Ammunition Ammunition , often informally referred to as ammo , is a generic term derived from the French language " la munition " which embraced all material used for war ( from the Latin " munire " , to provide ) , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery . The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions . In the widest sense of the word it covers anything that can be used in combat that includes bomb s , missile s , warhead s , and mines ( landmines , naval mine s , and anti - personnel mine s ) – that munitions factories manufacture . The purpose of ammunition is predominantly to project force against a selected target . However , the nature of ammunition use also includes delivery or combat supporting munitions such as pyrotechnic or incendiary compound s . Since the design of the cartridge , the meaning has been transferred to the assembly of a projectile and its propellant in a single package . The subject of ammunition is a complex one which covers application of fire to targets , general use of weapon s by personnel , explosives and propellants , cartridge systems , high explosive projectiles ( HE ) , warhead s , shaped charge forms of attack on armour and aircraft , carrier projectiles , fuzes , mortar ammunition , small arms ammunition , grenades , mines , pyrotechnics , improved conventional munitions , and terminally guided munition . Glossary . Historical ( circa World War I ) . These general conditions apply to the storage of ammunition in fortress es . Here the positions for the magazine and ammunition stores are so chosen as to afford the best means of protection from an enemy ' s fire . Huge earth parapet s cover these buildings , which are further strengthened , where possible , by traverse s protecting the entrances . For the purpose of filling , emptying , and examining cannon cartridges and shell , a laboratory is generally provided at some distance from the magazine . The various stores for explosives are classified into those under magazine conditions ( such as magazines , laboratories , and cartridge stores ) and those with which these restrictions need not be observed ( such as ammunition and shell stores ) . The interior walls of a magazine are lined , and the floors laid so that there may be no exposed iron or steel . At the entrance , there is a lobby or barrier , inside which persons about to enter the magazine change their clothes for a special suit , and their boots for a pair made without nails . In an ammunition or shell store these precautions need not be taken except where the shell store and the adjacent cartridge store have a common entrance ; persons entering may do so in their ordinary clothes . A large work may have a main magazine and several subsidiary magazines , from which the stock of cartridges is renewed in the cartridge stores attached to each group of guns or in the expense cartridge stores and cartridge recesses . The same applies to main ammunition stores which supply the shell stores , expense stores , and recesses . The supply of ammunition are either for gun s forming the movable armament or for guns placed in permanent positions . The movable armament will consist of guns and howitzer s of small and medium caliber , and it is necessary to arrange suitable expense cartridge stores and shell stores close to the available positions . They can generally be constructed to form part of the permanent work in the projected face of traverses or other strong formations , and should be arranged for a twenty - four hour supply of ammunition . These stores are refilled from the main magazine every night under cover of darkness . Light railways join the various positions . The guns mounted in permanent emplacements are divided into groups of two or three guns each , and usually each group will require but one calibre of ammunition . A cartridge store , shell store and a general store , all well ventilated , are arranged for the especial service of such a group of guns . In the cartridge store the cylinders containing the cartridges are so placed and labeled that the required charge , whether reduced or full , can be immediately selected . In the shell store the common shell are separated from the armour - piercing or shrapnel . Each nature of projectile is painted in a distinctive manner to render identification easy . The fuzes and tubes are placed in the general store with the tools and accessories belonging to the guns . The gun group is distinguished by some letter and the guns of the group by numerals ; thus < nowiki > A / 1 < / nowiki > is number one gun of group A . The magazine and shell stores are also indicated by the group letter , and so that mistakes , even by those unaccustomed to the fort , may be avoided , the passages are pointed out by finger posts and direction boards . For the immediate service of each gun , a few cartridges and projectiles are stored in small receptacles ( called cartridge and shell recesses respectively ) built in the parapet as near the gun position as practicable . In some cases , a limited number of projectiles may be placed close underneath the parapet if this is conveniently situated near the breech of the gun and not exposed to hostile fire . In order to supply the ammunition sufficiently rapidly for the efficient service of modern guns , hydraulic , electric , or hand - power , hoist s are employed to raise the cartridges and shell from the cartridge store and shell store to the gun floor , whence they are transferred to a derrick or loading tray attached to the mounting for loading the gun . Projectiles for BL guns above 6 inch ( 152 mm ) calibre are stored in shell stores ready filled and fuzed standing on their bases , except shrapnel and high - explosive shell , which are fuzed only when about to be used . Smaller sizes of shells are laid on their sides in layers , each layer pointing in the opposite direction to the one below to prevent injury to the driving bands . Cartridges are stored in brass corrugated cases or in zinc cylinders . The corrugated cases are stacked in layers in the magazine with the mouth of the case towards a passage between the stacks , so that it can be opened and the cartridges removed and transferred to a leather case when required for transport to the gun . Cylinders are stacked , when possible , vertically one above the other . The charges are sent to the gun in these cylinders , and provision is made for the rapid removal of the empty cylinders . The number and nature of rounds allotted to any fortress depends on questions of policy and location , the degrees of resistance the nature of the works and personnel could reasonably be expected to give , and finally on the nature of the armament . That is to say , for guns of large calibre three hundred to four hundred rounds per gun might be sufficient , while for light QF guns it might amount to one thousand or more rounds per gun . Modern era . Modern ammunition includes not only shells for tube artillery and mortars , but increasingly aircraft - delivered bomb s , smart bombs , rocket s and other explosive - bearing projectiles . The destructive power and lethality of these systems may be difficult to appreciate ; but forces in the fight see the accuracy as just another survival tool against the enemy . A single cluster bomb , deliverable by any of the above systems , can sow softball - sized bomblets across a 100 - yard ( 90 - m ) American football - sized field in sufficient density to kill any personnel , even penetrating sandbagged trenches and body armour . Operation Desert Storm saw widespread usage of cluster bombs — the Iraqi forces called them " " steel rain " " . There is little doubt that their usage is also seen as a psychological tool . The aforementioned bomblets are armed upon dispersal by the spinning action which is hastened by a design resembling a " softball with small wings " . Design of the ammunition . The design of the ammunition is determined by its purpose ; anti - personnel ammunition is often designed to break up or tumble inside the target , in order to maximize the damage done . Anti - personnel shells contain shrapnel and are designed to explode in mid - air , so its fragments will spread over a large area . Armor - piercing ammunition tends to be hard , sharp , and narrow , often with lubrication . Incendiary projectiles include a material such as white phosphorus which burns fiercely . Tracer ammunition emits light as it travels , allowing the gunner to see the path of bullets in flight while using a machine gun . Popular types of military rifle and machine gun ammunition include the 5 . 45 mm , 5 . 56 mm , and 7 . 62 mm . Main battle tanks use KE - penetrator s to combat other MBTs and armoured fighting vehicle s , and HE - Frag ( High Explosive - Fragmentation ) for soft target s such as infantry . Components of ammunition . The components of ammunition intended for rifles and munitions may be divided into these categories : Fuzes . The term ' fuze ' is used , by English speakers , to denote detonators for explosives , differentiating it from ' fuses , ' which are either circuit breakers or a means of transmitting fire . ( e . g . the fuse on a firecracker . ) Common artillery fuzes include point detonating , delay , time , and proximity . Point detonating fuzes detonate upon contact with the target . Delay fuzes are designed to penetrate a target before detonating . Time fuzes , as the name implies , detonate a certain time after being fired in order to achieve a burst at a specific time after being fired . Proximity fuzes contain a radio transceiver activated after firing to detonate the projectile when the signal reflected from the ground reaches a certain strength , e . g . 7 meters above the ground . Fuzes are usually armed by the acceleration of the projectile imparted by firing , and usually arm several meters after clearing the bore of the weapon . Storage of ammunition . See ammunition dump and magazine for discussion of modern ammunition storage facilities . Firearms ammunition . Ammunition for infantry refers to the ammunition carried by a typical foot ( infantry ) soldier . Someone serving in the infantry generally carries , in pouches , bandolier s , etc . , one hundred rounds of small - arms ammunition ( S . A . A . ) , and it is usual to supplement this , when an action is imminent , from the regimental reserve ( see below ) . Like any trade , the proper tools are necessary for the task at hand . Infantry need to be provided with the weapons and ammunition to deal with the expected threat , be it another foot soldier , a mounted combatant , armoured vehicle or aircraft . Every reduction in the caliber ( size ) of the rifle ' s ammunition means an increase in the number of rounds carried . One hundred rounds of the Martini - Henry ammunition weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces ( 4 . 8 kg ) ; the same weight gives 155 rounds of 0 . 303 in ( 7 . 7 mm ) ammunition and at 0 . 256 in ( 6 . 5 mm ) the number of rounds is still greater . The regimental reserves were historically carried in six S . A . A . carts and on eight pack animal s . The six carts are distributed , one as reserve to the machine gun , three as reserve to the battalion itself , and two as part of the brigade reserve , which consists therefore of eight carts . The brigade reserve communicates directly with the brigade ammunition columns of the artillery ( see below ) . The eight pack animals follow the eight companies of their battalion . These , with two out of the three battalion carts , endeavour to keep close to the firing line , the remaining cart being with the reserve companies . Men also are employed as carriers , and this duty is so onerous that picked men only are detailed . Gallantry displayed in bringing up ammunition is considered indeed to justify special rewards . The amount of S . A . A . in regimental charge is 100 rounds in the possession of each soldier , 2000 to 2200 on each pack animal , and 16 , 000 to 17 , 600 in each of four carts , with , in addition , about 4000 rounds with the machine gun and 16 , 000 more in the fifth cart . Currently , every army of an internationally recognized country ( except those who rely on others for defense , such as Andorra ) has adopted assault rifle s as the main infantry weapon . In western ( NATO ) forces , the 7 . 62 mm NATO round has been mostly replaced by the lighter 5 . 56 mm NATO round , which is better suited for automatic fire than the larger round and allows each soldier to carry more ammunition . The larger caliber ammunition is still retained where range and weight of shot is important , e . g . machine gun s and sniper rifle s . Other nations , especially forces with former ties to the Soviet Union tend to use rifles related to or developed from the AK - 47 with similar sized rounds to the NATO ones . In 7 . 62x39mm and 5 . 45x39mm for assault rifles and 7 . 62x54mmR for sniper rifles and light machine guns . Ordnance ammunition . Modern artillery ordnance ammunition is generally of two types : separate loading and semi - fixed . Semi - fixed ammunition ( rounds ) appear in the form of a projectile mated with a cartridge case which contains the propellant and they resemble small arms rounds . The canister is outfitted with a primer on its base which fires upon contact from the firing pin . Gunpowder , precision machined to burn evenly , is contained inside of cloth bags that are numbered . US / NATO 105 mm howitzers use semi - fixed ammunition , containing seven powder bags referred to as increments or charges . Putting the powder in bags allows the howitzer crew to remove the increments when firing at closer targets . The unused increments are disposed of by analysing burning in a powder pit at a safe distance from the guns . Above a certain size , semi - fixed rounds are impracticable ; the weight of the whole assembly is too much to be carried effectively . In this case separate loading ammunition is used : the projectile and propelling charge are supplied and loaded separately . The projectile is rammed home in the chamber , the powder charge ( s ) are loaded ( usually by hand ) , then the breech is closed and the primer is inserted into the primer holder on the back the breech . Separate loading ammunition is typically used on 155 mm and larger howitzers . Several propellant types are available for 155 mm howitzer . All normal projectiles arrive at the weapon with a plug in the fuze well on the nose of the projectile . Using a special fuze wrench , the plug is unscrewed and a fuze is screwed in . The decision as to which type of fuze to use is made by the fire direction center and carried out by the gun crew . The armaments fitted to early tanks were contemporary field or naval artillery pieces and used the same ammunition . When tank versus tank combat became more important , and specific tank guns did not exist , it became common to adapt anti - aircraft guns ( artillery ) which fired shells of high velocity , which were needed for high altitude targets . As the armour applied to tanks increased , ammunition for tank use paralleled that of anti - tank guns . Current tank gun ammunition is a single fixed round ( " shell " and charge combined in a single piece ) for quick loading , the propellant is in a combustible case , thus negating empty shell casings . The primary anti - armor ( anti - tank ) warhead is the sabot round , a shaped charge or sensor fuzed warhead . The tank made horse cavalry obsolete , and while an infantryman could deal with a horse - mounted enemy , new weapons were needed to defeat a tank or other armored fighting vehicle . The first anti - tank weapons given to the infantrymen were based upon small arms ; for example the anti - tank rifle . As even the later designs of tanks carried more armour , the limit of a man - portable rifle that could fire a round with sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate the armour was reached . The introduction of the shaped charge warhead gave the infantryman a weapon that used chemical energy rather than kinetic to penetrate armour in a focused manner , which made them more effective than large grenades . When propelled by a rocket , the shaped charge gained range as well . Weapons such as the US Bazooka and German Panzerfaust , although bulky , were suitable for infantry use - though they were designed to be short ranged weapons , which simplified accuracy for striking a vehicles weak points . Post World War 2 , the advent of the missile delivered both great range and accuracy and provided infantry with a weapon that could reliably destroy the heaviest tanks at long distances . Today ' s infantryman can deploy sophisticated multi - spectral man - portable surface - to - air missiles equipped with the ability to reject decoys and defeat counter - measures . Since aircraft are relatively light in weight , and delicate in construction , this , combined with their highly flammable fuel , made aircraft more susceptible to fatal damage since their first mass usage in World War I ; sometimes being brought down by single bullet , when striking something vital in the airplane . The main weaknesses of ammunition provided to infantry to deal with aircraft were limited range and small warheads ; both due to the necessity of maintaining man - portable weapons . The premier SAM for infantry is the FIM - 92 Stinger MANPADS ( Man Portable Air Defence System ) , provided as an all - up round in a canister it is attached to a launcher unit and is ready to expend . Numerous other missiles in this class exist from different nations of origin . Infantry machine guns and rifles may improve their ability against aircraft by utilising tracer ammunition , to allow the aimer to better gauge the lead aim necessary to strike his target . Weapons developed primarily for anti - tank roles can add proximity fusing to increase the probability of a kill by having the warhead detonate nearby the target without having to make contact . Naval ammunition . The ranges at which engagements are conducted by warships are typically much greater than that at which land warfare is observed . However , many exceptions can occur . The targets are also generally machines , not men . Naval ammunition is therefore optimized for great velocity ( to reach those great ranges , to hit aircraft flying at altitude and also with the benefit of reducing the lead that has to be applied to hit a distant moving target ) and to disable said machines , rather than rending human flesh . Naval gun ammunition of World War II vintage came in two main varieties , armor piercing shells to attack hardened warships or high explosive incendiary shells ( with point detonating fuzes to start fires on ships , or mechanical time fuzes designed to fragment and create clouds of shrapnel to defeat aircraft ) . With the demise of the armored warship , contemporary naval gun ammunition is solely the high explosive variety , but new fuzing and guidance options are available to increase lethality , especially against high speed missile or aircraft threats . Supply of ammunition in the field . With every successive improvement in military arms there has necessarily been a corresponding modification in the method of supplying ammunition and in the quantity required to be supplied . When hand - to - hand weapons were the principal implements of battle , there was no such need . But in the Middle Ages , the archers and crossbowmen had to replenish the shafts and bolts expended in action , and during a siege , stone bullets of great size , as well as heavy arrow s , were freely used . The missile s of those days were however interchangeable , and at the battle of Towton ( 1461 ) , part of the Wars of the Roses , the commander of the Yorkist archers induced the enemy to loose arrows in order to obtain them for future use , similarly to a story in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( 孔明借箭 ) . This interchangeability of war material was even possible for many centuries after the invention of firearms . At the battle of Liegnitz ( 1760 ) a general officer was specially commissioned by Frederick II of Prussia to pack up and send away , for Prussia n use , all the musket s and ammunition left on the field of battle by the defeated Austrians . Captured material is utilized whenever possible at the present time . In the First Sino - Japanese War , the Japanese went so far as to prepare beforehand spare parts for the Chinese guns they expected to capture . It is rare to find a modern army trusting to captures for arms and ammunition ; almost the only instance of the practice is that of the Chilean Civil War ( 1891 ) in which the army of one belligerent was almost totally dependent upon this means of replenishing stores of arms and cartridges . What was possible with weapons of comparatively rough make is no longer to be thought of in the case of modern arms . The Lee - Metford bullet of 0 . 303 inch ( 7 . 7 mm ) diameter can scarcely be used in a rifle of smaller caliber , and in general the minute accuracy of parts in modern weapons makes interchangeability almost impossible . Further , owing to the rapidity with which , in modern arms , ammunition is expended , and the fact that , as battles are fought at longer ranges than formerly , more shots have to be fired in order to inflict heavy losses , it is necessary that the reserves of ammunition should be as close as possible to the troops who have to use them . This was always the case even with the older firearms , as , owing to the great weight of the ammunition , the soldier could only carry a few rounds . Nevertheless it is only within the past seventy years that there has grown up the elaborate system of ammunition supply which now prevails in all regularly organized armies . That which is described in the present article is the British , as laid down in the official Combined Training ( 1905 ) and other manuals . The new system designed for stronger divisions , and others , vary only in details and nomenclature .