Cartridge | Types, Calibers, Ballistics

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Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. 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From left to right, a 5.56x45NATO, a 30-30 Winchester, and a .308 Winchester.</span></span> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <span class="link-blue">(more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="topic-header"> <div class="d-flex align-items-top justify-content-between"> <div class="d-flex flex-column"> <div> <div> <h1>cartridge</h1></div> </div> <div class="topic-identifier font-16 font-md-20">ammunition</div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-flex flex-row"> <div class="mr-10 mb-15"> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-block md-topic-tools qa-action-buttons mb-15" data-topic-id="97542"> <button class="js-tooltip btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border pr-10 border-2" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> More Actions </button> <div class="md-more-popover popover popover-sm p-0 font-14 z-1"> <div> <a class="js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" href="/print/article/97542" target="_blank" > <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="print"></em> Print </a> </div> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=97542] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-10-07T00:00:00CDT" >Oct 7, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/cartridge-ammunition/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/technology/ammunition" topicid="21113">ammunition</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/rimfire-cartridge" topicid="503861">rimfire cartridge</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/centre-fire-cartridge" topicid="102762">centre-fire cartridge</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/paper-cartridge" topicid="441991">paper cartridge</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/cartridge-case" topicid="97545">cartridge case</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/cartridge-ammunition"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref26918"></span>cartridge</strong>, in weaponry, unit of small-arms <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/ammunition" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">ammunition</a>, composed of a metal (usually brass) case, a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/propellant" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">propellant</a> charge, a projectile or <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/bullet" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">bullet</a>, and a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="primer" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/primer" data-type="EB">primer</a>. The first cartridges, appearing in the second half of the 16th century, consisted merely of charges of powder wrapped in paper; the ball was loaded separately. During the next century, methods of including the ball with the powder were devised. In muzzle-loading a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/musket" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">musket</a>, the soldier bit off the end of the paper cartridge, poured a small amount of the powder into the firing pan, poured the rest down the barrel, and rammed the ball and paper down after it.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The breech-loading <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/rifle" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">rifle</a> and various multishot weapons of the 19th century made possible loading the entire cartridge as a unit; many varieties were developed, using paper, linen, animal tissue, collodion, metal, rubber, and other materials. All required an external spark to ignite the propellant. In 1847 a Paris gunsmith, B. <span id="ref26919"></span>Houllier, patented the first cartridge, capable of being fired by the blow of the gun’s hammer. In one type, a pin was driven into the cartridge by the hammer action; in the other, a primer charge of fulminate of mercury was exploded in the cartridge <span id="ref26920"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/rimfire-cartridge" class="md-crosslink "></a>rim. Later improvements changed the point of impact from the rim to the <span id="ref26921"></span>centre of the cartridge, where a <span id="ref26922"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/percussion-cap" class="md-crosslink ">percussion cap</a> was inserted. The cartridge with a percussion cap, or cup, centred on the base of the cartridge—centre-fire—predominated in all larger <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="calibres" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calibres" data-type="MW">calibres</a>, but rimfire cartridges remain popular in small-bore, low-powered ammunition, <em>e.g.</em>, .22 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/calibre" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">calibre</a>. Smokeless <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nitrocellulose" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">nitrocellulose</a> powder replaced <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/black-powder" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">black powder</a> as the propellant in the late 19th century.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Also in the 19th century, the round ball was replaced by the elongated, or cylindroconoidal, <span id="ref26923"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Minie-ball" class="md-crosslink ">Minié ball</a>, as it was commonly called, with a cavity in the base that expanded on explosion of the charge to engage the rifling threads in the gun barrel. Shotgun cartridges are made of paper or plastic instead of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/brass-alloy" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">brass</a>.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Amy-Tikkanen/6393">Amy Tikkanen</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":97542,"pageLength":322,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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