Forc106 - Module 4 New

CHAPTER 4
Ammunition comes in a great range of sizes and types and is often designed
to work only in specific weapons systems. However, there are internationally
recognized standards for certain ammunition types (e.g., 5.56×45mm NATO) that
enable their use across different weapons and by different users. There are also
specific types of ammunition that are designed to have a specialized effect on a
target, such as armor-piercing shells and tracer ammunition, used only in certain
circumstances. Ammunition is commonly labeled or colored in a specific manner to
assist in the identification and to prevent the wrong ammunition types from being
used accidentally or inappropriately.
LESSON
Ammunition
Legal Definition
Ammunition refers to the loaded shell for rifles, muskets, carbines,

shotguns, revolvers, and pistols from which a ball, shotshell, or other missiles may be
fired by means of gunpowder or other explosives. The term also includes
ammunition for air rifles, as mentioned in the code. (Chapter VII, Sec.290 of NIRC
as well as Sec 877 RAC)
Technical Definition
Ammunition refers to a group of cartridges or to a single cartridge. A

cartridge is a completely unfired unit consisting of the bullet (ball), primer (cap),
cartridge case (shell), and gunpowder (propellant).
Origin:
The word cartridge was derived from the Latin word “Charta” meaning —
“paper” and also from the French word “Cartouche” meaning —rolled paper. This
only indicates that the first type of cartridge was made up of rolled paper. It was
about the turn of the 16th century that the term “cartridge” came to use.
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Figure 31. Various cartridges from left to right: .50 BMG, 300 Win Mag, .308
Winchester, 7.62 Soviet, 5.56 NATO, .22LR types of cartridges.
A. General types of Ammunition
1. Dummy (fake) model = a type of ammunition that merely resembles the

genuine one. It is a carefully made replica of a cartridge, usually of tool steel and
dimensioned, to be used by weapons instructors, inspectors, and repairmen when
checking the functioning of the weapon.
2. Drill Ammunition (w/o gun powder) = It is a type of ammunition that is

completely inert, without an explosive, and is used in mill training to practice loading
and manipulation of the gun. It is sometimes called “dummy” although in the strict ~
since there is a difference.
Figure 32. Drill Ammo.
3. Blank Ammunition (w/o bullet) = ammunition without a bullet, containing

gunpowder that is designed to generate a loud noise to indicate firing. This type of
ammunition is used for theatrical performances or filmmaking, training dogs, and
military training.
4. Live Ammunition = is the term applied for a complete unit of the unfired
cartridge.
WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

3
Figure 33. Yugoslavian 7.9 mm Blank Cartridge
Figure 34. The component Parts of a Cartridge
B. Classification of Cartridges
1. According to the location of the primer
a. Pin-fire = is a type of cartridge in which the ignition cap (primer) is

concealed inside the cartridge case and has a pin resting upon it. The pin
protrudes radially through the side and the gun chamber has a notch for the
pin to stand when loaded and it will be struck by a falling hammer. This type
of cartridge is said to have been used by the French in the 1830s in shotgun
ammunition and later in revolver and pisto| ammunition. At present. there
are still some traces of this kind although it is no longer being used or
manufactured.
b. Rim-fire = is a type of cartridge in which the priming mixture is located at
the hollow rim of the case and can be fired if the cartridge is tucked by the
firing pin on the rim of the case (cavity rim). It may be identified easily by the
smooth base of the cartridge and which may or may not have a headstamp
imprinted on it (1860-1880). At present, this type of cartridge is entirely
confined to the caliber .22 short, long, or magnum.
c. Center-fire = refers to a cartridge in which the primer cap (ignition cap) is
centrally placed in the base of the cartridge case and the priming mixture is
exploded by the impact of the firing pin and with the support of the anvil. The
flame produced by the ignition of the priming mixture will pass through the
vent or flash hole and will ignite and combust the gunpowder.
Head stamp is frequently used and it consists of the design or later imprinting
on the shell head. It sometimes contains the manufacturer or maker, as well as
the date of manufacture.

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(a) (b) (c)
Figure 35. (a) Pinfire, (b) Rimfire, and (c) Center Fire Cartridges
2. According to Rim Diameter
a. Rimmed case type = a type of cartridge in which the case has a well-defined
upstanding rim around the base or simply a cartridge with a rim diameter greater
than the diameter of the body of the shell. A common example of this is caliber 22
and .38 used in revolvers.
b. Semi-rimmed type = a cartridge with a case slightly rimmed. At first glance, a

cartridge is a rimless form but with a closer look, the rim is slightly greater than the
diameter of the body. This was invented by John Browning for an automatic pistol in
1903 for greater fit to the chamber. It is commonly seen in 6.35 mm, 7.65 mm, and
9mm, and Browning long automatic pistol cartridges.
c. Rimless type = a type of cartridge with a case having a rim diameter equal to the
diameter of the body, with an “extraction groove” cut around the base. Its advantage
is that it allows the cartridge to slide into the magazine. This is commonly used in
9mm and caliber .45 pistols.
d. Rebated type = refers to the cartridge with a rimless pattern, but which has a
rim diameter smaller than the body of the case. It is seen in some Oerlikon 20 mm
cannon cartridges and later on some custom-built sporting rifles of unusual calibers.
e. Belted type = a cartridge with a prominent raise belt around its body just in front
of the extraction groove. This is used for two basic purposes: (1) to position the case
and the projectile accurately in the chamber and (2) to strengthen the rear of the case
for use with high-powered propelling chargers.
Caliber designation and its interpretation are difficult factors to explain to a layman
for their inconsistencies and varieties.
In English-speaking countries, the caliber of the gun or cartridge used is expressed in

one-hundredth (0.01”) or one-thousandths (.001”) of an inch. Thus, we have caliber
.22 inch, .25 cal, .38 cal, .45 cal, etc.

5
In countries using the metric system of measurements, the caliber is

expressed in millimeters, thus we have 6.35 mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, and 11mm. In
cartridges, the caliber is generally referred to as the base diameter of the bullet. This
is measured with the use of a caliber.
Calibers in cartridges in inches and their appropriate equivalent in mm and use:
Inches used in revolvers, pistols

about 5.59mm used in pistols and rifles
Cal .22 about 6.35mm used in carbines and
Cal .25 about 7.63mm rifles
Cal .30 about 7.63mm (luger) for automatic pistols and
Cal .30 about 7.65mm revolvers
Cal .32 used for pistols
about 9mm used for revolver
Cal .380 about 9mm used (magnum) .357
Cal .38 about 9mm revolver
Cal .357 used in magnum .44
about 11mm revolver
Cal .44 used in automatic pistols
about 11mm used in .50 cal machine
Cal .45 gun
Cal .50 Use
MM

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Figure 36. From left to right: .50 Action Express, .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .45
ACP, .40 Sew, 9 mm Luger Parabellum,.22 Long Rifle.
Shotgun Cartridge
Shotgun Cartridge
It refers to a complete unit of unfired Cartridge consisting of pellets, primer,

case, wads, and gunpowder.
Figure 37. Shotgun Cartridge
Parts of the Shotgun Cartridge:
1. Case or casing = usually made from plastic or paper rolled which houses the
powder, pellets, and wads.
2. Primer = a battery-type primer containing the igniter.
3. Pellets = a number of lead shots contained in the case.
4. Wad = a paper designed to separate the pellets from the powder charge.
5. Powder charge = also known as the propellant or gunpowder.

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Figure 38. Parts of a Shotgun Cartridge
Gauge of Shotgun
Compared with other types of firearms, the shotgun has very unique
characteristics in terms of its diameter designation both for its firearm and cartridge
use. The unit of measurement used in a shotgun is expressed in Gauge. This is
determined by the number of solid lead balls of pure lead, each with a diameter of the
barrel that can be prepared from one pound of lead. If for instance we have 12 balls
that can be made out of one pound of lead and each bail exactly fitted to the inside of
the barrel of a shotgun, the gun is called a 12-gauge or 12-bore shotgun. Each lead
ball for a 12-gauge should therefore weigh 1/12 of a pound. Such is applied in almost
all types of shotguns in which the diameter is expressed in a thousandth of an inch.
At present, the 10-gauge shotgun is considered with the biggest diameter while the
.410 is the smallest one. Listed below are the equivalents of diameter from gauge to
inch.
Gauge Inch
10 .775 inch
12 .729 inch
16 .670 inch
20 .615 inch
28 .550 inch
410 .410 inch
Types of Shots
1. Soft or Drop Shots - made by pure or nearly pure lead, to which a small amount
of arsenic has been added to make it take on the form of a spherical drop as it falls
down the shot tower. This type gets easily deformed or flattened, and they lose their
velocity quicker, and it has low penetrating power and tends to string out more.

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2. Chilled or Hard Shot - a type of shot with a small amount of antimony mixed
with lead to increase hardness. It does not deform easily, has better patterns, less
string, and has more uniform velocity and penetration.
3. Coated or Plated Shot - also called a “lubaloy” shot. It is a chilled shot coated
with thin copper through an electroplating design for greater strength and elasticity,
great resistance to deformation, and a leading and better pattern.
4. Buck Shot = a large-size lead shot for use in shotguns.

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CHAPTER 4

Ammunition refers to the loaded shell for rifles, muskets, carbines,

Ammunition refers to a group of cartridges or to a single cartridge. A

A. General types of Ammunition

1. Dummy (fake) model = a type of ammunition that merely resembles the

2. Drill Ammunition (w/o gun powder) = It is a type of ammunition that is

Figure 32. Drill Ammo.

3. Blank Ammunition (w/o bullet) = ammunition without a bullet, containing

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Figure 33. Yugoslavian 7.9 mm Blank Cartridge

Figure 34. The component Parts of a Cartridge

a. Pin-fire = is a type of cartridge in which the ignition cap (primer) is

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

(a) (b) (c)

2. According to Rim Diameter

b. Semi-rimmed type = a cartridge with a case slightly rimmed. At first glance, a

In English-speaking countries, the caliber of the gun or cartridge used is expressed in

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

In countries using the metric system of measurements, the caliber is

Calibers in cartridges in inches and their appropriate equivalent in mm and use:

Inches used in revolvers, pistols

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

It refers to a complete unit of unfired Cartridge consisting of pellets, primer,

Figure 37. Shotgun Cartridge

Parts of the Shotgun Cartridge:

2. Primer = a battery-type primer containing the igniter.

3. Pellets = a number of lead shots contained in the case.

5. Powder charge = also known as the propellant or gunpowder.

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Figure 38. Parts of a Shotgun Cartridge

410 .410 inch

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

4. Buck Shot = a large-size lead shot for use in shotguns.

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

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