AMMUNITIONS

Ammunition

is the complete unfired unit composed

of cartridge shell, bullet, primer and
gunpowder.
Latin word “Charta” meaning “paper”
and also from the French word
“Cartouche” a rolled paper.
 Ammunition

Ammunition refers to a complete

unfired unit consisting of a bullet,
gunpowder, cartridge case and
primer or loaded shell for use in
any firearm. (RA 10591)
 Types of Cartridges
Paper Cartridge - Early cartridges for Muzzle-
Loading weapons simply consisted of a paper
tube. The first compartment (the smaller one)
contained the bullet (or bullets), which were
spherical shaped because the muskets didn't
have rifling. The second compartment (the larger
compartment) contained a pre-measured
quantity of black powder
Paper Cartridge
 Types of Cartridges

Pin – Fire Cartridge - consisted of a brass

case with a percussion cap in its base and a
bullet fixed in the mouth with a metal pin
sticking out of the side of the cartridge at a
right angle near the base (integral firing
pin). Introduced the first effective brass
unitary cartridge
Pin – Fire Cartridge
 Types of Cartridges

Rim Fire Cartridge - Limits the forward

movement of the cartridge to the cylinder.
Rim fire ammunition is a type of firearm
metallic cartridge whose primer is located
within a hollow circumferential rim
protruding from the base of its casing
Rim Fire Cartridge
 Types of Cartridges

Center – Fire Cartridge – Introduced a

genuinely effective metallic center fire
culture with a separate percussion cap
mounted centrally in the base of the
cartridge case
Center – Fire Cartridge
 Parts of an Ammunition
• Bullet- it serves as the (metallic or non metallic)
projectile of the ammunition (from French word
“Boullette” which means a small ball)
• Shell- it is the metallic case that holds the parts into
one complete unit(70% copper and 30% zinc)
• Gunpowder- it is the propellant that moves the
bullet upon its combustion
• Primer- it is the part of ammunition that ignites the
propellant (igniter)
Cartridge Parts
parts
Types of Ammunition
 General Types

•Dummy (model)
•Drill ammunition (without gun
powder)
•Blank (without bullet)
•Live Ammunition
 According to Power
• Low power -cartridge that has a muzzle velocity
of less than 1,850 fps. (deflagrate – burn-subsonic)
(revolver – 600ft/s, pistol 1, 200 ft/s)
• High Power - cartridge that has a muzzle velocity
between 1,925 fps and 2,500 fps. (detonate-
supersonic)(Rifle – 2, 500 ft/sec)
• High Intensity - cartridge that has a muzzle
velocity of more than 2,500 fps
 According to Firearm where it is used
• Handgun Ammunition - these are ammunitions used
in handguns usually with straight shaped shells
• Rifle Ammunition - these are ammunitions that are
used in long arms with bottle necked shell and
pointed/ or boat tail shaped bullets.
• Shotgun Ammunition - these are ammunitions for
shotguns with straight shaped shells with wad inside
the shell that pushed the pellets upon combustion of
gunpowder.
Handgun Ammo.
Shotgun Ammo.
Rifle/Long Arms Ammos.
 Bullet

The metallic or non metallic, cylindrical

projectile propelled from a firearm by
means of expansive force of gasses
coming from burning gunpowder. It is
the projectile of the ammunition that
strikes the target.
 Parts of the Bullet
• Base- it is the part of the bullet that receives the impact of
explosion of gunpowder
• Heel- it is the part of bullet where the heel and bearing
surface meet
• Bearing Surface -it is the peripheral part of bullet that
encounters friction with the muzzle surface when the bullet
moves
• Core - it is the mass part of the bullet
• Cannelure -a depression around the bearing surface that
locks the bullet to the crimp during manufacture process
 Parts of the Bullet
• Shoulder - it is the meeting point between ogive and
bearing surface
• Head Height -it is the length of the head between the
bearing surface towards the point
• Ogive -it is the curved part of the bullet extending
from shoulder towards the nose
• Nose/Point - it is the most anterior part of the bullet
that hits directly the target
• Meplat - it is the diameter of the bullet’s nose
parts
 BEARING
CANNELUR
SURFACE
E
SHOULDE
HEE R
L OGIV NOSE
E

BAS
E MEPLAT

CORE

HEAD
JACKE HEIGHT
T
 According to mechanical Structure

• Lead Bullet - the type of bullet that is

made up of lead, tin and steel
• Jacketed Bullet - type of bullet that is
covered by copper/nickel strips that
prevents it to be dismembered
HALF – JACKETED BULLET
 According to Shape of Nose

• Round
• Pointed
• Flat
• Hollow Point
• Wad
• Semi Wad
 POINTED HOLLO
FLAT ROUN
W
D
HOLLOW - POINT
HOLLOW - POINT
SEMI - WAD WAD
 According to Shape of Base

• Flat base
• Round base
• Hollow base
• Boat tail
Flat Round Hollow Boat
base base base tail
Other Types
• Armor Piercing - a bullet designed to penetrate armors
Other Types
• Tracer bullet - bullet that illuminates when discharge to
guide the shooter whether the bullets strikes the target or
not
Other Types
• Incendiary bullet - bullet that explodes due to explosives
in the core and fuse at the nose.
Other Types

• Fragmentary Bullet - bullet that

dismember when it strike the target
• Soft Point - bullet that has a hollow point
but has a rubber that expands to avoid
penetration beyond the targeted human
Fragmentary Bullet
 Shell/Casing

it is the container for the ammunition and

holds all the parts together.
Parts of Shell/Casing
• Mouth - it is the opening where the bullet is inserted
during manufacturing process
• Crimp - the part of the mouth that locks the bullet to
avoid unnecessary movement

Mouth

Crimp
• Neck - it is the part that holds the bullet
• Shoulder - it is the part that supports the neck
• Brass case - it is the tubular metallic part that covers the
propellant
Neck
Shoulde
r
Brass
Case
 • Extracting groove - a groove around the anterior part of
shell that is being held by the extractor of firearm for easy
extraction during unloading
• Rim - it is the part of shell that prevents the shell from
moving forward while inside the chamber

Extracti
ng
groove
Rim
• Base- it is the part of shell behind the rim
• Shell head- it is the surface of the rim where stamps are
located
• Stamp- these are entries indicating the brand and caliber
of ammunition
• Primer Pocket- it is the space at the base where the
primer shall be inserted
Shell
head/Base
Primer
Pocket
Stamp
 Common Stamps
• Caliber
• Metric = 9mm, 10mm,
• Inch = .22, .380, .40, .45 cal
• Manufacturer’s Name
• .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)
• .22LR (Long Rifle)
• 10mm (Auto)
• 32 – 20 WCF (Winchester Center Fire)
• .40 SW (Smith and Wesson)
• .223 Rem (Remington)
• .5o AE (Action Express)
• .45 GAP (Glock Automatic Pistol)
• .50 BMG (Browning Machinegun)
 Common Stamps
• Name
• .224 Valkyrie
• .350 Legend
• 9mm Para Bellum/Luger/9x19mm)
• Multiple Names
• 380 ACP = 9mm short/9mm Browning/9mm Kurtz)
• Caliber Number
• .30 (Caliber) – 30 (Mass in Grain of the projectile) Win
• 7.62 (caliber) x 54R (Length of the shell – Rim)
• Others
• Magnum – Bigger Case (larger version)
• + P = Extra Powder (same size with the regular shell
• Vent/Flash hole- it is the hole extending from primer
pocket towards inside the shell that allows flame to
combust the propellant

Propella
nt

Vent/Flash hole
Vent/Flash hole
Classifications
 According to Shape

• Straight - shell with no shoulder

• Bottle necked - shell with shoulder and
neck is smaller than shell
• Tapered - an obsolete type used in Jet
magnum .22
STRAIGH BOTTLE TAPERED
NECK
Ammunitions with various shapes

Tapered

Bottlenecked

Straig
ht
 According to Rim
• Rimmed - the diameter of rim is larger than the diameter
of the shell
• Semi rimmed - the diameter of rim is quite larger than the
diameter of the shell
• Rimless - the diameter of rim and of the shell are equal
• Rebated- the diameter of rim is smaller than the diameter
of the shell
• Belted type - the shell has a ring above the extracting
groove
 EQUIV ]ALENT OF CALIBER TO
MILLIMETERS
• 1. Caliber .22 -About 5.9 millimeter
• 2. Caliber .25 -About 6.35 mm
• 3. Caliber .32 -About 7.65 mm
• 4. Caliber .30 -About 7.63 mm
• 5. Caliber .38 -About 9 mm
• 6. Caliber .40 -About 10 mm
• 7. Caliber .45 -About 11 mm
• 8. Caliber .50 -About 12 mm
Source: Forensic Ballistics by Grimares (2006)
DIFFERENT CALIBER
 Gunpowder

It is a solid powdered substance inside the

shell that is combusted to propel the bullet.
 Black powder

•it is composed of the following

(Berthold Schwartz and Roger Bacon)
•Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter) (75%)
•Carbon (15%)
•Sulfur (10%)
 Smokeless type
(Capt. Eschultze and M. Vieille )

Single based- its contains the

following ingredients
• Nitrocellulose (flammable)
• Nitroglycerine (active ingredient)
 Smokeless type
Double based- its contains the
following ingredients
• Nitrocellulose
• Nitroglycerine
• Centralite (burning rate moderator)
• Vaseline
• Inorganic salt
 Smokeless type

Triple based- its contains the

following ingredients
• Nitrocellulose
• Nitroglycerine
• Nitroguanidine (reduce flash and flame
temperature)
SHAPES OF GUNPOWDER
CORDITE
Flakes Balls
Flattened Balls
 Primer

It is the part of the ammunition that ignites

the gunpowder by means of percussion
 Parts
• Priming cup - the metallic container of sensitive
material
• Priming mixture - it is a sensitive material that
ignites by percussion
• Disc - it is a paper placed above the mixture to
avoid displacement
• Anvil - it is a metal where the mixture was crushed
against to ignite
 Types of Primer

• Berdan – primer that is large and anvil is

attached to shell of ammunition (2 flash
holes)
• Boxer - smaller primer in which the anvil
is placed inside the cup (single flash hole)
BERDAN AND BOXER
 Types of Priming Mixture

•Corrosive- it is the priming

mixture that contains the
following;
•Potassium Chlorate
•Antimony sulfide
•Fulminate of mercury
 Types of Priming Mixture

•Non-corrosive- it is the priming

mixture that contains the
following;
•Barium Nitrate
•Antimony sulfide
•Fulminate of mercury