Ammunition

Jemisha Sangani
[email protected]
Assistant Professor
Department of Forensic science
Parul University
Ammunition
Ammunition is an assembly which
creats force in firearm.
Ammunition: Objectives
Here’s why there is a need to understand Ammunition:

1. Fundamental to all firearms is the ammunition.

2. This has a pivotal role in the safe operability of the firearm in question, and its effectiveness.

3. A firearm cannot be used without proper ammunition. It will be just a useless piece of metal.

4. From a legal point of view, various types of ammunition are either restricted or banned at the national
and international level.

5. There are situations, especially in cases when firearms are modified, converted or reactivated so they
use other type of ammunition than the one the firearms were designed for.

6. Therefore, a good understanding of ammunition and the way it is used will help in performing more
complex tracing activities.
According to Arms act 1959
□ “ammunition” means ammunition for any firearm, and includes—
■ (i) rockets, bombs, grenades, shells and other missiles
■ (ii) articles designed for torpedo service and submarine mining
■ (iii) other articles containing, or designed or adapted to contain, explosive,
fulminating or fissionable material or noxious liquid, gas or other such thing,
whether capable of use with firearms or not
■ (iv) charges for firearms and accessories for such charges
■ (v) fuses and friction tubes
■ (vi) parts of, and machinery for manufacturing, ammunition
■ (vii) such ingredients of ammunition as the Central Government may, by notification
in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;
Components of ammunition

Projectile Cartridge case Wads

Bullet, Shots, Slug shot Brass shell, Shotgun Top wad, Air cusion
Shell wad
Components of ammunition

Primer charge Propellant charge Lubricants

Different chemical Different chemical For effective working
composition composion and different mechanism
shapes
Classification of Ammunition
Shotgun
shell

Brass shell
Straight
Use
Bottlenecke
d Rimless

Tapered Semi
shape
rimmed

Cartridge Rimless
case
Base configuration
Belted
Primer
Pin fire
Fired way
Propellants
Rim fire

Wads
Centre fire

Projectiles
Baseless
Percussion cap cartridge
Boxer
Lubricants

Barden

Battery cup
01. Cartridge case
(Different shape)
 Shotgun shell

Brass shell
Straight
Use

Bottlenecked
Rimmed

Tapered
shape Semi rimmed

Cartridge Rimless
case
Base configuration

Belted
Primer
Pin fire
Fired way
Propellants
Rim fire

Wads
Centre fire

Projectiles
Baseless
Percussion cap cartridge
Boxer
Lubricants

Barden

Battery cup
 Pin fire
Fired way

Rim fire

Centre fire

Baseless
cartridge
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF PERCUSSION CAP
❖ BOXER PRIMER SYSTEM

❖ BERDAN PRIMER SYSTEM

❖ BATTERY CUP
Boxer Primer System
Developed in 1866 by Colonel
Boxer of England.

In this type of primer the anvil is a small bent

disk of steel which is fixed into the cup making
the primer completely self contained.

The flash hole in the cartridge case is centrally

located & relatively larger in diameter.

Flame ignites propellant through a single flash

hole.
Berdan Primer System
The burden primer was designed in 1986, by
Colonel Berdan of U.S. Army.

In this system the anvil is actually the part of the

cartridge case in the form of a small wad in the
primer pocket.

Around the anvil there are number of flash holes to

permit the passage of ignition of flame from
primer to propellant.
Battery Cup System
It consists of a plane cup with no anvil, which
fix into a larger inverted flanged cup
containing its own anvil.

The flange cup provides a rigid support for

primer cup and anvil.

This self contained assembly fixed into the

pocket of the base of cartridge case.
ACCORDING TO PURCUSSION CAP
02. Primer
(Mixture of different chemical composition)
 Cartridge
case
Oxidizer

Primer Fuel

Igniter

Propellants

Wads

Projectiles

Lubricants
 □ An initiator; A sensitive high explosive

Primer charge □ Fuel

□ Oxidizer
Primer composition has following basic
ingredients… □ Stabilizer
 Mercury fulminate: 8parts
[Hg(ONC)2]

Potassium Chlorate: 14parts

(KCLO3)

Initiator Antimony sulphide: 18 parts

(Sb2S3)

Mercury fulminate was the first Gunpowder: 1part

important initiating explosive.

Composition of Mercury fulminate

is…
 Lead styphnate : 32-42%

Antimony sulphide: 13-17%

Barium nitriate: 27-37%

Initiator PETN: 4-6%

Tetracene:3-5%
India has new primer
Aluminium: 6-8%
composition: Lead styphnate

Composition of Lead styphnate

is…
Initiator
Lead styphnate : 40%

Antimony sulphide: 10%

USA has new primer Barium nitriate: 42%
composition: Sintoxid
Tetracene: 10%

Composition of Sintoxid is… Nitro cellulose: 6%

03. Propellants
(different shape and chemical compositions)
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF PROPELLANT:-
1. BASED ON ITS COMPOSITION:
❖ Black Powder
❖ Smoke-less Powder
❖ Semi-smokeless Powder
❖ Composite Powder
❖ Triple Base Powder
BASED ON GRAIN SHAPE:-

❖ Progressive Burning Powder

❖ Degressive Burning Powder

❖ Neutral / constant Burning Powder

BASED ON COMPOSITION:-
BLACK POWDER
❖ Also known as gunpowder, was the first chemical explosive
and the only one known until the mid 1800’s. it is a mixture of:

a) Potassium nitrate = 75%

b) Charcoal = 15%
c) sulfur = 10%
SEMI-SMOKELESS POWDER

❖ The composition of such powder is

❖ NC- 20%
❖ Potassium nitrate – 60%
❖ Carbon – 12%
❖ Sulphur - 8%
SMOKE-LESS POWDER
❖ SINGLE BASED PROPELLANT:- A single based propellant has
nitrocellulose as its chief explosives ingredient. Stabilizers and other additives
are used to control the chemical stability and enhance the propellant’s
properties.
❖ DOUBLE BASED PROPELLANT:- Consists of nitrocellulose
with nitroglycerin or other liquid organic nitrate explosives added .
Nitroglycerin reduces smoke and increases the energy output. Double based
propellants are used in small arms , cannons, rockets.

✓ Cordite:-NG-58%, NC-37%, Mineral jelly :- 5%

✓ Modified cordite:- NG- 30% , NC – 65%, Mineral jelly- 5 %
✓ Ballistite:- NG – 100 parts & NC – 200 parts
SMOKELESS POWDER
❖ COMPOSITE :- Composites contain no nitrocellulose,
nitroglycerin , nitroquanidine or other organic nitrate. Composites
usually consist of a fuel such as metallic aluminum , a binder such
as synthetic rubber and an oxidizer such as ammonium perchlorate.
Used in large rocket motors .

❖ TRIPLE BASED PROPELLANT :- Triple based propellants consists

of nitrocellulose , nitroquanidine, nitroglycerin or other liquid
organic nitrate explosives.
BASED ON SHAPE AND SIZE OF GRAIN:-
BASED ON SHAPE AND SIZE OF GRAIN:-
❖ PROGRESSIVE BURN:-

❖ Volume of gases produced goes on increasing.

❖ Long Barrel firearm requires progressive

powder where the projectile needs continuous
pressure till it reaches & leaves the muzzle end.

❖ Multi perforated disc shaped grains or star

shaped discs
Progressive burning
BASED ON SHAPE AND SIZE OF GRAIN:-
❖ Degresive Burn:-
❖ Volume of gases produced goes On decreasing. After their
burning they reach the highest pressure and after complete
burning volume starts decreasing .
❖ Solid grains in shape of cylinder, strip , rod , flake.
❖ Hand gun
Digressive burning
NEUTRAL BURN/ CONSTANT BURN

❖ Volume of gases produced remains constant after reaching

highest pressure .

❖ It is used in automatic firearm because continuous firing is

being done, and certain pressure is required for automatic
action.

❖ Usually a single perforation tube where the entire surface area

is equivalent.
Constant burning
04. Projectiles
(BULLETS, SHOTS, SLUG SHOT)
Diffrent types of projectiles

Firearms Projectiles

Rifles
&Smooth Spherical
Bullets
bore Projectiles
firearms
05. wads
(Top wad, Aircushion wad)
06. Lubricants
(For lubrication)
 Thanks!
Do you have any questions?

[email protected]
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References
□ B.R. Sharma, ‘Firearms in Criminal Investigation and Trials’, New Delhi, 2011.

□ A.K.Bapuly, Forensic Science-Its Application in Crime Investigation, Hyderabad, 2006.

□ Crime in India, 2013, National Crime Records Bureau, MHA, New Delhi.