Letter: P

The improper firing of a cartridge or shotshell before the breech or action of the firearm is fully closed and locked into firing position.

Cartridges designed to accomplish mechanical actions. The cartridges consist of a shellcase and propellant that when ignited produces gases for inflation, linear or rotary motion, activate diaphragms, or project fastening devices. See also, Industrial Cartridge.

A balance or weighing instrument for accurately weighing powder charges.

1. The machinery that produces Black Powder to the required geometry. 2. A manufacturing facility that produces powder, classically applied to Black Powder facilities but can be used for Smokeless Propellant manufacturing plants.

A device to measure quantities of powder volumetrically.

Brass or copper cup designed to contain priming mixture.

Attempting to roughly establish pressure of a cartridge by visual observation or measurement of a fired cartridge case.

A piston and crusher system, or a piezoelectric transducer system used to measure internal barrel pressure in a firearm or test device.

The initial distance the trigger moves prior to sear movement. Also known as Trigger Take-up or Slack. See Trigger Creep.

An ignition component containing explosive mixture in a metallic cup, which provides a source of heat and flame when initiated.  Percussion primers utilize mechanical impact for initiation energy and may have an anvil in the cup or the anvil may be integral to the cartridge case. (See Boxer Primer and Berdan Primer.)  To a lesser extent, electrically-initiated primers have been used in sporting small arms ammunition and are currently used in some military small arms applications.