Cartridge (firearms)

A firearm cartridge is a unit of ammunition that combines a projectile, propellant, primer, and case, though some designs omit or combine components.

Bullet: A projectile expelled from a firearm, commonly made of a lead core enclosed by a metal jacket. It is the projectile component carried by many cartridges.
Centerfire ammunition: Ammunition whose primer is a separate component located in the center of the case head. Its primer is struck to ignite the propellant.
Caseless ammunition: Ammunition in which propellant forms the body around the projectile, eliminating a conventional case. It omits the separate case that defines most cartridge designs.
Rifle cartridge: A cartridge designed for use in a rifle, typically with a pointed projectile and a case suited to its chamber. It is a common cartridge type built for rifled long guns.
Cartridge case: A container that holds a cartridge’s components and expands against the chamber during firing. It holds the primer and propellant and usually supports the projectile.
Rimfire ammunition: Ammunition with priming compound distributed within the hollow rim of its case. It places priming compound in the case rim rather than in a separate central primer.
Paper cartridge: An ammunition package, often made of paper, that holds a measured charge and sometimes a projectile for muzzle-loading firearms. It packages ammunition components without the modern metallic case.
Pistol cartridge: A cartridge designed for use in a pistol, with dimensions and pressure matched to a specific firearm chamber. It is a common cartridge type for handguns.
Gunpowder: A chemical propellant that burns rapidly to produce gas and pressure. Its combustion creates the pressure that drives the projectile forward.
Internal ballistics: The study of projectile motion and pressure inside a firearm before the projectile exits the muzzle. It describes the pressure and motion produced after a cartridge ignites.

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