AMMUNITION/ CARTRIDGE

DEFINITION OF AMMUNITION AND CARTRIDGE

Ammunition (Legal Definition) refers to any loaded shell for rifles, muskets,
carbines, shotguns, revolvers, and pistols from which a bullet, ball, shot, shell, or other
missiles maybe fired by means of gunpowder or other explosives. The term also
includes ammunition for air rifles.
This is the legal definition of ammunition as provided under section 877 of the
Revised Administrative Code. Technically, the term cartridge is used to describe a
complete unfired unit consisting of bullet, cartridge case, propellant (gun powder), and
primer.
While ammunitions for large caliber guns are called shells, ammunitions for rifles
and handguns are usually called cartridges.
Ammunition (Technical Definition) refers to a group of cartridges or to a
single unit cartridge- meaning a complete unfired unit consisting of a bullet, cartridge
case, gunpowder and primer.
Origin of Cartridge
 The term cartridge is derived from the word “Charta,” the Latin word for paper.
 Later on, it came through the French word “Cartouche,” meaning a roll of paper,
which indicates that the origin cartridges were not brass gliding-metal tipped
units which we are familiar with today.
Parts of a Cartridge
 Bullet
 The projectile propelled through the barrel of a firearm by means of the
expansive force of gases coming from burning gunpowder.
 Cartridge case
 The tubular metallic container for the gunpowder. Sometimes called
“shell” or “casing”.
 Gunpowder
 The powder charge which, when ignited by the primer flash, is converted
to heated gas under high pressure and propels the bullet or shots charge
through the barrel and to the target. Sometimes called “propellant” or
“powder charge”.
 Primer
 The metal cup containing the highly sensitive priming mixture of chemical
compound, which when hit or struck by the firing pin would ignite. Such
action is called “percussion”.

Figure 27 - Sawed-off shotgun and standard shotgun

Classification of Cartridges

1
  According to Types of Firearms
 Revolver cartridges
 Pistol cartridges
 Rifle cartridges
 Shotgun cartridges
 According to Location of Primer
 Needle-fire cartridges (obsolete)
 Pin-fire cartridges (obsolete)
 Rim-fire cartridges
 Center-fire cartridges
 According to Caliber…
Cal. 22
Cal. 38
Cal. 45 etc.

Pin-fire cartridge Rim-fire cartridge Center-fire cartridge

Figure 30 - Three types of cartridge according to location of primer

Figure 31 – Classification according to rim

SHOTGUN AMMUNITION

 Shotshell- a cartridge containing a projectiles designed to be fired in a shotgun. The

cartridge body maybe metal, plastic or paper.
 Shot- typically lead or steel.
 Wadding- plastic cup which holds the shot

KINDS OF SHOTS/ PELLETS

1. BUCKSHOT- consist of lead balls.

2
2. SLUG- single slug with angled grooves cut into its side to spin it. This refers to sabot slug.

3. TUNGSTEN- IRON SHOT- formed from powdered tungsten and iron, blended together and
pressed into a pellet.

4. FLECHETTE SHOT- a cluster of sturdy steel needles with tiny fins at their base to stabilize
them in flight.

ILLUSTRATIONS:

CARTRIDGE CASE/ SHELL

THE CARTRIDGE CASE

Cartridge case for small arms ammunition is also called shell and casing. Cartridge case
can be defined as the tubular metallic or non-metallic container that holds together the bullet,
gunpowder and primer. It is the ammunition component that is automatically ejected from auto
loading firearms during the firing process.

The parts of a standard shell are as follows:

1. Rim: This part of the shell limits the forward travel of cartridge into the chamber,
particularly in rimmed cartridges. For rimless and semi-rimmed cartridges, the rim
limits the clearance between the head and supporting surface of the bolt of the
firearm.
2. Primer Pocket: This part has three functions: (a) to hold the primer in central
position; (b) to prevent gas from escaping to the rear of the cartridge; and (c) to
provide solid support of primer anvil.
3. Vent: Also called flash hole, this part provides a passage of heat and flame from the
primer pocket towards the gunpowder chamber.
4. Body: This is the ‘cork’ that plugs the breech to prevent gas from escaping at the
rear of the gun barrel. For bottleneck shaped cartridges, the cork includes the
shoulder and the neck.
5. Neck: This is the part occupied by the bullet, which is true for rifle and machinegun
cartridges.

3
 6. Cannelure: This is composed of serrated grooves found at the interior surface of
the neck which has a dual function: to serve as lubricant groove and to prevent the
bullet from being pushed or pulled.
7. Crimp: This acts as the lip since it is found at the periphery of the mouth of the
cartridge case. It has also two functions: to aid in holding the bullet in place and to
resist the initial forward motion of the bullet while the gunpowder undergoes
combustion.
8. Shoulder: This part supports the shell’s neck and is only present in rifle and
machinegun cartridges.
9. Base: This is the bottom part of the case that contains the primer, rim, and
headstamp.
10. Headstamp: The bottom surface of the shell that contains engraved data such as
the manufacturer’s ID, caliber and year of manufacture.
11. Extracting groove: This is the circular groove near the base of the shell designed
for automatic withdrawal after each firing.

TYPES OF SHELL ACCORDING TO SHAPE

1. Straight case: This description of shell is true to pistol and revolver ammunition.
This is the casing of all rimmed-cartridges for revolvers and all center-fire pistol ammo
that are now manufactured.

2. Tapered case: This is an obsolete type of shell. It is very rare but presently
being used in magnum jet cartridge of caliber .22 firearms.

1. Bottleneck case: This description is applicable to shell of rifle ammunition. This

is the casing of most modern center-fire rifle cartridges. This is the type of shell
that provides the greatest powder capacity commensurate with over-all case
length.

Figure 35 - Types of shell according to shape

TYPES OF SHELL ACCORDING TO RIM

This classification of shell is based on head-form or base design. The 5 basic base
designs of cartridge cases are as follows:

1. Rimmed case: This type of shell is designed for cartridges of revolvers, shotguns
and some single shot rifles. This the earliest type of shell. The diameter of the cartridge base is
wider than the diameter of the body.

It provides for easy extraction from the chamber, however, it is not suited for automatic
feeding from box magazine. Revolvers and shotgun ammos normally have rimmed shells which
stops them from sliding through the breech upon loading in the chamber.

2. Semi-rimmed case: This type of shell is designed to combine the advantages of the
rimmed and rimless casing. However, it never became popular.

4
 3. Rimless case: This has a base with the same diameter as that of the body. This
case design allows smooth feeding from magazine to the chamber. The case length and
shoulder allow proper head spacing. Since rimless case is the shell design of cartridges for
semiautomatic pistols and autoloading rifles, it has extracting groove to allow automatic
extraction

Figure 36 - Types of Shell According to Rim

BULLET
BULLET
 Refers to a metallic or non – metallic, cylindrical projectile propelled from a firearm by
means of expansive force of gases.
 Originated from the French word “BOULETTE” meaning a small ball.
 This is also refer to slug, projectile, ball and pellet
 A bullet does not contain explosives, and damages its target by imparting its kinetic
energy upon impact.

BULLET TERMINOLOGY

1. BASE – the portion of the bullet that receives the thrust and heat from the burning
powder.
2. BEARING SURFACE – the area of the bullet that contacts the barrel rifling.
3. CANNELURE – a ring depression around the body of a bullet used to receive the
case crimp.
4. CORE – the bulk of the mass in a bullet. Usually lead components but sometimes
containing other metals for special purposes such as penetration and tracing.
5. HEAD HEIGHT – length of bullet from the shoulder to the tip.
6. HEEL – the location on the bullet where the heel ends and the bearing surface
begins
7. JACKET – jacketed bullet have a material different from the core material that
covers some of the entire core.
8. MEPLAT – refers to the diameter of the flat or blunt end of the nose of the bullet.
9. OGIVE – the radius or curve between the bearing surface and the point.
10.POINT – the most forward point of the ogive.
11.SHOULDER – the place on the bullet where the parallel sides end and the ogive
begins.

5
CLASSIFICATION OF BULLET ACCORDING TO FORM AND SHAPE

1. Wad – Type
2. Pointed Nose
3. Semi – wad
4. Hollow point
5. Pointed Type
6. Round nose
7. Metal Point

GUNPOWDER

GUNPOWDER
 Whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly,
releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms.
 Both forms of gunpowder are low explosives. As it burns, a subsonic deflagration wave
is produced rather than the supersonic detonation wave which high explosives produce.
As a result, pressures generated inside a gun are sufficient to propel a bullet, but not
sufficient to destroy the barrel.

Note:
The Chinese were believed to be the first to invent black powder sometime in the 19 th
century during the Han Dynasty.

Origin:
Wu Ching Tsun- the unrecognized inventor of gunpowder.

Roger Bacon- An English monk and scientist, credited for the

invention of gunpowder in 1248.

Berthold Schwartz(real name Constantine Angklitzen) - A German monk,

recognized for the application of gunpowder to the propelling of a bullet in the early 1300.

Classification of Gunpowder

1. Black Powder
 First gunpowder to be discovered and is the oldest among the propellant.
Consists of irregular grains either dull or shiny black surface and produces a
large amount of smoke when fired.

Composition of Black Powder:

6
 1. Potassium Nitrate………………………………………. 75%
2. Charcoal…………………………………………………15%
3. Sulphur……………………………………………………10%
2. Smokeless Gunpowder
 Named not because it is smokeless when ignited but it does not give off a huge cloud of
smoke when set fire unlike those of the black powder.
 It is the most powerful propellant as well as being the cleanest.

Three Main Classes of Smokeless Powder

1. Single Base Propellant- Nitrocellulose is the only energetic material. Contains only pure
nitroglycerine gelatinized with nitrocellulose.

2. Double Base Propellant- Are those having nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine as their major
ingredients. Such as Vaseline Phthalate Esters, Centralite and Inorganic Salts.

3. Triple Base Propellant- Contains a mixture of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin and nitro-

guanidine. Has low smoke production.

Types/ Forms Of Gunpowder

Flake Propellant Tabular Or Cylindrical

Flattened Ball Propellant Ball Propellant