).
Most high-powered guns have relatively small bullets moving at high speeds. This is because while bullet
energy increases in direct proportion to bullet weight, it increases in proportion to the square of bullet
velocity. Therefore, a bullet going twice as fast has four times the energy (see physics of firearms).
Bullet speeds are now limited by starting bore pressures, which in turn are limited by the strength of
materials and the weight of gun people are willing to carry. Larger cartridges have more powder, and
usually higher velocities.
Of the hundreds of different designs and developments that have occurred, essentially only two basic
cartridge designs remain. All current firearms are either rimfire or centerfire. US military small arms
suppliers are still trying to perfect electronic firing, which replaces the conventional firing pin and primer
with an electrical ignition system wherein an electrical charge ignites the primer.
Centerfire

Rimmed, centerfire .303 cartridge from WWII. Manufactured by Colonial

Ammunition Company, New Zealand.
Main article: Centerfire ammunition

A centerfire cartridge has a centrally located primer, which in most US made ammunition, and in some
(chiefly premium hunting and match ammunition) manufactured in other countries, can be replaced, so
that the expensive brass cartridge case can be reused. Such a cartridge is said to be Boxer primed. Most
European and Asian military ammunition uses a non-replaceable Berdan primer, which prevents the easy
reuse of the case, because the anvil of the primer is an integral part of the case and can be deformed by
firing. With care, it can be reloaded. An irregular fighter might more simply reload a Berdan-primed

cartridge, since the new "primer" can be as simple as a bit of tin can and a match head, without the
multi-stage process required for making a Boxer primer. US military ammunition is Boxer primed.
Rimfire
Main article: Rimfire ammunition
Rimfire cartridges, of which only the popular .22 LR remains in common use, were a popular solution
before the centerfire design was fully perfected. They can only be used for fairly low powered cartridges,
as the case has to be soft enough to be deformed by the firing pin, which detonates the priming
compound in the rim. In the past, 9 mm cartridges were available, as well as .177, .25, etc. cartridges.
BB and CB caps were common, as well as .22 Short and .22 Long.
Today, .22 LR (Long Rifle)accounts for much of rimfire ammunition shot. Recently, a .17 HMR
(nominally .172 caliber) rimfire cartridge was released, and has become extremely popular among target
shooters as well as small game hunters, due to its high velocity and flat shooting characteristics. .22 LR
rounds normally use a soft lead bullet, and can be supersonic or subsonic. They are often copper-washed
both for toxicity reasons and to prevent barrel fouling. .22 Magnum cartridges typically contain copper
jacketed lead projectiles. The newer .17 rounds all feature bullets similar in construction to those found
in centerfire cartridges, such as copper jacketed lead..
Semi-automatic vs. Revolver Cartridges
Nearly every semi-automatic pistol cartridge is "rimless", or more explicitly has an inset rim that the
extractor engages. Revolver cartridges, on the other hand, have a rim at the base of the case which
seats into the cylinder block to keep the cartridge from moving too far forward in the cylinder. Certain
exceptions apply, namely for .45 caliber rimless cartridges that are held in place at the inset with a halfmoon clip, which keeps the otherwise flush bullets held within contact distance of the firing pin. For a
visual comparison of similar-sized cartridges with different rims, see .380 ACP (semi-automatic) vs. .38
Special (revolver.)
Cartridges in use
See also table of pistol and rifle cartridges by year
There is great variety in the length and diameter of cartridges for the different kinds and calibers of rifles
and pistols. The best cartridge for different purposes is subject to much discussion. However, there are
standard uses for certain calibers, and these are a reliable guide to recommended uses.
It is important to note that equivalent caliber is by no means equivalent power. Generally speaking,
"stopping power" is determined by the weight of the bullet, the terminal ballistics of the bullet does it
stay straight and in one piece, tumble, or "mushroom" on impact and the charge of gunpowder
accelerating it.
The following list samples only a few very well-known cartridges; for a complete list, see table of pistol
and rifle cartridges by year. The list is roughly ordered by cartridge length.
Jacketing Of Cartridges' Bullets

A cutaway showing a Japanese Navy 7.7 mm rimed rounds as fired by the

Type 92 and Type 97 machine guns - copies of Vickers and Lewis designs.
The round is effectively interchangeable with .303 British
RNL - Round Nose Lead - An unjacketed lead bullet. Although largely
supplanted by jacketed ammunition, is still common for older
revolver cartridges.

FNL - Flat Nose Lead - Similar to the above, with a flattened nose. Common in Cowboy Action
Shooting loads.

AP - Armor Piercing - A hard bullet made from steel or tungsten alloys in a pointed shape
typically covered by a thin layer of lead and/or a copper/brass jacket. The lead and jacket are
intended to prevent barrel wear from the hard core materials. For metallic silhouette purposes,
AP is slightly worse on unarmored targets than FMJ. This is to indicate the hard AP projectiles'
tendency not to deform or reliably tumble/yaw.

FMJ - Full Metal Jacket - Made with a lead core surrounded by a full covering of brass, copper, or
mild steel. These have very little deformation or expansion, but will occasionally yaw/tumble.

JSP - Jacketed Soft Point - In the late 1800s, the Indian Army arsenal at Dum Dum, near
Calcutta, developed a variation of the FMJ design where the jacket did not cover the nose of the
bullet. The soft lead nose was found to expand in flesh while the remaining jacket still prevented
lead fouling in the barrel. For metallic silhouette purposes, JSP is roughly splitting the difference
between FMJ and JHP. It gives more penetration than JHP but has more stopping power than the
FMJ.

JHP - Jacketed Hollow Point - Soon after the invention of the JSP, Woolwich Arsenal in Great
Britain experimented with this design even further by forming a hole or cavity in the nose of the
bullet while keeping most of the exterior profile intact. These bullets could theoretically deform
even faster and expand to a larger diameter than the JSP.

Glaser Safety Slug - The Glaser Safety Slug dates back to the early 1970s. The inventor, Colonel
Jack Cannon named it for his friend Armin Glaser. Over the years, the projectiles have evolved
from crude, hand-produced examples to mass-production; however, the basic concept has
remained the same: copper jackets filled with bird shot and covered by a crimped polymer
endcap. Upon impact with flesh, the projectile fragments, with the birdshot spreading like a
miniature shotgun pattern. The standard 'Blue' Glaser uses a rather fine birdshot which only gives
5 to 6 inches (130150 mm) of penetration in flesh. The 'Silver' Glaser adds another 1 to 2
inches (3050 mm) of penetration with the use of slightly larger birdshot. Due to the much
reduced penetration in flesh, some have theorized that the Glaser would be ideal where overpenetration of a projectile could be hazardous to bystanders. For instance, the Glaser may be
stopped by an upraised arm. However, for the same reasons, the Glasers terminal performance
can vary dramatically, producing impressive successes and equally spectacular failures depending
on the angle at which the target is struck. Glancing hits on hard surfaces will result in
fragmentation, reducing the risk of ricochets. However, the Glaser can penetrate barriers such as
drywall, plywood, and thin sheet metal if struck directly.

The Hague Accords - The Hague Accords ban the use of expanding projectiles against the military
forces of other nations. Some countries accept this as a blanket ban against the use of expanding
projectiles against anyone, while others[1] use JSP and HP against non-military forces such as
terrorists and criminals.

12 gauge/70 mm shotgun ammunition. They are listed from largest to smallest, separating the
list into non-armor piercing and armor piercing types. The capacities are based on a 70 mm
length hull.

000 Buck

- 8 lead pellets

(0.36 in/9.1 mm)

00 Buck
- 9 lead pellets
(0.33 in/8.4 mm)
0 Buck
- 12 lead pellets
(0.32 in/8.1 mm)
1 Buck
- 16 lead pellets
(0.30 in/7.6 mm)
4 Buck
- 27 lead pellets
(0.24 in/6.1 mm)
QB 8 - 8 pellets (Armor Piercing) - Quadrangle Buck is made from a steel cylinder cut into two
layers of four pie-shaped pieces per layer. The numerous sharp edges enhance penetration at
short ranges; however, the light weight and poor ballistic shape limits its effective range.
Flechettes - 32 flechettes - Flechettes are essentially small steel darts with tiny fins swaged into
the rear.
Slug - Slugs may be made of solid lead, copper, or a composite. Slugs are stabilized in flight by
rifling in the gun tube, by means of integral rifling, or fin-stabilized. Solid or hollow-point slugs are
available but, due to the relatively low velocity, hollow-point slugs have relatively low expansion.
Baton - Rubber batons. Used for training.
Calibers
Ammunition types are listed numerically.

.22 Long Rifle or .22LR cartridge is often used for target shooting and the hunting of small game
such as squirrel, although because of its small size, self-defense handguns chambered in .22
rimfire (despite its name, it is often fired in pistols and revolvers in addition to rifles), though far
less effective than centerfire handguns, can be concealed in situations where a larger handgun
could not. It is the most commonly fired small arms cartridge, primarily because rimfire
ammunition is much cheaper to produce than centerfire and because the recoil from the small .
22" projectile being accelerated to relatively low velocities is very mild.

9 mm can refer to a variety of pistol cartridges, but most commonly it means the 9x19mm
Parabellum round. It is used in a variety of semi-automatic handguns and submachine guns.

.30 US Carbine - In 1940, the US Army's Ordnance Department approached Winchester with a
light rifle concept. This was to bridge the difference between the .45 ACP and the .30-06. For the
cartridge, Winchester recommended a rimless version of their .32 Winchester Self-Loading sized
down for .308 inches (7.8 mm) projectiles. The resulting cartridge tossed a 110-grain (7.1 g)
projectile at nearly 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) from a carbine-length barrel.

.300 Whisper subsonic - Made by necking-up the .221 Remington Fireball case to .308 inches
(7.8 mm) and using a 240-grain (16 g) Sierra MatchKing, this cartridge will fit and feed from
5.56x45mm NATO magazines. The Whisper is subsonic with about as much power and weight as .
45 ACP, but in a thinner bullet which dramatically increases armor penetration.

.300 Winchester Magnum - A long range sniping round, it is favored by US Navy SEALS and the
German Bundeswehr. While not in the same class as the .338 Lapua, it has roughly the same
power as 7 mm Remington Magnum, and easily exceeds the performance of 7.62x51mm NATO.

.308 Winchester - the commercial name of a centerfire cartridge based on the military
7.62x51mm NATO round. Two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65 in
1954, Winchester (a subsidiary of the Olin Corporation) branded the cartridge and introduced it to
the commercial hunting market as the .308 Winchester. Winchester's Model 70 and Model 88
rifles were subsequently chambered for the new cartridge. Since then, the .308 Winchester has
become the most popular short-action big-game hunting cartridge worldwide. It is also commonly
used for civilian targets, military sniping and police sharpshooting.

.338 Lapua (8.6x70mm or 8.58x71mm) - Originally designed as a long range sniping cartridge to
bridge the ballistic gap between the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .50 BMG. It is a specialized
rimless centerfire cartridge developed for sniper rifles. The .338 Lapua is a dual purpose antipersonnel and anti-materiel round for long-range shooting. In addition, with its increased
popularity it is being used by big-game hunters and long-range competition shooters.

.338 Whisper subsonic - Made by necking-up the 7 mm Remington BenchRest case to .338 inches
(8.6 mm) and using a 300-grain (19 g) Sierra MatchKing, this cartridge will fit and feed from
7.62x51mm NATO magazines.

.357 Magnum - Using a lengthened and strengthened version of the .38 Special case, the .357
Magnum was rapidly accepted by hunters and law enforcement. At the time of its introduction, it
was claimed to easily pierce the body panels of automobiles and crack engine blocks.

.357 SIG - Designed to produce .357 Magnum revolver ballistics in a self-loading pistol, the .357
SIG is roughly a .40 S&W case necked down to .355 inches (9.0 mm).

.376 Steyr - Roughly a shortened 9.3x64mm Brenneke case necked up for .375 inches (9.5 mm)
projectiles. The cartridge is loaded to give performance approaching that of the .375 Holland &
Holland.

.40 S&W - Roughly a shorter cased version of the 10x25mm Norma.

.40 S&W subsonic - Roughly a shorter cased version of the 10x25mm Norma, this round loses
about 20% of its energy when subsonic. This round is a step up in power from the 9x19mm
subsonic, and has beaten out the parent 10x25mm subsonic in popularity.

.44 Magnum - A high powered pistol cartridge designed primarily for hunting.

.440 Cor-bon - The .440 Cor-bon is derived by necking down a .50 Action Express case down to
accept the same .429-inch (10.9 mm) projectiles used in .44 Magnum cartridges. The 240-grain
(16 g) .429-inch (10.9 mm) projectile has equal sectional density to the 325-grain (21.1 g) .500inch (12.7 mm) of the .50 AE. However, with equal powder charges, the .440 Cor-bon can launch
the 240-grain (16 g) projectile much faster than the 325 grains (21.1 g) projectile from the .50
AE. This equals greater energy and penetration against hard and soft targets.

.45 ACP - The standard US pistol round for about a century. Typical .45 ACP loads are subsonic,
making them ideal for suppressed weapons.

.45 SAA - A more powerful .45 caliber round with a lengthened shell designed for the Colt Single
Action Army. Other .45 caliber single action revolvers also chamber this round.

.454 Casull - A very high powered pistol cartridge designed for taking the largest game animals.

.45-70 Government - Adopted by the US Army in 1873 as their standard service rifle cartridge.
Most commercial loadings of the cartridge are constrained by the possibility that someone may
attempt to fire a modern loading in one of the 1873-vintage rifles. However, current production
rifles from Marlin, Ruger, and Browning can accept pressures nearly twice as high as the original
black powder specs.

.50 Action Express (AE) - A very high powered pistol cartridge, exceeding the .44 Magnum, the
cartridge's combination of high velocity and mass results in very favorable penetration
characteristics against hard cover and certain types of body armor.

4.6x30mm H&K - H&K's answer to the 5.7x28mm FN. Based on H&K's experimental 4.6x36mm
cartridge for the HK36 ACR in the early 1970s, even retaining its unique Lffelspitz (spoon-nose)
projectile.

4.73x33mm H&K caseless - This revolutionary round, developed for Heckler & Koch G11, encases
the bullet in a combustible material. There is no brass holding the cartridge together and the
"powder" is completely burned upon firing.

5.45x18mm Soviet - Similar to a necked down 6.35x16mm Browning (.25 ACP) and producing
exterior ballistics equal to a .22 rimfire, 5.45x18mm cartridge possesses an impressive ability to
defeat body armor.

5.45x39mm Soviet - The Soviet's response to the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge.

5.56x45mm Steyr Flechette - Introduced for the US Army's ACR trials, the Steyr cartridge uses a
plastic case with a small caliber flechette pulled by a 5.56 mm diameter sabot. The flechette is
launched at a high velocity and the narrow projectile offers excellent penetration.

5.56x45mm NATO - Adopted by the US military in the 1960s, it later became the NATO standard
assault rifle cartridge in the early 80s, displacing the 7.62x51mm. It is a military adaptation of
the .223 Remington, a common cartridge for varminting and small game hunting.

5.7x28mm FN - The small high velocity cartridge appears much like a miniature rifle round. The
5.7 mm FN cartridge has amazing armor penetration due to its small projectile size and speed,
yet has much less recoil than many pistol rounds.

7 mm Remington Magnum - A long-range hunting cartridge.

7.62x39mm - The standard Soviet/ComBloc rifle cartridge from the mid-1940s to the mid-1970s,
it is easily one of the most widely distributed cartridges in the world due to the distribution of the
ubiquitous Kalashnikov AK-47 series.

7.62x42mm - Outwardly similar to the Nagant revolver cartridge, the 7.62x42mm Soviet's case
contains not only propellant and a projectile, but a piston sandwiched between the two. When the
propellant is ignited, the expanding gas presses the piston forward to expel the projectile.
However, the piston remains trapped inside the case, effectively sealing off the escape of
propellant gas. The lack of expelled gas and a subsonic projectile results in no firing signature
other than the mechanism of the parent weapon. The 7.62 42 mm is credited with a maximum
effective range of 50 m, and the SP-4 armor-piercing cartridge can only defeat a helmet or body
armor out to 25 m.

7.62x51mm NATO - This was the standard NATO rifle round until its replacement by the
5.56x45mm. It is currently NATO's standard sniper rifle and medium machine gun cartridge. In
the 1950s it was the standard NATO cartridge for rifles, but recoil and weight proved problematic
for the new battle rifle designs such as the FN FAL.

.30-06, (7.62x63mm) was the standard US Army rifle cartridge for the first half of the 20th
century. It is a full-power rifle cartridge suitable for hunting most North American game.

7.62x54mmR - The standard Russian rifle round from the 1890s to the mid-1940s. The "R"
stands for rimmed. The 7.62x54R rifle cartridge is a Russian design dating back to 1891.
Originally designed for the Mosin-Nagant rifle, it was used during the late Tsarist era and
throughout the Soviet period, in machine guns and rifles such as the SVT-40. The Winchester
Model 1895 was also chambered for this cartridge per a contract with the Russian government. It
is still in use by the Russian military in the Dragunov and other sniper rifles and some machine
guns. The round is colloquially known as the "7.62 Russian". The name is sometimes confused

with the "7.62 Soviet" round, which refers to the 7.62 39 cartridge used in the SKS and AK-47
rifles.

7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) - A very small pistol round. However, it was the predominant
police service cartridge in Europe until the mid-1970s. The "SR" stands for semi-rimmed,
meaning cartridge case has small rim and usual groove.

7.92x57mm Mauser - The standard German service rifle cartridge from 1888 to 1945, the
7.92x57mm (aka 8mm Mauser) has seen wide distribution around the globe through commercial,
surplus, and military sales.

9x19mm Parabellum - Invented for the German military at the turn of the century, the wide
distribution of the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge made it the logical choice for the NATO standard
pistol and SMG round.

9x21mm Russian - The 9x21mm Russian cartridge is roughly a lengthened version of the
9x18mm Makarov/PMM.

9x23mm Winchester - Roughly a 9x19mm case lengthened by 4 mm, the 9x23mm Winchester
has its roots in IPSC competition shooting. John Ricco of CP Bullets had developed the '9x23mm
Super' case as an alternative to the .38 Super ACP, whose cases varied dramaticly in strength.
The .38 Super case also has the disadvantage of a vestigial semi-rim, which can interlock in
magazines. Not to be confused with the externally similar 9x23mm Bergmann-Bayard (aka 9 mm
Largo), Ricco's case could be safely loaded to nearly double the chamber pressure of the older
cartridges. Since Olin/Winchester produced the cases for Ricco, they saw the commercial
potential for using the case in a loaded cartridge. Unfortunately, Olin/Winchester tried to cut
Ricco out of his potential royalties from sale of the new 9x23mm Winchester. The resulting lawsuit
(won by Ricco) and the poor marketing of 9x23mm pistols by Colt has led to tepid commercial
acceptance. Despite these troubles, the 9x23mm Winchester comes closer to the goal of
matching .357 Magnum ballistics than the more popular .357 SIG.

9x30mm Grom - The 9x30mm Grom (Thunder) is roughly similar in dimensions and performance
to the commercially unsuccessful 9mm Winchester Magnum.

9x39mm Soviet subsonic - The 9x39mm Soviet is roughly a 7.62x39mm Soviet case necked up
for a heavy 9 mm rifle projectile. There are competitive loadings from Nikolai Zabelin and Yuri
Folov, each optimized for specific roles.

10x25mm Norma - Originally designed for the ill-fated Bren Ten pistol, the cartridge gained
another lease on life when it was briefly promoted by the US FBI.

.50 BMG (12.7x99mm BMG) - Originally designed to pierce tank armor in the First World War, the
cartridge still serves an anti-materiel round against light armor. It is used in heavy machine guns
and high-powered sniper rifles. Such rifles are intended for destroying military matriel such as
sensitive parts of grounded aircraft and armored transports. Civilian shooters use them for longdistance target-shooting.

14.5x114mm - Also originally designed to pierce tank armor, now used in KPV heavy machine
gun.

History
The original cartridge for military small arms dates from 1586. It consisted of a charge of powder and a
bullet in a paper tube. Thick paper is still known as cartridge paper from its use in these cartridges.

This cartridge was used with the muzzle-loading military firearm, the base of the cartridge being ripped
or bitten off by the soldier, the powder poured into the barrel, and the bullet then rammed home. Before
the invention of the firelock or flintlock, about 1635, the priming was originally put into the pan of the
wheellock and snaphance muskets from a flask containing a fine-grained powder called serpentine
powder.
The evolving nature of warfare required a firearm which could be fired more rapidly, resulting in the
flintlock musket (and later the Baker rifle), in which the pan was covered by furrowed steel. This was
struck by the flint and fired the weapon. In the course of loading a pinch of powder from the cartridge
would be placed into the pan as priming, before the rest of the cartridge was rammed down the barrel,
providing charge and wadding.
Later developments rendered this method of priming unnecessary, as, in loading, a portion of the charge
of powder passed from the barrel through the vent into the pan, where it was held by the cover and
hammer.
The next important advance in the method of ignition was the introduction of the copper percussion cap.
This was only generally applied to the British military musket (the Brown Bess) in 1842, a quarter of a
century after the invention of percussion powder and after an elaborate government test at Woolwich in
1834. The invention which made the percussion cap possible was patented by the Rev. A. J. Forsyth in
1807, and consisted of priming with a fulminating powder made of potassium chlorate, sulphur and
charcoal, which exploded by concussion. This invention was gradually developed, and used, first in a
steel cap, and then in a copper cap, by various gunmakers and private individuals before coming into
general military use nearly thirty years later.
The alteration of the military flint-lock to the percussion musket was easily accomplished by replacing
the powder pan by a perforated nipple, and by replacing the cock or hammer which held the flint by a
smaller hammer with a hollow to fit on the nipple when released by the trigger. On the nipple was placed
the copper cap containing the detonating composition, now made of three parts of potassium chlorate,
two of fulminate of mercury and one of powdered glass. The detonating cap thus invented and adopted,
brought about the invention of the modern cartridge case, and rendered possible the general adoption of
the breech-loading principle for all varieties of rifles, shotguns and pistols.
Integrated paper cartridges

Chassepot paper cartridge (1866).

The first integrated cartridge, was developed in Paris in 1808 by the Swiss gunsmith Jean Samuel Pauly
in association with French gunsmith Franois Prlat. Pauly created the first fully self-contained
cartridges:[2] the cartridges incorporated a copper base with integrated mercury fulminate primer powder
(the major innovation of Pauly), a paper casing and a round bullet. [3] The cartridge was loaded through
the breech and fired with a needle. The needle-activated central-fire breech-loading gun would become a
major feature of firearms thereafter.[4] Pauly made an improved version which was protected by a patent
on 29 September 1812.[2]
Probably no invention connected with firearms has wrought such changes in the principle of gun
construction as those effected by the "expansive cartridge case". This invention has completely
revolutionized the art of gunmaking, has been successfully applied to all descriptions of firearms, and
has produced a new and important industry: that of cartridge manufacture. Its essential feature is the
preventing gas escaping the breech when the weapon is fired, by means of an expansive cartridge case
containing its own means of ignition. Previous to this invention shotguns and sporting rifles were loaded
by means of powder flasks and shot flasks, bullets, wads and copper caps, all carried separately. One of

the earliest efficient modern cartridge case was the pin-fire cartridge, developed by French gunsmith
Casimir Lefaucheux in 1836.[5]. It consisted of a thin weak shell made of brass and paper which
expanded by the force of the explosion, fitted perfectly into the barrel, and thus formed an efficient gas
check. A small percussion cap was placed in the middle of the base of the cartridge, and was exploded
by means of a brass pin projecting from the side and struck by the hammer. This pin also afforded the
means of extracting the cartridge case. This cartridge was introduced in England by Lang, of Cockspur
Street, London, about 1855. Later in 1846, M.Houiller, another Paris gunsmith, improved on the system
by introducing a fully metallic cartridge in 1847.[6]

A diagram of a Dreyse needle gun cartridge, showing the paper cartridge

case, the sabot, and acorn-shaped bullet.

As a result of the relatively low pressures involved, cartridges used in modern shotguns have changed
very little since the invention of the center-fire primer. The only changes are that the cases may be
made of paper, plastic, and/or metal; the wadding between powder and shot is now made of modern
materials; and the end of the cartridge case is more precisely fitted to the breech chamber, which ranges
in modern shotguns from .410-inch (10.4 mm) bore to various gauges, 10 gauge being the largest still
used in modern shoulder-held shotguns (smaller gauges have industrial uses). Gauge is measured by
the number of equal-sized balls that can be formed from a pound of pure lead; a 12-gauge shotgun has
a bore of .729 inches (18.5 mm), which is the diameter of a 112-pound (38 g) ball of lead; a 10 gauge
fits one of 10 balls produced from a pound (460 g) of lead (.775 inches/19.7 millimetres bore).
Rifle cartridges, on the other hand, have undergone significant changes as the pressures involved have
increased. In the case of military rifles the breech-loading cartridge case was first adopted in principle by
the Prussians about 1841 in the needle-gun breech-loader. In this a conical bullet rested on a thick wad,
behind which was the powder, the whole being enclosed in strong lubricated paper. The detonator was in
the hinder surface of the wad, and fired by a needle driven forward from the breech, through the base of
the cartridge and through the powder, by the action of a spiral spring set free by the pulling of the
trigger.
In the American Civil War (1861-65) a breechloading rifle, the Sharps, was introduced and produced in
large numbers. It could be loaded with either a ball or a paper cartridge. After that war many were
converted to the use of metal cartridges. The development by Smith and Wesson (amongst many
others) of revolver handguns that used metal cartridges helped to establish cartridge firearms as the
standard in the USA by the 1870s although many continued to use percussion revolvers well after that.
Full metal cartridges

(From Left to Right): A .577 Snider cartridge (1867), a .577/450 MartiniHenry cartridge (1871), a later drawn brass .577/450 Martini-Henry
cartridge, and a .303 British Mk VII SAA Ball cartridge.

French Army Fusil Gras mle 1874 metallic cartridge.

In 1867 the British war office adopted the Eley-Boxer metallic central-fire cartridge case in the Enfield
rifles, which were converted to Snider-Enfield breech-loaders on the Snider principle. This consisted of a

10

block opening on a hinge, thus forming a false breech against which the cartridge rested. The priming
cap was in the base of the cartridge, and was discharged by a striker passing through the breech block.
Other European powers adopted breech-loading military rifles from 1866 to 1868, with paper instead of
metallic cartridge cases. The original Eley-Boxer cartridge case was made of thin coiled brass occasionally these cartridges could break apart and jam the breech with the unwound remains of the
casing upon firing. Later the solid-drawn, central-fire cartridge case, made of one entire solid piece of
tough hard metal, an alloy of copper, with a solid head of thicker metal, has been generally substituted.

The 8 mm Lebel ammunition, developed in 1886, the first smokeless

gunpowder cartridge to be made and adopted by any country.

Central-fire cartridges with solid-drawn metallic cases containing their own means of ignition are almost
universally used in all modern varieties of military and sporting rifles and pistols.
Around 1970, machined tolerances had improved to the point that the cartridge case was no longer
necessary to seal a firing chamber. Precision-faced bolts would seal as well, and could be economically
manufactured.
Reloading
Some shooting enthusiasts reload their spent brass cartridges. By using a press and a set of dies, one
can reshape, deprime, reprime, recharge the case with gunpowder, and seat and crimp a new bullet.
One can do this at about half the cost of purchasing factory ammunition. It also allows one to use
different weights and shapes of bullets, as well as varying the powder charge which affects accuracy and
power. Enthusiasts usually only reload boxer primed cartridges as the process is more easily automated
than berdan priming.
See also: Handloading
Caseless ammunition
Main article: Caseless ammunition
Around 1989, Heckler & Koch, a prominent German firearms manufacturer, began making press releases
about the G11 assault rifle, which shot a 4.73x33 square caseless round. The round was mechanically
fired, with an integral primer.
In 1993 Voere of Austria began selling a gun and caseless ammunition. Their system used a primer,
electronically-fired at 17.5 2 volts. The upper and lower limits prevent fire from either stray currents
or static electricity. The direct electrical firing eliminates the mechanical delays associated with a striker,
reducing reaction time (lock time), and allowing for easier adjustment of the rifle trigger.
In both cases, the "case" was molded directly from solid nitrocellulose, which is itself relatively strong
and inert. The bullet and primer were glued into the propellant block.
Trounds
Main article: Dardick tround
The Tround (Triangular Round) was a unique type of cartridge designed in 1958 by David Dardick, for
use in specially designed Dardick 1100 and Dardick 1500 open-chamber firearms. As their name
suggests, Trounds were triangular in shape, and were made of plastic or aluminium, with the cartridge
completely encasing the powder and projectile. The Tround design was also produced as a cartridge

11

adaptor, to allow conventional .38 Special and .22 Long Rifle cartridges to be used with the Dardick
firearms.
Blank ammunition

Blank cartridges:
7.62x51mm NATO (left)
9x19mm Parabellum (right).

A blank is a charged cartridge that does not contain a projectile the opening where the projectile
would be held is crimped shut or sealed with some material that will disperse rapidly upon leaving the
barrel, in order to contain the propellant. This sealing material can still potentially cause harm at
extremely close range. Blanks are used in training, but do not always cause a weapon to behave in an
identical way to when using live ammunition; recoil will almost always be far weaker, and some
automatic weapons will only cycle correctly when the weapon is fitted with a blank-firing adaptor to
confine gas pressure within the barrel in order to operate the gas system. Blanks may also be used to
launch a rifle grenade, although later systems used a "bullet trap" design that captures a bullet from a
conventional round, speeding deployment. This also negates the risk of mistakenly firing a live bullet into
the rifle grenade, causing it to explode instead of propelling it forward. Blanks may also be used in
dedicated launchers for propelling a grapnel, rope line or flare, or for a training lure for training gun
dogs. The propellant cartridges used in a heavier variety of nail gun are essentially rimfire blanks.
Drill rounds
Drill rounds are inert versions of cartridges used for education and practice during military training.
Other than the lack of propellant, they are the same size as normal cartridges and will fit into the
mechanism of a weapon in the same way as a live cartridge. To distinguish them from live rounds they
are marked distinctively. Several forms of markings may be used; eg setting coloured flutes in the
cartridge, drilling holes through the cartridge, colouring the bullet or cartridge, or a combination of
these. In the case of centrefire drill rounds the primer will often be absent, its mounting hole in the base
left open. Because they are mechanically identical to live rounds, which are intended to be loaded once,
fired and then discarded, drill rounds have a tendency to become significantly worn and damaged with
repeated passage through magazines and firing mechanisms, and need to be frequently inspected to
ensure they are not so degraded as to become unusable - for example the casings can become torn or
misshapen and snag on moving parts, or the bullet can become separated and stay in the breech when
the cartridge is ejected.

12