What Is A Primer In Ammunition? Primers 101

The primer is one component of ammunition. A primer is the piece accountable for beginning the propellant discharge that will force the projectiles out of the firearm’s barrel. Today, a primer can commonly be found incorporated into the base of a cartridge.

Primers are one of the least frequently talked about pieces of ammunition due to the fact that you don’t want to thoughtlessly switch or swap it out. It is widely known that testing new lots of ammo components, especially the propellant, but primers won’t only vary lot to lot, they differ significantly in their impact on any load.

What Hits The Primer Of A Bullet?

The firing pin strikes the primer, causing it to burst. The spark from the primer’s burst torches the gunpowder, making the primer an extremely important component of the ammo. Without the primer, projectiles wouldn’t be able to eject from the gun barrel.

The Parts Of A Primer

A primer is constructed of a brass cup filled with lead styphnate, a combustible compound. Lead styphnate explodes on impact. Lead styphnate starts as a liquid in the manufacturing process. The compound is poured into the brass cup and then a triangular piece of metal, also referred to as the anvil, is set in. This happens while the compound is still in a liquid state. 

Primer Varieties And Sizes

Primers are made in four different types and two different sizes. The sizes are small and large. These are rifle and pistol primers. For an example of sizes, .223 Rem. uses a small primer and a .308 Winchester uses a large primer. 

Although pistol primers and rifle primers share common diameters, they are not the same. What makes the primers different is the components they are created from. Rifle primers regularly obtain a hotter flash and a tougher cup. Be sure to use the correct primers, along with the correct ammunition for a rifle and a pistol, never switch them up. 

Learn More About Primers

Primers are a crucial component of ammunition that does not receive the information coverage it deserves. Without primers, the initiation of the projectile would not occur. If you have questions about ammunition components and primers, contact the ammo experts at Virtus Ammo today for answers and support.

Do you know if the gasport of your fieram needs to be tuned? If you are experienced Stovepiping, this may be the case. In this article, we will be discussing the effects of the higher velocity and the different exit angles on the bolt during its forward motion.

The True Velocity Polymer case is far lighter than the traditional brass cartridge case. In fact, they are up to 60% lighter in select traditional brass cartridge case calibers. This reduced mass results in higher bolt speeds when cycling, which in turn outcomes in the spent case having a high velocity as it flees the firearm and rebounds off the deflector. 

In addition, the center of mass of the True Velocity case is much closer to the aft end of the case than in a traditional brass cartridge case. This results in a different rotation of the case as it is extracted from the weapon. In certain scenarios, a change of direction of the ejected case. For instance, if a brass case exits the firearm at 3 o’clock, a True Velocity deposit case exits at 1 o’clock. 

On occasion, the higher velocity and the different exit angle can result in a case being caught by the bolt during its forward motion. This is also referred to as Stovepiping. In these types of cases, it is suggested that the gasport should be lessened so that the weapon cycles correctly without forcing the bolt quite as hard. 

Please keep in mind that work such as this should always be executed by a qualified gunsmith to ensure safety in the firearm during the job being done and afterward for firing properly to prevent more issues and harmful injuries to the firearm operator. 

What is the Gasport on a Gun? 

The gasport of a firearm is also referred to more generally as the gas operation or gas system. A Gas-operation is a system of function in autoloading firearms with the purpose of providing energy to operate locked-breech. In gas operation, an amount of high-pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is employed to power a mechanism to dispose of the finished case and insert a new cartridge into the chamber.

This high-pressure gas of a gasport has sufficient power to destroy a firearm unless it is regulated somehow. Most gas-operated firearms depend on fine tuning of the gasport mass, size, and spring pressures to function.

Get Help from the Experts

Are your questions unanswered? Do you need more information? Contact the ammo experts at Virtus Ammo for more information about fixing the Gas System of your firearm. Our team has the knowledge to help you better understand your ammo, firearm, and how they work together. We strive to deliver the best ammunition information and answers to your questions to the best of our ability. 

Bonded doesn’t refer to the shape or design of the projectile, but rather to whether the soft core and hard outer jacket have been adhered together in some way. There are different ways of bonding the lead to the copper, but the resulting effect, whether you’re shooting bonded FMJ or bonded hollow point, is that the two components hold together and remain in one piece more effectively than non-bonded projectiles.

Read more about Bonded Projectiles testing in our article “True Velocity .308 Winchester vs. Federal Gold Medal Match, Sierra Matchking, and More: Testing Best Ammo at 100 and 700 Yards“.

Most hunters prefer bonded ammunition because it causes a deeper wound channel and more tissue damage. The result is an increased chance of downing an animal in hunting scenarios. Learn more about choosing the right hunting ammunition here.

Contact Virtus Ammo today for more information about Bonded Projectiles.