CARTRIDGE, a case of paper, parchment, metal or flannel suited to the bore of firearms, and holding the exact charge, including, in the case of small arms, both powder and bullet (or shot). In loading with the old style of cart ridge for muzzle-loading rifles before the Civil War, the paper over the powder was bitten or twisted off and the powder poured in, the bullet being then inserted and rammed home. In the first breech-loaders similar cartridges were used but trouble developed through the escape of gas from the breech to the mechanism•and the metallic cartridge was developed to obviate this difficulty. At first copper was used, with the priming in the rim, but the danger of accidental discharge being very great the primer was placed opposite the centre of the head in a small cap outside the case, for which brass was now used. The cartridges used for breech loading rifles contain the powder in a case of solid brass, and have the percussion-cap by which they are ignited fixed in the base. Such
cases can be refilled and used a number of times in succession. Cartridges for shot-guns are similar to those for rifles, but are usually of less solid construction, being commonly of strong paper with a base of metal. Those for large guns are usually made of flannel and con tain only the powder, the projectile being loaded separately. Machine guns became possible after the advent of metallic small-arms am munition, and in turn developed it. This kind of gun increased in calibre and fixed ammuni tion continued to be used and many difficulties in manufacture were overcome. Cartridge cases now are generally drawn from one piece in dies, whether they are small or large cases. Blank-cartridge is a cartridge without ball or shot. It is used for practice, salutes or signals. A dummy cartridge has no powder, and is used for drill purposes only. Cartridges for blasting are filled with dynamite or other ex plosive. See AMMUNITION.