Patent ID: 8365669

Claim:
A cartridge for a firearm for use in non-lethal applications comprising an anterior portion and a posterior portion, together providing a recycling mechanism including a moveable member in the form of a piston or cylinder, slidably engaged respectively with a cylinder or a piston, a posterior primer located to the rear of the posterior portion for generating gas within the cartridge, the gas generated serving in use to propel the moveable member in a rearward direction against a breech block so as to recycle the firearm, wherein the anterior portion has a gas channel formed therethrough and is provided with a nose portion which is suitable for receiving a projectile, an expansion chamber provided between the moveable member and the anterior portion, an anterior primer located in the anterior portion forward of the gas channel, a percussion element slidably disposed in the gas channel and is propelled, in use, by gas generated by the posterior primer to strike against the anterior primer causing initiation, thereby to cause propulsion of the projectile from the nose portion, said percussion element comprising a striker composed of a plastic material, the striker having a rear flanged portion sealably and slidably disposed in the expansion chamber to prevent gas products generated by the posterior primer from contacting the anterior portion.