An automatic injector comprising: a housing having a retention step formed on an inner surface of the housing; a cartridge having an opening therein and containing a medicament, the medicament rearwardly confined by a plunger received through the opening, the cartridge including a needle assembly operative to dispense the medicament there through during a medicament dispensing operation, the needle assembly including a needle; a cartridge container disposed within the housing and operative to receive the cartridge therein, the cartridge container having a ledge that abuts the retention step of the housing to limit movement of the cartridge container within the housing during a medicament dispensing operation, the cartridge container having a closed front end except for an opening sized to receive the needle there through during a medicament dispensing operation; an actuation assembly providing a stored energy source capable of driving the plunger within the cartridge to dispense the medicament through the needle assembly, the actuation assembly secured to the housing; a needle cover at least partially received within the housing, the needle cover extending beyond the housing and having an enclosed end surface operative to contact an injection site prior to a medicament dispensing operation, the end surface having an opening sized to receive the needle there through during a medicament dispensing operation; a locking mechanism for selectively holding the needle cover in a first locked position with respect to the housing and in a second locked position with respect to the housing; a needle cover spring assembly for moving the needle cover from the retracted first locked position to the extended second locked position, wherein the actuation assembly has an activation force necessary to release the stored energy source and the needle cover spring assembly provides a biasing force, wherein the activation force is greater than the biasing force, and wherein the cartridge container is constructed and arranged such that the energy released from the stored energy source of the activation assembly, during dispensing of the medicament, is not transmitted to the needle cover. a housing having a retention step formed on an inner surface of the housing; a cartridge having an opening therein and containing a medicament, the medicament rearwardly confined by a plunger received through the opening, the cartridge including a needle assembly operative to dispense the medicament there through during a medicament dispensing operation, the needle assembly including a needle; a cartridge container disposed within the housing and operative to receive the cartridge therein, the cartridge container having a ledge that abuts the retention step of the housing to limit movement of the cartridge container within the housing during a medicament dispensing operation, the cartridge container having a closed front end except for an opening sized to receive the needle there through during a medicament dispensing operation; an actuation assembly providing a stored energy source capable of driving the plunger within the cartridge to dispense the medicament through the needle assembly, the actuation assembly secured to the housing; a needle cover at least partially received within the housing, the needle cover extending beyond the housing and having an enclosed end surface operative to contact an injection site prior to a medicament dispensing operation, the end surface having an opening sized to receive the needle there through during a medicament dispensing operation; a locking mechanism for selectively holding the needle cover in a first locked position with respect to the housing and in a second locked position with respect to the housing; a needle cover spring assembly for moving the needle cover from the retracted first locked position to the extended second locked position, wherein the actuation assembly has an activation force necessary to release the stored energy source and the needle cover spring assembly provides a biasing force, wherein the activation force is greater than the biasing force, and wherein the cartridge container is constructed and arranged such that the energy released from the stored energy source of the activation assembly, during dispensing of the medicament, is not transmitted to the needle cover.