Ammunition Basics

Most aspects of the firearm are based on the ammunition it is designed to fire. Understanding ammunition makes understanding firearms easier.

Ammunition is a package of these parts:

• the container (the casing),
• the projectile (the bullet),
• the propellant (gunpowder),
• the ignition source (the primer).

Each of those parts has many aspects:

• the casing shape, thickness, weight, and material;
• the bullet length, diameter, casing material, and shape;
• the gunpowder amount and burn rate;
• the primer type.

It’s the combination of those aspects make the unique behavior of each kind of ammunition:

• the speed of the bullet as it exits the barrel,
• the force of the bullet when it hits its target,
• the amount of energy that it transferred from the bullet to the target as it passes through the target.