>DocWatson42 at 00:27, 31 December 2021

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{{Short description|Weapon loads: projectiles, bombs, missiles}}
{{For|the Chamillionaire EP|Ammunition (EP)}}
{{Redirect|Ammo}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
[[File:A close up of 0.50 Caliber (12.7 mm) Browning Ball M33 Ammunition loaded onto a Browning M2 HB 0.50 caliber heavy machine.JPEG|thumb|upright=1.35|A belt of [[.50 BMG|0.50 caliber]] ammunition loaded into an [[M2 Browning]]. Every fifth round (red tips) is an M20 (armor piercing incendiary tracer).]]

'''Ammunition''' (informally '''ammo''') is the material fired, scattered, dropped or detonated from any [[weapon]] or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., [[bomb]]s, [[missile]]s, [[grenade]]s, [[land mine]]s) and the component parts of other weapons that create the effect on a target (e.g., [[bullet]]s and [[Warhead|warheads)]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ammunition|title=the definition of ammunition |website=Dictionary.com|access-date=6 March 2017}}</ref> Nearly all mechanical weapons require some form of ammunition to operate.

The term ''ammunition'' can be traced back to the mid-17th century.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/munitions|title=the definition of munitions |website=Dictionary.com|access-date=6 March 2017}}</ref> In some languages other than English ammunition is still referred to as munition, such as French (''"munitions"''), German (''"Munition"''), Italian (''"munizione"'') or Portuguese (''"munição"'').

The purpose of ammunition is to project a force against a selected [[Targeting (warfare)|target]] to have an effect (usually, but not always, lethal). The most iconic example of ammunition is the firearm [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]], which includes all components required to deliver the weapon effect in a single package. Until the 20th century, black powder was the most common explosive used but has now been replaced in nearly all cases by modern compounds.

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 shell]]s and [[tracer ammunition]], used only in certain circumstances. Ammunition is commonly labeled or colored in a specific manner to assist in the identification and to prevent the wrong ammunition types from being used accidentally or inappropriately.

== Glossary ==
{{main|Glossary of firearms terms}}
* A '''round''' is a single [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] containing a [[projectile]], [[propellant]], [[Blasting cap|primer]] and [[cartridge (firearms)|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 munition]]s or [[Shotgun|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{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}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.
* A '''bomb,''' or more specifically a '''[[guided bomb|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aircraft ordnance|url=http://www.usna.edu/Training/_files/documents/References/2C%20MQS%20References/NAVEDTRA%2014014A%20Ch.%209%20Aircraft%20Ordnance.pdf|publisher=United States Naval Academy|access-date=6 May 2015}}</ref>

== Design ==
[[Image:Battery Rodgers magazine.jpg|thumb|right|[[Round shot|Cannonballs]] from the [[American Civil War]]]]

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 [[Expanding bullet|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 fuzes.

== Components==
[[File:US Army 53437 091014-A-8267F-221.jpg|thumb|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|Fuze or primer]]
* [[explosive material]]s and [[gunpowder|propellants]]
* [[projectile]]s of all kinds
* [[cartridge (firearms)|cartridge casing]]

=== Fuzes ===
{{Main|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 (explosives)|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 (firearm)|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.
[[File:Mk211 Raufoss.jpg|thumb|The inside of a modern 12.7mm ''anti-materiel'' rifle bullet]]

=== Propellant or explosive ===
{{Main|Gunpowder|Propellant}}
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 fast-burning 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 ===
{{Main|Cartridge (firearm)}}
[[Image:Inspecting Cases.jpg|thumb|Female ordnance workers inspecting cartridge cases in [[Los Angeles]], 1943]]

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 ===
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 ==
{{Main|Ammunition dump}}
An ammunition dump is a military facility for the storage of live ammunition and explosives that will be distributed and used at a later date.<ref>{{Citation|title=Ammunition dump|date=2020-04-28|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ammunition_dump&oldid=953675393|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> Such a storage facility is extremely hazardous, with the potential for accidents when unloading, packing, and transferring the ammunition. In the event of a fire or explosion, the site and its surrounding area is immediately evacuated and the stored ammunition is left to detonate itself completely with limited attempts at firefighting from a safe distance. In large facilities, there may be a flooding system to automatically extinguish a fire or prevent an explosion. Typically, an ammunition dump will have a large buffer zone surrounding it, to avoid casualties in the event of an accident. There will also be perimeter security measures in place to prevent access by unauthorized personnel and to guard against the potential threat from enemy forces.

A magazine is a place where a quantity of ammunition or other explosive material is stored temporarily prior to being used. The term may be used for a facility where large quantities of ammunition are stored, although this would normally be referred to as an ammunition dump. Magazines are typically located in the field for quick access when engaging the enemy. The ammunition storage area on a warship is referred to as the "ship's magazine". On a smaller scale, [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]] is also the name given to the ammunition storage and feeding device of a repeating firearm.

Gunpowder must be stored in a dry place (stable room temperature) to keep it usable, as long as for 10 years. It is also recommended to avoid hot places, because friction or heat might ignite a spark and cause an explosion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/how-to-store-ammo/249745|title=How to Properly Store Ammo|date=22 December 2013|website=Guns and Ammo|language=en|access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>

==Common types==
[[Image:Rifle cartridge comparison.jpg|thumb|right|Various [[Cartridge (firearms)|rifle cartridges]] compared to the height of a US$1 bill.]]

=== Small arms ===
{{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 ===
{{main|Shell (projectile)}}

A shell is a payload-carrying [[projectile]] which, as opposed to a [[Round shot|shot]], contains explosives or other fillings, in use since the 19th century.

==== Artillery ====
{{main|Artillery|Cannon}}
[[Image:M107 Shells.JPEG|thumb|left|[[M107 projectile|M107]] Shells]]
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 [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|fragments]] 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 munition]]s. 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 ====
{{main|Tank|Shaped charge}}
[[File:IMI120shells.jpg|thumb|upright|Modern 120 mm tank gun cartridges with different projectiles]]
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 warhead]]s and [[armour-piercing discarding sabot|armor-piercing discarding sabot]] rounds. The development of [[shaped charge]]s has had a significant impact on anti-tank ammunition design, now common on both tank-fire ammunition and in anti-tank missiles.

==== Naval ====
[[File:14in shells on deck of USS New Mexico (BB-40) in 1944.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Fourteen-inch ammunition on the deck of a battleship in 1944.]]
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 ===
{{main|Bomb|Anti-aircraft warfare}}

== Logistics ==
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==
{{As of|2013|post=,}} 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.<ref name=usgs113>{{cite web|author1=USGS |title=Mineral Industry Surveys, Lead |url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/mineral |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=30 December 2014 |date=January 2013 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Dr. Göttlein Axel|title=Eco-toxicological assessment of hunting rifle ammunition|url=http://www.leadinammunition.com/independent-studies-002/|publisher=Bavarian Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry upon an initiative of the Bavarian Hunting Association|access-date=16 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018082938/https://www.leadinammunition.com/independent-studies-002/|archive-date=18 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethmacbride/2019/03/30/uncommon-courage-in-the-gun-world-of-the-northwestern-plains/|title=A Small Entrepreneur Stands Up To The Trump Administration On Lead Ammunition|last=MacBride|first=Elizabeth|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=31 March 2019}}</ref> The US military has experimented with replacing lead with copper as a slug in their [[green bullet]]s 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.<ref name="army713">{{cite web|author1=Audra Calloway|title=Picatinny ammo goes from regular to unleaded|url=http://www.army.mil/article/106710/Picatinny_ammo_goes_from_regular_to_unleaded/|publisher=Army.mil|access-date=30 December 2014|date=1 July 2013}}</ref>

Hunters are also encouraged to use [[Monolithic bullet]]s, which exclude any lead content.

== Unexploded ordnance ==
{{main|Unexploded ordnance}}
Unexploded ammunition can remain active for a very long time and poses a significant threat to both humans and the environment.

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Air travel with firearms and ammunition]]
* [[Ammunition box]]
* [[Ammunition column]]
* [[Armor-piercing shell]]
* [[Breaching round]]
* [[Expanding bullet]]
* [[Fuse (explosives)]]
* [[Full metal jacket bullet]]
* [[Handloading]]
* [[High-explosive incendiary]]
* [[Hollow-point bullet]]
* [[Howitzer]]
* [[International Ammunition Association]]
* [[KE munition]]
* [[Shot (pellet)]]
* [[List of handgun cartridges]]
* [[List of rifle cartridges]]
* [[Naval artillery]]
* [[Proximity fuze]]
* [[Rotation of ammunition]]
* [[Table of handgun and rifle cartridges]]
* [[Tubes and primers for ammunition]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{EB1911 poster|Ammunition}}
* [http://www.rawles.to/Euro_Box_FAQ.html European Ammunition Box Translations]
* [http://cartridgecollectors.org/ International Ammunition Association]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ammunition| ]]
[[Category:Explosives]]
[[Category:Weapons]]

Ammunition - Revision history

>DocWatson42 at 00:27, 31 December 2021