The Complete History of Small Arms Ammunition and Cartridges
Sam Bocetta
I recently wrote a short history of body armor article for Small Wars Journal where I pointed out that there has long been an “arms race” between two different types of military technology - ammunition and the protection against it. Today I want to deal with the other side of the story and take you through the history of ammunition for small arms.
Every historian looks for an overarching narrative when writing their histories and fortunately when talking about small arms ammunition one is immediately apparent - ammunition gets more powerful with every passing year.
In the early years the race was to produce small arms ammunition with just enough power to hit the enemy and do some damage. This changed sometime in the 1800s when the first recognizably “modern” ammunition appeared.
The race for greater and greater power has continued. As I pointed out in my article on body armor, this is partially because ever more powerful rounds have been required to penetrate protective gear. Alongside this there has been an increasing emphasis on hitting targets from extreme ranges and this has led to the development of extremely powerful bullets.
To understand small arms ammunition of the modern era we first need to look back at where it all started.
The First Ammunition
In the first firearms the propellant and bullet were loaded into the gun separately – just think of the cannons used on ships until the 1800s. Whilst a cannonball can technically be called “ammunition”, I suppose, the first truly integrated types of small arms ammunition date to the 1500s.
There is some evidence that the first paper cartridges were in use as early as the 14th Century, but they didn’t become widely used until the 17th Century. Their design remained remarkably stable throughout this period consisting of black powder and a rifle ball encased in paper. It’s a little-known fact that “cartridge” paper, now commonly used for drawing rather than ammunition, gets its name from these early cartridges.
These paper cartridges were used with muzzle-loading guns and sound like they were a real hassle to use! To fire a shot a soldier had to rip or bite off the end of the paper cartridge then pour the powder down into his gun. The ball was then rammed down on top. In theory the paper was supposed to be discarded, but in practice most soldiers used it as wadding to improve the power of their weapon.
After all that, priming powder still needed to be poured into the barrel, as the main charge was not volatile enough to ignite on its own. The musket was then – finally! – fired by a lit match or, later, a flint hammer mechanism.
The Percussion Cap
The invention of the percussion cap revolutionized small arms ammunition. It was first tested by the British, at Woolwich in 1834. By using a combination of more easily flammable chemicals the percussion cap ignited when given a sharp blow in a particular place. This obviated the need for soldiers to carry matches and flints and greatly improved the reliability of small arms ammunition - especially in wet conditions.
Though the advantages of the percussion cap were obvious, it would take 25 years for the British Army to adopt them. From 1842 they started to adapt the Brown Bess – the standard infantry rifle of the day – to take percussion cap ammunition. This was achieved by replacing the pan that once held priming powder with a nipple that struck the new cartridges.
This new design required soldiers to place the round next to the hammer mechanism - which accidentally brought about the next big transformation in firearm technology – breech loading. A huge advance over the complex procedure of muzzle-loading, once the advantages of the new system were recognized it was applied to every type of firearm - from military rifles to civilian revolvers.
In the early years of the percussion cap, however, some engineers identified a problem. The new rounds were surrounded by a metal case that held the priming powder and propellant together. This case had to be ejected from the rifle before a new round could be loaded, complicating the mechanism of these guns.
Many people tried to overcome this problem in various ways. Some designed complicated ejection devices, but these were prone to jamming. Some said that “self-consuming” cartridges should be used, which destroyed the cartridge case when it was fired - but these also proved ineffective. In the end, the consensus was the advantages of metal cases outweighed the occasional jamming problems - and it is this design that is still used for small arms ammunition.
Integrated Cartridges
The next huge advance in small arms ammunition was the introduction of the integrated cartridge, where all the components of the ammo – the percussion cap, the propellant, and the bullet itself – where built into a single unit.
The very first integrated cartridge was made in 1808 by the Swiss gunsmith Jean Samuel Pauly, working with the French gunsmith François Prélat. This cartridge set the standard for all following small arms ammunition. It used a centrally-placed needle to fire and this “centerfire” arrangement is still seen on the majority of cartridges today.
The invention of the integrated cartridge brought two great advantages. The first was since all components of ammunition were contained within a single unit they could be produced away from the battlefield- giving rise to the ammunition industry we see today.
The second advantage was that the new cartridges had a case which expanded as the round was fired. This stopped hot gases from escaping backward through the breech of the weapon, reducing wear on the gun and improving power simultaneously.
The American Civil War saw many military firsts - including the first widespread use of integrated metal cartridges. In the early years of the war soldiers generally relied on their own, muzzle-loading guns. However, by 1864 the Sharps rifle, a breech-loading rifle that used integrated cartridges, was being issued to troops on both sides of the war.
In addition, during the war Smith and Wesson produced the first revolvers, initially as side-arms for cavalry troops. These also used integrated cartridges, and led to the post-war adoption of this type of ammunition among the civilian population. By the 1870s, they were in widespread use.
The First “Modern” Cartridges
Though the cartridge developed by Pauly in the first decades of the 19th Century was technically an integrated, center-fire, all-metallic cartridge, it didn’t look much like the ammo of today. The first truly modern cartridge was patented in Paris in 1846 by Benjamin Houllier.
This cartridge was patented in both rimfire and center-fire variants, and used either copper or brass casings. It was the first all-metallic cartridge to become popular, and therefore forms the basis of many modern rounds.
1857 saw the arrival, finally, of a cartridge that we are still using today. The .22 short, a rimfire cartridge, was first designed for the Smith and Wesson Model 1 revolver. The success of this weapon led to many imitations, and for years Smith and Wesson were involved in lawsuits over supposed copyright infringement. However, these imitations led to the almost universal adoption of all-metallic cartridges by 1870.
By this date, the basic design of ammunition had been almost universally agreed upon. From this point forward, almost all small arms ammunition would be integrated, metallic, and make use of a percussion cap. Though rimfire cartridges are still used to this day, the vast majority of ammunition, since 1900, has been center-fire.
The 20th Century Arms Race
Though a standard design for cartridges had been agreed upon, this did not mean that development of small arms ammunition ceased. In fact, the 20th Century saw the fastest pace of small arms ammunition development to that point.
Though, in general, no great strides were made in the way in which bullets were designed or made, one clear story is discernible in the 20th Century. Cartridges became more and more powerful throughout the Century. The World Wars of the early part of the period led to militaries adopting ever more powerful rounds for small arms, and the increasing effectiveness of body armor meant more power was needed to take out targets.
Here, I don’t have the time to go through every single cartridge that was developed. However, the process arguably culminated in the development of the 7.62×51mm NATO round in the 1950s. Introduced originally in the M14 machine gun, it was later adopted by militaries all over the world as the standard full-power assault rifle round.
The 7.62mm represented the limit of what soldiers could be expected to carry in the field, and was therefore always a compromise between power and mobility. Though some even larger cartridges were tested, and some are used for snipers and other situations in which more power is required, this bullet still represents the peak of cartridge power.
That said, as the 20th Century progressed, increasing numbers of civilians, mainly in the US, started to carry their own handguns. This led to certain, smaller calibers becoming very popular. Notably, the 9mm cartridge was raised from relative obscurity to become the most popular round used in handguns today.
And as the civilian market expanded and diversified, it gave rise to a huge variety of small arms ammunition. Though the military tends to stick to pretty standard rounds, because this makes logistics easier, hunters and competitive shooters have no such worries, and have driven a huge diversification of bullet types and calibers, to the point that today the range of ammunition available is truly staggering. Look at any website where you can buy ammo online, and the options are almost endless. This is even before you get into making your own bullets, which is becoming increasingly popular, and allows shooters to customize their rounds to their heart’s content.
The Future
The future is always hard to predict. However, this humble historian is even more confused than normal when it comes to predicting the future of small arms ammunition. This is because the civilian market seems to be diverging from the militaries requirements.
Let me explain. In recent years, hunters have increasingly been drawn to larger and larger rounds. Whether this is because deer are getting bigger, or some people just think that bigger bullets are macho, I don’t know! However, the movement in this market is clear, and at the moment has culminated in the .450 Bushmaster, a large round developed to kill large game at impressive distances.
On the other hand, the military seem to be moving in the opposite direction, toward smaller caliber rounds. For example, the new IAR weapon, the M27, that is currently being issued to US Marines, uses the 5.56mm round, smaller than the 7.62mm round it replaces. It seems that, at least over the past decade, the centuries-long drive toward ever-more powerful rounds has been partially reversed.
The reasons for this is clear enough – on the modern battlefield, mobility is prized over firepower. As I said in my article about body armor, the newest body armor actually offers less protection than the item it replaces, but allows troops to be more mobile. In this context, it seems that small arms ammunition is also getting smaller, and the military is even doing research on how to save even more weight.
For this reason, it may be that in years to come we look back at a lot of modern ammunition as ridiculously overpowered! If that’s the case, the story of small arms ammunition might turn out to be more complicated than even I thought.
FAQs
In 1847 a Paris gunsmith, B. 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 rim.
What is the history of ammunition cartridge? ›
In 1847 a Paris gunsmith, B. 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 rim.
What was the first gun with cartridges? ›
French gunsmith Benjamin Houllier improved the Lefaucheux pinfire cardboard cartridge and patented in Paris in 1846, the first fully metallic pinfire cartridge containing powder (and a pinfire), in a metallic cartridge.
What is the history of small arms? ›
The history of small arms spans back practically to the invention of black powder in China in the ninth century AD. It was initially valued as an explosive. The first true firearms – cannons – can be traced back to the twelfth century in China.
What is the oldest cartridge still in use? ›
Table of handgun and rifle cartridges by year
| Name | Date | Comments |
|---|
| .303 British | 1889 | |
| 9×57mm Mauser | 1890s | |
| 6.5×52mm Mannlicher-Carcano | 1891 | |
| 7.62×54mmR | 1891 | Oldest cartridge still in official military use, used in SVD Dragunov with Russia and the PSL rifles with many other countries. |
90 more rowsBefore the matchlock, guns were fired by holding a burning wick to a "touch hole" in the barrel igniting the powder inside. A shooter uses one hand for firing, and a prop to steady the gun. The first device, or "lock," for mechanically firing a gun is the matchlock.
What was the first 30 caliber cartridge? ›
30 U.S. and . 30 Army) was a cartridge developed in the early 1890s to provide the U.S. armed forces with a smokeless powder cartridge suited for use with modern small-bore repeating rifles to be selected in the 1892 small arm trials.
What is the oldest known gun? ›
The Heilongjiang hand cannon or hand-gun is a bronze hand cannon manufactured no later than 1288 and is the world's oldest confirmed surviving firearm. It weighs 3.55 kg (7.83 pounds) and is 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) long.
What is the oldest type of bullet? ›
Early bullets were round lead balls that were loaded down the muzzle of smoothbore weapons and propelled by the ignition of a physically separate charge of black powder. Modern bullets developed in the 19th century for use in small arms that had rifled barrels.
What came before cartridges? ›
Crude cannons were the first types of firearms, and they used a variety of projectiles as ammunition, from rocks and random metal debris to manufactured cannonballs made from stone and, eventually, lead and other metals.
Small arms include handguns (self-loading pistols and revolvers) and shoulder arms (rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns and light machine guns, and grenade launchers).
Who are the oldest arms manufacturers? ›
Founded in the 16th century, Beretta is the oldest active manufacturer of firearm components in the world. In 1526 its inaugural product was arquebus barrels; by all accounts Beretta-made barrels equipped the Venetian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
Which country produces the most small arms? ›
The Small Arms Survey estimates that 875 million small arms circulate worldwide, produced by more than 1,000 companies from nearly 100 countries.
...
World's largest arms exporters.
| 2022 Rank | Supplier | Arms Exp (in million TIV) |
|---|
| 1 | United States | 14,515 |
| 2 | France | 3,021 |
| 3 | Russia | 2,820 |
| 4 | China | 2,017 |
6 more rows9mm. The 9mm round is the single most popular handgun round in the world, including in the U.S. It's used by everyone from federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies to competition shooters.
What was the world's first cartridge rifle? ›
The Spencer was the world's first military metallic-cartridge repeating rifle, and over 200,000 examples were manufactured in the United States by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Co.
...
| Spencer repeating rifle |
|---|
| Designed | 1860 |
| Manufacturer | Spencer Repeating Rifle Company Burnside Rifle Co |
| Unit cost | $40 (1861) |
| Produced | 1860–1869 |
20 more rowsBy far the most popular pistol round bought worldwide, the 9mm round is extremely versatile from the shooting range to self-defense. With variable grains available and different bullet designs, 9mm rounds provide enough stopping power at close range to protect yourself, and enough accuracy to be used in competitions.
What is the difference between ammo and bullets? ›
A single piece of ammunition for a rifle or handgun is called a cartridge. It has a single projectile called a bullet. The word cartridge also applies to a single piece of ammunition for a shotgun, but a more specific term is shotshell. A shotshell has either one projectile called a slug or many small pellets or shot.
Did gunpowder exist before guns? ›
It was employed in warfare to some effect from at least the 10th century in weapons such as fire arrows, bombs, and the fire lance before the appearance of the gun in the 13th century.
Were bullets used in the Civil War? ›
Description: During the Civil War there were nearly 1,000 different types of bullet in use on both sides. Soldiers often made their own bullets or recycled old and or used ammunition by melting it down and re molding it in a similar way to how musket balls are made.
What was the first smokeless rifle cartridge? ›
The 8×50mmR Lebel (8mm Lebel) (designated as the 8 × 51 R Lebel by the C.I.P.) rifle cartridge was the first smokeless powder cartridge to be made and adopted by any country. It was introduced by France in 1886.
ACP stands for “Automatic Colt Pistol.” The longer answer? The letters “ACP” are used to denote various cartridges designed by John Browning for Colt semi-automatic pistols. These straight-sided cartridges are all similar in appearance and include . 25 ACP, .
What is the most accurate 30 caliber cartridge? ›
The . 30-378 Weatherby Magnum is one of the most accurate rifle cartridges. The cartridge held the world record for accuracy at 1,000 yards (910 m) for over thirty years.
Who is the oldest US gun manufacturer? ›
Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington (as E. Remington and Sons) in Ilion, New York, it was one of the oldest gun makers in the US and claimed to be the oldest factory in the US that still made its original product.
What was the first gun brand? ›
Colt . 45. In 1836, Samuel Colt received a U.S. patent for a handheld pistol that featured a multi-firing system based on a rotating barrel with multiple chambers that could fire bullets through a lock and spring design.
What was the first pistol called? ›
36-caliber, Patent Arms Company, 1839. The Colt Paterson revolver was the first practical revolving-cylinder handgun ever made. Invented by Samuel Colt in 1831 and patented in 1836, the Colt Paterson revolver became synonymous with Texas.
What is the hardest bullet to find? ›
What Is the Hardest Ammo to Find?
- 30-30 Winchester: Popular among hunters, this caliber is in high demand and difficult to track down. ...
- 308 Winchester: Another popular choice among hunters and tactical shooters, people around the country are snatching up .
The 2mm Kolibri (also known as the 2.7mm Kolibri Car Pistol or 2.7×9mm Kolibri) was the smallest commercially available centerfire cartridge, patented in 1910 and introduced in 1914 by Franz Pfannl, an Austrian watchmaker, with financial support from Georg Grabner.
What is the slowest bullet caliber? ›
22 caliber rimfire “Colibrí” rounds made by Aguila Ammunition of Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico really do fire the slowest bullets of any commercially manufactured ammunition. What happens when a gun fires a bullet?
What are the three main types of cartridges? ›
Three common bullet types are:
- Full metal jacket (FMJ) commonly used for target shooting and competition.
- Hollow point (HP) commonly used for self defense.
- Soft point (SP) commonly used for self defense.
Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Always keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it. Never point the gun at anything you don't intend to destroy.
People with hypochondroplasia have short arms and legs and broad, short hands and feet . Other characteristic features include a large head , limited range of motion at the elbows, a sway of the lower back (lordosis ), and bowed legs.
Is a 50 cal considered small arms? ›
Small caliber ammunition is . 50 caliber and below. Conventional small caliber ammunition in production and deployment consists of 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, 9 mm, 10- and 12-gauge, .
Who makes the most ammunition in the world? ›
Ammo Inc., BAE Systems, General Dynamics Corp, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Hanwha Corporation among others, are the major players in the global ammunition market. The global ammunition market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% in the forecast period of 2023-2028.
Who is biggest arms dealer ever? ›
Bout eventually came to be seen as the world's biggest weapons smuggler. The media dubbed him the "Merchant of Death" and in 2006, he inspired the movie "Lord of War," which starred Nicholas Cage. The U.S. government began trying to disrupt Bout's operations at the end of the1990s by sanctioning his companies.
Who is the biggest arm manufacturers in USA? ›
| Characteristic | Arms sales | Total sales |
|---|
| Lockheed Martin Corp. (US) | 60,340 | 67,044 |
| Raytheon (US) | 41,850 | 64,388 |
| Boeing (US) | 33,420 | 62,286 |
| Northrop Grumman Corp. (US) | 29,880 | 35,667 |
9 more rowsJan 5, 2023
With the exception of individuals with hunting permits and some ethnic minorities, civilian firearm ownership is restricted to non-individual entities. Law enforcement, military, paramilitary, and security personnel are allowed to use firearms.
What state produces the most firearms? ›
A State-by-State Ranking of Gun Shows, Gun Retailers, Machine Guns, and Gun Manufacturers
| Rank | State | Total Firearms Production |
|---|
| 1 | Texas | 75,347 |
| 2 | California | 228,628 |
| 3 | Arizona | 165,882 |
| 4 | Florida | 54,557 |
47 more rowsSmall arms
- Dror light machine gun.
- IWI Negev light machine gun.
- Uzi submachine gun.
- Uzi pistol.
- Desert Eagle pistol.
- Jericho 941 pistol.
- BUL M-5 pistol.
- BUL Storm pistol.
Nimschke Engraved Solid Silver Winchester Model 1866
Nimschke is arguably the benchmark against which all other firearms engraving is held.
What cartridge has taken the most deer? ›
“More deer have been taken with the . 30-30 Winchester cartridge than any other.” While this quote is often uttered as fact among hunters, what is not revealed is how it was calculated.
The . 500 S&W Magnum is considered the most powerful commercial sporting handgun cartridge by virtue of the muzzle energy it can generate.
What is the oldest assault rifle? ›
By 1942, Hugo Schmeisser developed the prototype for the assault rifle, dubbing it the MP-43. In April 1944, it was renamed the MP-44 and distributed to soldiers in small numbers. In late 1944 it was finally dubbed the StG 44 or the Sturmgewehr (Storm Gun) 44.
What is the oldest repeating rifle? ›
The new technology included a spring-closed loading port on the right-hand side of the frame, directly at the rear of the magazine tube, and resulted in the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle, produced as the first Winchester, Model 1866.
What was the first rifle made in America? ›
A wheel lock carbine, generally attributed to the settlers' ship Mayflower and specifically to pilgrim John Alden. "This is a more advanced type of gun than the matchlock," Supica says.
What is the fastest firearm cartridge? ›
The . 220 Swift remains the fastest commercial cartridge in the world, with a published velocity of 1,422 m/s (4,665 ft/s) using a 1.9 grams (29 gr) bullet and 2.7 grams (42 gr) of 3031 powder.
What is the best all around caliber rifle for hunting? ›
270 Winchester. Since it was first introduced, the . 270 Winchester has been a reliable and popular choice among long-range hunting calibers. The bullets are very flat shooting among this group of rifle calibers, so you don't have to worry as much about bullet drop over long distances.
What is the most popular rifle cartridge in America? ›
30-06 Springfield. By and large, most game in America is shot inside of 200 yards, and no cartridge is more capable than the . 30-06 for that use. This old warhorse is America's most popular hunting cartridge — hard to believe considering that it's well over 100 years old.
What is the history of the 25 35 cartridge? ›
25-35 Winchester Center Fire was introduced in 1895 by Winchester for the Winchester Model 1894. Together with the . 30-30 Winchester, it was one of the earliest smokeless cartridges designed in North America for a sporting rifle. Savage adopted it for its Savage Model 99 lever-action rifles.
What year was the first cartridge? ›
Early catalogues
In 1667, the English gardener William Lucas published a seed catalogue, which he mailed to his customers to inform them of his prices. Catalogues spread to British America, where Benjamin Franklin is believed to have been the first cataloguer.
When was the first contained cartridge made? ›
In 1808 the first fully self-contained cartridge was invented by Jean Samuel Pauly. It had a copper base with primer powder. The remainder of the case was either brass or paper, and contained powder, and a round bullet. In 1826 a cylindrical bullet was developed by Henri-Gustave Delvigne.
Cartridge: A unit of ammunition, made up of a cartridge case, primer, powder, and bullet. Also called a "round", or “load”. Sometimes incorrectly called a “bullet”. Cartridge case: The container for all the other components that comprise a cartridge.
What is the history of the 40 65 cartridge? ›
40-65 Winchester (also called the . 40-65 Winchester and Marlin) was an American rifle cartridge. Introduced in 1887 for the Winchester Model 1886, and available in Winchester single shots and in the Marlin Model 1895, it was "a further effort to put more steam" in repeating rifle cartridges.
Was the 30 30 ever a black powder cartridge? ›
30-. 30 Winchester,” because the first loading was a . 30 caliber bullet loaded with 30 grains of smokeless powder. Contrary to what some people may believe, this new round was never loaded with 30 grains of black powder, nor was it ever intended to be a black powder round.
When was the 44 40 cartridge invented? ›
| .44-40 |
|---|
| Designed | 1873 |
| Specifications |
| Case type | Rimmed, bottleneck |
| Bullet diameter | .427 in (10.8 mm) |
20 more rowsThe ammunition used in a rifle or handgun is called a cartridge, and there are two general types of cartridges used by rifle and pistol shooters available today -- centerfire and rimfire.
What is the difference between a cartridge and a caliber? ›
Cartridges are usually distinguished by the diameter of their bullets, or of the barrels of guns for which the bullets are intended; this is known as the “caliber.” Caliber is usually expressed either in metric (as with 9mm handgun cartridges) or imperial measurements (.
Who made the first bullet? ›
Henri-Gustave Delvigne, (born 1799, Hamburg [Germany]—died Oct. 18, 1876, Toulon, France), French army officer and inventor who designed innovative rifles and helped introduce the cylindrical bullet.
What is a cartridge without a bullet called? ›
A blank is a firearm cartridge that, when fired, does not shoot a projectile like a bullet or pellet, but generates a muzzle flash and an explosive sound (muzzle report) like a normal gunshot would.
Is it OK to shoot old ammo? ›
Ammunition doesn't “expire” per se, but the gunpowder looses potency over time. The largest risk to shooting old ammunition isn't a failure to fire, it's the risk that you will actually fire the shot and it doesn't have enough momentum to make it out the barrel.
What is the shelf life of ammunition or cartridge? ›
What's the shelf life of ammo? Modern ammo is made to last over a decade (and possibly up to twenty years), provided you stick to proper storage practices.
