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| United States -Canada Gun Glossary Education | |||||
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| Brought to you By Dundee Sportsman's Club Inc. | |||||
| wealth of useful information for new and experienced cartridge collectors. | |||||
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 | ANIMAL GUT CARTRIDGE | ||||
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A primitive combustible
cartridge consisting of a tubular sheath or sack
filled with black powder
which is attached to the base of a conical bullet.
The sheath is made from thin, treated animal gut and
is reasonably moisture proof. See William Mont Storm
patent #33,611 and Hotchkiss patent #34,364. Most
were made by D.C.Sage and found in .36, .44, and .56
Colt caliber as well as a few others. | |||||
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ALLEN, ETHAN | ||||
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A gunmaker in the mid- 1800s who produced a distinctive
series of cartridges along with his
guns. A series of rimfires from .22 short to .56-56 Spencer were made. Most are
readily identified by the distinctive bullet design. See also LIPFIRE.
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| ANNIVERSARY ROUND | ||||
A special commemorative cartridge, usually
with a special headstamp which is issued to mark a
particular event. A popular example is the .30-06
round issued to mark the 50th anniversary of that
cartridge. | |||||
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| ANVIL | ||||
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A portion of the primer pocket or primer which
provides resistance to the crushing action of the
firing pin which causes the printing mixture to
detonate. | |||||
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ANNULAR RING | ||||
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A circumferential crimp or indentation around the primer. In some military
rounds, a dye was
used in this ring for waterproofing and often to identify some characteristic of
the cartridge. | |||||
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| ASSAULT RIFLE CARTRIDGE | ||||
Any one of a growing family of small-caliber,
short-case-length cartridges which are designed for
modern high rate-of-fire assault weapons. These were
developed to reduce recoil, to make automatic fire
more controlled and to enable personnel to carry
more ammunition to support the high rate of
consumption with those weapons. | |||||
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ATTACHED HEAD | ||||
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Relatively early centerfire cartridges which were designed to have the
head of the cartridge
attached to the body by riveting or other means. Rounds of this design can be
attributed to the late 1860s and several decades beyond. A typical example is
the .577 Snider. | |||||
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| AUXILIARY CARTRIDGE or CHAMBER | ||||
An adaptive device which may superficially
resemble a cartridge but which, in reality, is a
 "chamber
space filler" enabling a smaller round to be used in
a gun chambered for a larger cartridge. Thus a .32
short centerfire pistol cartridge can be fired in a
WWII German Mauser which normally would chamber a
7.92 x 57 round. | |||||
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| BALL ROUND | ||||
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| Originally referring to round balls as opposed to shot or shell in early muskets or artillery. Now used in military parlance to denote the basic nonspecialized bullet type, as opposed to armor-piercing, tracer, etc. | |||||
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BALLOON RIVET | ||||
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A large hemispherical-headed rivet sometimes used to secure an attached
head to a cartridge
case. The head of the rivet is visible when looking into the mouth of an empty
case having this feature. Usually ap-plied to thin-rim Maynard separate-primed
cases. | |||||
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BAR ANVIL-PRIMED | ||||
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An early type of inside-primed cartridge (patented by E.H.Martin, evolved
from #48,820, 7-1- 1865)
in which a short bar of iron is transverse to the base of the cartridge and
secured by distinctive crimps. This bar serves as an anvil, against which the
firing pin can impact to cause ignition. | |||||
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| BARTHOLOW PATENT | ||||
An early combustible cartridge (patent
#32,345. 5-21-1861) in which the powder was
compressed and semi-solidified, and adhered to the
base of the bullet. There is a visible outer linen
wrap to assist in holding the powder to the bullet
firmly and to provide moisture protection. | |||||
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| BATTERY CUP | ||||
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A flanged metallic cup used in shotshell
primer assemblies that provides a rigid support for theprimer
cup and anvil. | |||||
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BELTED CASE | ||||
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A case with a distinct raised ring around the head just forward of the
extractor groove, used to
headspace the cartridge. Found on many high velocity rifle cartridges. | |||||
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| BENET-PRIMED | ||||
A common style of inside-primed car-tridge
developed by Col. S.V Benet commander of
Frankford Arsenal in the late 1860s. It was used
extensively in early U.S. military ammunition. A
copper or iron cup was secured inside the head of
the case by characteristic crimps. This cup served
as an anvil to enable the firing pin to activate the
priming mixture and also to reinforce the head of
the case.
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BERDAN-PRIMED | ||||
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A centerfire cartridge design by Hiram Berdan (patent #82,587, 9-29-1868). A
primer consisting
of a metal cup filled with priming mixture and sealed with foil or shellac was
inserted into the primer pocket of the cartridge case. The anvil is part of the
cartridge case, i.e. a raised portion of the primer pocket which was perforated
to permit the ignition to set off the powder charge. Starting in the early 1870s
this type of printing system was widely used for both military and sporting
ammunition. | |||||
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| BEVELED HEAD | ||||
Describes a style of cartridge case in which a
bevel is machined or formed around the outer
portion of the rim of the cartridge case. | |||||
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| BLACK POWDER | ||||
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The first type of gunpowder consisting of a
mixture of charcoal, sulfur and potassium nitrate.
It is
characteristically graded by grain size such as Fg
(coarse) or FFFFG (fine). It generates low pressures
in gun chambers. | |||||
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BOARD DUMMY | ||||
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Usually an inert specimen cartridge which was prepared by the factory for
mounting on a
 promotional
or educational display board. These usually have holes drilled or punched
through case walls for mounting wires and often have wooden rods internally.
Original specimens usually bring a premium over regular equivalents. | |||||
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| BOAT-TAILED BULLET | ||||
A bullet whose base is tapered similar in profile to
a boat's stern. The purpose is to reduce
ballistic drag. This has also been referred to as a
taper-heel bullet.
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| BORE | ||||
The bore diameter of a weapon. For rifled
weapons it is usually the land or minimum diameter.
This is expressed in either inches or millimeters.
Some early rifled weapons and both early and present
shotguns bores use the "GAUGE" terminology, defined
elsewhere. | |||||
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| BOTTLENECKED CASE | ||||
A cartridge case having abrupt reduction in
its diameter toward its open or mouth end. This
permits large case capacity without making the case
overly long. | |||||
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BOXER PRIMER | ||||
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A priming system developed in the late 1860s by Col. E.M. Boxer of
England. (U.S. Patent
#91,81 of 6-29-1889) as an improvement to Daw's Patent. The primer contained
both the priming mixture and an anvil. This system is used in most modern U.S.
centerfire cartridges. | |||||
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| BRONZE POINT (BULLET) | ||||
A separate bronze wedge was fitted to the
point of the bullet of various big-game cartridges.
It
provided both aerodynamic streamlining and served to
initiate expansion on impact. | |||||
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| BUCK AND BALL | ||||
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A loading wherein a combination of a single
ball and several smaller balls were loaded into a
single cartridge to improve firepower. In larger
calibers, sometimes called CANISTER rounds. | |||||
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BUCKSHOT | ||||
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Generally any cartridge loaded with a number of large round balls.
Originally the term related to
deer hunting. The term has been applied to both old and modern cartridges. | |||||
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| CANNELURE (S) | ||||
The circumferential swaged, machined or milled
groove(s) around a bullet (for sealing; also often
for identification) or cartridge case. Often used to
provide visual or tactile identification of special
loadings of military ammunition. They are also used
to hold lead bullet lubricant. | |||||
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| CARTOUCHE | ||||
| The French language equivalent of the word "cartridge" but also meaning "box" or enclosure, such as an "inspector's cartouche" referring to the boxed inspectors stamp appearing on some guns and headstamps. | |||||
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CASE LENGTH | ||||
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| -The longest measurement of a cartridge case. | |||||
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| CASELESS CARTRIDGE | ||||
Usually refers to relatively modern cartridges
wherein the "case" is molded solid propellant with
an attached projectile and primer. The "case" is
consumed in firing. These are basically experimental
types designed to save weight and cost. | |||||
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| CENTENNIAL ROUND | ||||
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A special-headstamped commemorative cartridge
referring to special .45-70 cases and rounds
made up at the U.S. Centennial Exposition in 1876.
Headstamp is an entwined USC (U.S. Carbine) with the
dates 1776-1876. | |||||
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CENTERFIRE | ||||
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A cartridge case whose peimer is located at the geometric center of its
circular base. Such
rounds are usually reloadable. | |||||
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| COAL-DUST DUMMY | ||||
A type of inert cartridge made in
Britain in which coal dust has been substituted for
gun powder
to approximate the weight and feel of a loaded
round. These are highly collectable and usually have
an affixed paper label reading "COAL-DUST.” | |||||
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| COLLODION | ||||
| A cellulose treatment applied to certain 1850-60-period combustible cartridges to help render them moisture-resistant (see Bartholow's and Hazard's Patents) | |||||
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| COMBUSTIBLE CARTRIDGE | ||||
A term applied to certain early ammunition
which contained propellant in a sometimes nitrated
 paper
casing which was affixed to or enclosed the
projectile. The entire envelope was consumed in the
firing of the round | |||||
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| COPPER WASH | ||||
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| A copper coating which was applied to a steel cartridge case for the purpose of corrosion resistance. | |||||
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COPPER-TUBED BULLET | ||||
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A lead hollow-pointed bullet into which is inserted a thin, closed-ended
copper tube. Its purpose
was to preserve the bullet's aerodynamic shape. Sometimes the tube was charged
with fulminate to create an explosive bullet. Also called "Express Bullet". | |||||
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| CORDITE | ||||
A type of smokeless nitrocellulose powder
which was used widely in British military and
sporting
cartridges. Cordite grains usually resemble very
thin strands of spaghetti but sometimes have other
forms. | |||||
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| CORRUGATED CASE | ||||
Cartridges whose cases have been subjected to
dies which form deep, usually longitudinal
grooves in the case. These provide both visual and
tactile identification, mostly for dummy rounds.
Short corrugations at the shoulder were also used on
early .30-06 guard cartridges. | |||||
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CREEDMOOR | ||||
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| The Creedmoor Range was a famous long range shooting site on Long Island, NY, in the late 1880s. The term has come to be applied to cartridges of .44 or .45 caliber of the type used in Creedmore Rules rifles. | |||||
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| CRISPIN CARTRIDGE | ||||
A distinctive type of rimfire cartridge where
the fulminate is contained in an annular ring nearly
midway between the base and mouth of the cartridge.
The most common type is the .50 caliber version
intended for use in converted Civil War Smith Patent
carbines. It is also known in .44 and .31 calibers.
Patent #49,237, 8-08-1865. | |||||
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| CUPFIRE CARTRIDGE | ||||
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A front-loading rimfire cartridge used in
early pistols which were designed to circumvent the
Rollin White bored-through cylinder design. The
fulminate was distributed around the concave base of
the cartridge. Known in .28, .30 and .42 calibers.
Probably made by Phoenix or American Cartridge
Companies. Some have raised A or P headstamps. | |||||
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CUTAWAY CARTRIDGE | ||||
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| Any cartridge which has been sectioned to display its interior construction. Some are factory-made but most have been sectioned by collectors. | |||||
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| DARDICK CARTRIDGE | ||||
One of a family of experimental cartridges
called "trounds" (Triangular ROUND) made for a
family of patented guns and tools, starting in the
mid 1950s. These are usually encased in plastic but
occasionally have metallic cases. | |||||
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| DRAPER CARTRIDGE | ||||
Actually a misnomer, these are really Wills
Patent (#45,292 of 11-29-1864). A screw-off base
reveals a percussion nipple. Several dozen
variations are known in various calibers, lengths
and base styles. A few (rare) rifle rounds are also known. The bases are marked "Patented Nov. 29, 1864 F.D. & Co . | |||||
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| DRAW SET | ||||
| A series of manufacturing stages of a cartridge case, bullet or primer. | |||||
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| DWM NUMBER | ||||
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A caliber-identifying number or nurnber/letter
combination which was used by the Deutsch
Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) of Germany.
Additional information such as date codes were
sometimes included in these headstamps. | |||||
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EMBOSSED HEAD | ||||
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A solid or formed-head cartridge whose base exhibits a raised circular
portion of lesser
 diameter
than the rim. Also called "Ring Base". | |||||
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| EXPRESS BULLET | ||||
| See "COPPER-TUBED BULLET" | |||||
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| EXTRACTOR CORD CARTRIDGE | ||||
A rare Maynard experimental cartridge which
utilizes a short length of cord to assist in
extracting
a fired case. | |||||
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EXTRACTOR GROOVE | ||||
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An annular groove machined into the cartridge case, usually just above
the rim which provides a
grip for the gun's extractor to pull the fired or unfired case from the chamber. | |||||
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| EXTRACTOR WIRE CARTRIDGE | ||||
A rare Maynard experimental round using a
short loop of wire attached to the cartridge's base
to
facilitate extraction. | |||||
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| FARRINGTON PRIMER | ||||
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A distinctive style of primer, used primarily
by the U.S. Cartridge Company in the late 1880s.
Appearance is a very flat, nearly concave copper
disc, flush with the cartridge base. | |||||
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FIXED AMMUNITION | ||||
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| Ammunition containing at least propellant and projectile as opposed to semi-fixed and separate-loaded ammunition wherein the propellant and projectiles are loaded separately. Modern usage applies to artillery ammunition. | |||||
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| FLASH HOLE OR VENT | ||||
One or more holes through the bottom of the
primer pocket to trans-mit the primer flame to the
powder charge. | |||||
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| FLASH TUBE | ||||
A tube from the flash hole extended into the
powder chamber, for more uniform ignition.
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| FLECHETTE CARTRIDGE | ||||
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A cartridge loaded with one or multiple
finned steel dartlike projectiles. Many experimental
varieties were made in the 1960s to increase
firepower. | |||||
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FLOBERT | ||||
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| A small-caliber (9mm or smaller) rimfire cartridge, usually used for indoor shooting in Europe. | |||||