- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice ProgramsNational Institute of JusticeThe Research, Development, and Evaluation Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice
Ammunition
Home > Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development > Ammunition
Ammunition consists of four components:
- Propellant
- Projectile (bullets and shot pellets)
- Cartridge cases
- Primer
Self-contained ammunition, in which the propellant, projectile, and primer are held together by a cartridge case, is called fixed ammunition. Artillery ammunition with separate components is called semifixed ammunition. A cartridge is a single unit of fixed ammunition.
