Ammunition

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A belt of 0.50 caliber ammunition loaded to an M2 Browning. Every fifth round with a red tip is an M20 (armor
piercing incendiary tracer).

Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped or detonated from any
weapon. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines)
and the component parts of other weapons that create the effect on a target
(e.g., bullets and warheads).[1] Nearly all mechanical weapons require some form of ammunition to
operate.
The term ammunition can be traced back to the mid-17th century.[1] The word comes from the
French la munition, for the material used for war. Ammunition and munitions are often used
interchangeably, although munition now usually refers to the actual weapons system with the
ammunition required to operate it.[2] In some languages other than English ammunition is still referred
to as munition, such as French ("munitions"), German ("Munition") or Italian ("munizione").
The purpose of ammunition is to project a force against a selected target to have an effect (usually,
but not always, lethal). The most iconic example of ammunition is the firearm cartridge, which
includes all components required to deliver the weapon effect in a single package.
Ammunition comes in a great range of sizes and types and is often designed to work only in specific
weapons systems. However, there are internationally recognized standards for certain ammunition
types (e.g., 5.56×45mm NATO) that enable their use across different weapons and by different
users. There are also specific types of ammunition that are designed to have a specialized effect on
a target, such as armor-piercing shells and tracer ammunition, used only in certain circumstances.
Ammunition is commonly colored in a specific manner to assist in the identification and to prevent
the wrong ammunition types from being used accidentally.

Contents
[hide]

 1Glossary

 2Design of ammunition

 3Components

o 3.1Fuzes

o 3.2Propellant or explosive

o 3.3Cartridge case or container

o 3.4Projectile
 4Storage

 5Common ammunition types

o 5.1Small arms ammunition

o 5.2Shells

 5.2.1Artillery

 5.2.2Tank

 5.2.3Naval

o 5.3Aircraft and anti-aircraft ammunition

 6Logistics

 7Environmental problems

 8Unexploded Ordnance

 9See also

 10References

 11External links

Glossary[edit]
Main article: Glossary of firearms terms

 A round is a single cartridge containing a projectile, propellant, primer and casing.

 A shell is a form of ammunition that is fired by a large caliber cannon or artillery piece.
Before the mid-19th century, these shells were usually made of solid materials and relied on
kinetic energy to have an effect. However, since that time, they are more often filled with high-
explosives (see artillery).

 A shot refers to a single release of a weapons system. This may involve firing just one round
or piece of ammunition (e.g., from a semi-automatic firearm), but can also refer to ammunition
types that release a large number of projectiles at the same time (e.g., cluster munitions
or shotgun shells).

 A dud refers to loaded ammunition that fails to function as intended, typically failing to
detonate on landing. However, it can also refer to ammunition that fails to fire inside the weapon,
known as a misfire, or when the ammunition only partially functions, known as a hang fire. Dud
ammunition, which is classified as an unexploded ordnance (UXO), is regarded as highly
dangerous. In former conflict zones, it is not uncommon for dud ammunition to remain buried in
the ground for many years. Large quantities of ammunition from World War I continue to be
 regularly found in fields throughout France and Belgium and occasionally still claim lives.
Although classified as an unexploded ordnance, landmines that have been left behind after
conflict are not considered duds as they have not failed to work and may still be fully functioning
and simply forgotten.

 A bomb, or more specifically a guided or unguided bomb (also called an aircraft

bomb or aerial bomb), is typically an airdropped, unpowered explosive weapon. Mines and the
warheads used in guided missiles and rockets are also referred to as bomb-type ammunition. [3]

Cannonballs from the American Civil War

Female ordnance workers inspecting cartridge cases in Los Angeles, 1943

Design of ammunition[edit]
Ammunition design has evolved throughout history as different weapons have been developed and
different effects required. Historically, ammunition was of relatively simple design and build (e.g.,
sling-shot, stones hurled by catapults), but as weapon designs developed (e.g.,rifling) and became
more refined, the requirement for more specialized ammunition increased. Modern ammunition can
vary significantly in quality but is usually manufactured to very high standards.
For example, ammunition for hunting can be designed to expand inside the target, maximizing the
damage inflicted by a single round. Anti-personnel shells are designed to fragment into many pieces
and can affect a large area. Armor-piercing rounds are specially hardened to penetrate armor, while
smoke ammunition covers an area with a fog that screens people from view. More generic
ammunition (e.g., 5.56×45mm NATO) can often be altered slightly to give it a more specific effect
(e.g., tracer, incendiary), whilst larger explosive rounds can be altered by using different fuses.

Components[edit]
Preparing 105mm M119 howitzer ammunition: powder propellant, cartridge, and shell with fuze.

The components of ammunition intended for rifles and munitions may be divided into these
categories:

 Fuze or primer

 explosive materials and propellants

 projectiles of all kinds

 cartridge casing
Fuzes[edit]
Main article: Fuze
The term "fuze" refers to the detonator of an explosive round or shell. The spelling is different in
British English and American English (fuse/fuze respectively) and they are unrelated from a fuse
(electrical). A fuse was earlier used to ignite the propellant (e.g., such as on a firework) until the
advent of more reliable systems such as the primer or igniter that is used in most modern
ammunitions.
The fuze of a weapon can be used to alter how the ammunition works. For example, a common
artillery shell fuze can be set to 'point detonation' (detonation when it hits the target), delay (detonate
after it has hit and penetrated the target), time-delay (explode a specified time after firing or impact)
and proximity (explode above or next to a target without hitting it, such as for airburst effects or anti-
aircraft shells). These allow a single ammunition type to be altered to suit the situation it is required
for. There are many designs of a fuze, ranging from simple mechanical to complex radar and
barometric systems.
Fuzes are usually armed by the acceleration force of firing the projectile, and usually arm several
meters after clearing the bore of the weapon. This helps to ensure the ammunition is safer to handle
when loading into the weapon and reduces the chance of the detonator firing before the ammunition
has cleared the weapon.
Propellant or explosive[edit]
Main articles: gunpowder and high explosive
The propellant is the component of ammunition that is activated inside the weapon and provides the
kinetic energy required to move the projectile from the weapon to the target. Before the use of
gunpowder, this energy would have been produced mechanically by the weapons system (e.g., a
catapult or crossbow); in modern times, it is usually a form of chemical energy that rapidly burns to
create kinetic force, and an appropriate amount of chemical propellant is packaged with each round
of ammunition. In recent years, compressed gas, magnetic energy and electrical energy have been
used as propellants.
Until the 20th-century, gunpowder was the most common propellant in ammunition. However, it has
since been replaced by a wide range of high explosive compounds that are more reliable and
efficient.
The propellant charge is distinct from the projectile charge which is activated by the fuze, which
causes the ammunition effect (e.g., the exploding of an artillery round).
Cartridge case or container[edit]
Main article: cartridge (firearm)
The cartridge is the container that holds the projectile and propellant. Not all ammunition types have
a cartridge case. In its place, a wide range of materials can be used to contain the explosives and
parts. With some large weapons, the ammunition components are stored separately until loaded into
the weapon system for firing. With small arms,caseless ammunition can reduce the weight and cost
of ammunition, and simplify the firing process for increased firing rate, but the maturing technology
has functionality issues.
Projectile[edit]
The projectile is the part of the ammunition that leaves the weapon and has the effect on the target.
This effect is usually either kinetic (e.g., as with a standard bullet) or through the delivery of
explosives.

Storage[edit]
See ammunition dump and magazine for a discussion of modern ammunition storage facilities.

Common ammunition types[edit]

Various rifle cartridges compared to the height of a US$1 bill.

Small arms ammunition[edit]

See also: bullet
The standard weapon of a modern soldier is an assault rifle, which, like other small arms, uses
cartridge ammunition in a size specific to the weapon. Ammunition is carried on the person in box
magazines specific to the weapon, ammo boxes, pouches or bandoliers. The amount of ammo
carried is dependent on the strength of the soldier, the expected action required, and the ability of
ammunition to move forward through the logistical chain to replenish the supply. A soldier may also
carry a smaller amount of specialized ammunition for heavier weapons such as machine guns and
mortars, spreading the burden for squad weapons over many people. Too little ammunition poses a
threat to the mission, while too much limits the soldier's mobility.
Shells[edit]
Main article: Shell (projectile)

Modern 120 mm tank gun cartridges with different projectiles

Base cap of a combustible cartridge from a 120mm tank gun.

M107 Shells

A shell is a payload-carrying projectile which, as opposed to a shot, contains explosives or other

fillings, in use since the 19th century.
Artillery[edit]
Main articles: artillery and cannon
Artillery shells are ammunition that is designed to be fired from artillery which has an effect over long
distances, usually indirectly (i.e., out of sight of the target). There are many different types of artillery
ammunition, but they are usually high-explosive and designed to shatter into pieces of shrapnel on
impact to maximize damage. The fuze used on an artillery shell can alter how it explodes or behaves
so it has a more specialized effect. Common types of artillery ammunition include high explosive,
smoke, illumination, and practice rounds. Some artillery rounds are designed as cluster munitions.
Artillery ammunition will almost always include a projectile (the only exception being
demonstration/blank rounds), fuze and propellant of some form. When a cartridge case is not used,
there will be some other method of containing the propellant explosion, usually a breech-loading
weapon.
Tank[edit]
Main articles: Tank and Shaped charge
Tank ammunition was developed in WWI as tanks first appeared on the battlefield. However, as
tank-on-tank warfare developed (including the development of anti-tank artillery), more specialized
forms of ammunition were developed such as high-explosive anti-tank warheads and armor-piercing
discarding sabot rounds. The development of shaped charges has had a significant impact on anti-
tank ammunition design, now common on both tank-fire ammunition and in anti-tank missiles.
Naval[edit]

Armor-piercing shell – withcap (left) fired on 9 February 1941 in the nave of Genoa cathedral

Naval weapons were originally the same as many land-based weapons, but the ammunition was
designed for specific use, such as a solid shot designed to hole the enemy ship and chain-shot to
cut the rigging and sails. Modern naval engagements have taken place over much larger distances
than historic battles, so as ship armor has increased in strength and thickness, the ammunition to
defeat it has also changed. Naval ammunition is now designed to reach very high velocities (to
improve its armor-piercing capabilities) and may have specialized fuzes for defeating specific types
of vessels. However, due to the extended ranges at which modern naval combat may take place,
guided missiles have largely supplanted guns and shells.
Aircraft and anti-aircraft ammunition[edit]
Main articles: Bomb and Anti-aircraft warfare

Logistics[edit]
With every successive improvement in military arms, there has been a corresponding modification in
the method of supplying ammunition in the quantity required. As soon as projectiles were required
(such as javelins and arrows), there needed to be a method of replenishment. When non-
specialized, interchangeable or recoverable ammunition was used (e.g., arrows), it was possible to
pick up spent arrows (both friendly and enemy) and reuse them. However, with the advent of
explosive or non-recoverable ammunition, this was no longer possible and new supplies of
ammunition would be needed.
The weight of ammunition required, particularly for artillery shells, can be considerable, causing a
need for extra time to replenish supplies. In modern times, there has been an increase in the
standardization of many ammunition types between allies (e.g., the NATO Standardization
Agreement) that has allowed for shared ammunition types (e.g.,5.56×45mm NATO).

Environmental problems[edit]
As of 2013, lead-based ammunition production is the second-largest annual use of lead in the US,
accounting for over 60,000 metric tons consumed in 2012.[4] Lead bullets that miss their target or
remain in a carcass or body that was never retrieved can enter environmental systems and become
toxic to wildlife.[5] The US military has experimented with replacing lead with copper as a slug in
their green bullets which reduces the dangers posed by lead in the environment as a result of
artillery. Since 2010, this has eliminated over 2000 tons of lead in waste streams. [6]

Unexploded Ordnance[edit]
Main article: Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ammunition can remain active for a very long time and poses a significant threat to both
humans and the environment.