CHAPTER 4

Ammunition
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the chapter the students will be able
to:
1. Know the meaning of ammunition
2. Classify cartridges according to location of
primer, type of firearm used, effects, power, types of
caliber

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Legal Definition
A. Chapter VII, Section 290 of the National Internal Revenue Code as well as in
Section 877 of Revised Administrative Code
- It 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.
•
A. Republic Act No. 10591
- It refers to a complete unfixed unit consisting of a bullet, gunpowder, cartridge
case and primer or loaded shell for use in any firearm.

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Technical Definition
- It 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. The term may also refer to a “single round”.
- Cartridge is a complete round of ammunition for a firearm. The term
cartridge and ammunition can be used interchangeably.

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Origin
The cartridge evolved about the turn of the 16ͭ ͪ century. In 1635,
the first cartridge was invented by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.
He was credited with this invention. These were simple packages which
he furnished to his troops during the 30 years of war. The package was
torn, and the content was poured down inside the barrel. Most shooters
during those days had to carry two powder horns, the first is the powder
to be poured in the barrel, and the second is for fine grains powder for
priming charge. The invention of paper cartridge eliminated the
package of the use of the horn in carrying the powder mixture in bottles
or tubes.

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 The term cartridge evolved about the turn of the 6 ͭ ͪ century. The
earliest small arms ammunition or cartridge consisted of a pre-measured
charge of powder wrapped in paper. 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 original cartridges were not the brass gliding metal tripped units
which we are familiar with today.

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 The paper cartridge remained standard, for muzzle loading
firearms though the middle of the 19 ͭ ͪ century. The paper cartridge was
designed for the combustible cartridge. It was employed in muzzle-
loading firearms, revolving chamber firearms, and in several breech
loading firearms. The casing and enclosing the gunpowder was made
from nitrate paper, collodion, cloth, animal intestine or some other
materials which would not leave a residue in the chamber of the gun
barrel after firing.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF
CARTRIDGES
1. According to Location of
Primer
a. Needle-fire cartridge – the prime
is placed in the base of the bullet. A
long sharp firing pin is pierced the
paper or foil case to reach the
primer.
b. Tit-fire cartridge – a copper case
nipple was containing the protruding
cup, though which a hole rears the
breech block, to the struck and
detonated by the falling hammer.
c. Tail-fire cartridge – the opening of the
rifle for loading is compressed by spring,
once the rifle has been loaded and the
breech is close operation of the trigger to
crush against the underside of the block
and detonate a flat percussion tail from
the rear of the cartridge.
d. Pin-fire Cartridge – the first cartridge of a self-
exploding type developed by Monsieur Le
Faucheux of Paris, around 1836. The primer was
placed on the sidewall of a copper case and a
brass pin was installed in the opposite side of the
case, the intended pin rested on the primer then
the hammer falls on the side of the case, driving
the pin into the primer.
e. Rim-fire cartridge – developed by
Louis Nicolas Auguste Flobert of
France, around 1845 the priming
mixture is contained or located in the
cavity inside and around the rim of the
cartridge which is a very sensitive
area. This cartridge is usually applied
to caliber .22 firearms.
f. Ring-fire Cartridge – it is a
type of cartridge used on the
sabotage case. This is a special
type of cartridge wherein the
priming mixture is placed in a
circular hallow ring about 1/3 of
the base of the cartridge.

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g. Volcanic Cartridge – a system made
by Robin and Laurence around 1854.
The cartridge was a mini ball with a
base cavity filled with propellant. A
paper disc holding a fulminate pellet is
closed at the back of the base, this
type of cartridge is like needle-fire but
the firing pin can easily damage.
h. Center- fire Cartridge – in
1858, the Moors cartridge marked
the developed of the cartridge.
The primer cap is forced into the
middle portion of the head of the
cartridge case.
2. According to the type of firearm used

a.Revolver Cartridge – it has a

rimmed base, which allows the
cylinder where the camber is
located to clamp its rim.
b. Pistol Cartridge –
extracting grooves are
designed to allow easier
packaging of the rounds in the
magazine.
c. Assault rifle Cartridge –
longer than a hand weapon
and generally bottle necked
for larger power capacity and
increased powder.
d. Shotgun Cartridge – the
case is generally made up of
plastic or paper designed to
fire several projectile
spreading out to create a come
of fire.
e. Caseless Cartridge – the powder is the
casing itself of the projectiles. It requires
varnishing to protect it from moisture and
moderate shocks. There are few residues
left after the gunpowder had exploded.
The cross section is generally fragile to
cause fragmentation.
 4. According to Power
3. According to its Effects
a. Low-power Cartridge – with a
a. Penetrators – pierce targets using a
muzzle velocity of less than 1,850 feet
single bullet
per second.
b. High explosives – burst before hitting
b. High-power Cartridge – with a
their target fragmenting into thousands of
muzzle velocity of 1,900 fps to 2,500
penetrating pieces or becoming a high-
feet per second
speed jet of molten metal.
c. High-intensity cartridge – with a
c. Carrier projectiles – break open near
muzzle a velocity of more than 2,500
the target to deliver leaflets, radar-
feet per second
deceiving materials, or submunitions
(small ammunition).
 5. According to the type of Caliber
The caliber of a gun is the diameter of its bore measure in a fraction of an inch between two opposite
lands for the barrel with even lands. The caliber of a firearm designated only as an approximation of the bore
diameter and is usually closer to the groove diameter. The different systems of measuring the caliber of a
firearm are Metric or European (millimeter) and English or American (inches) systems of measurement.
In converting millimeter to inches – multiple the millimeters by 0.0393 or divided by 25.4 or
converting by .03937.

Shotgun shell
It is the cartridge for the shotgun. It is also called a “shell”, and its body may be made up of metal or
plastic or paper with a metal head. The length of a shot shell is normally given in inches and is base on the
length of the spent hull.

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presentation title 23
PARTS OF SHOTGUN SHELL
a. Shot cup – it is a plastic cup that holds shot in
pattern as it leaves from the muzzle of the firearm.
b. Tube or case – prior to 1960, paper tubes were
used, with mouth closed by rolled crimps or with
plastic body or hull with mouth closed by die crimp,
eliminating the need for the overshot wad.
c. Primer – it is the very sensitive part of the cartridge
located in the bottom portion of the case which
ignites the powder charge.

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d. Propellant – a chemical compound used
in firearms that burns upon ignition. The
gases produced by this rapid combustion.
The gases produced by this rapid combustion
propel the pellet down the bore of the
firearm.
e. Crimp – a portion of the cartridge that is
bent inward to hold the shots in place.

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f. Wads – it helps to contain the shot, seal off
the shot payload from the ignition gases to
prevent deformation and project the barrel
from lead building up. The four types of
wards are base wad under powder, overpower
and filler.
g. Shot / pellet – small spherical projectile
for the shotgun.

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KINDS OF SHOT / PELLET
1. Buckshot (BS) – consist of a number of
lead balls that spread out as they travel.
These pellets are not very effective (in 00
buckshot, each one is .33 inch in diameter),
but collectively they result in large and
destructive wounds. At a longer distance,
however the shot spreads and fewer pellets
hit the target.
2. Birdshot – it is the smallest type of
shotgun pellets. It is typically used by
hunters who want to shoot birds or other
flying wildlife.
3. Slug (SL) ­– instead of a group of lead balls, the
shell contains a single huge bullet with angled
grooves cut into side to spin it, as it travels down
the smooth bore of a shotgun. The penetration of a
slug is better than shot, but the wound channel is
not as the shot.
4. Tungsten-Iron shot – it is formed either
powdered tungsten and powdered iron, they are
blended together and pressed into a pellet, then
sintered or bonded together by the heating process.
The shot is coated with a rush inhibitor, and it is
harder than both lead and steel.
5. Flechette Shot (FS) – a
cluster of sturdy steel needles,
replaced the shot of the
standard shotgun shell. These
flechettes have tiny fins at their
base to stabilize them in flight.
Air resistance is greatly
improved overshot than in
armor piercing capability.
6. Armor-piercing Bullet (APB) –
the discarding sabot slug processes
an aerodynamic shape that keeps it
stable flight even though it does not
spin. It is smaller in diameter than a
standard slug and surrounded within
the shell by a tow-piece plastic sabot.
After exiting the barrel, the sabot
splits in half and fall away because of
air resistance.
7. Steel shot – it is made by cutting soft
steel wire into short lengths, which are
formed into the shot. The shot is then
annealed and coated with a rust inhibitor.
Wads for steel shot ammunition, are
molded from high density polyethylene.
It has thick sidewalls to prevent the
pellets from contracting the shotgun bore
surface. High velocity Steel loads have a
cushion to reduce recoil.
8. Tungsten-Iron and steel –
this shell has a layer of steel
over a layer of Tungsten-
Iron. It gives a dense
combined pattern at longer
ranges. It can be used in any
shotgun recommended for
steel shot.