The Origin of Primer

The origin of primers in ballistics dates back to the early 19th century.
Initially, percussion caps were used as primers. These were small metal
cups filled with a shock-sensitive explosive compound like mercury
fulminate. When struck by the gun’s firing pin, they ignited, setting off
the main powder charge.

In the mid-1800s, the invention of the Boxer primer by Edward Boxer

revolutionized ammunition design. Boxer primers, consisting of a metal
cup containing a priming compound and an anvil, became the standard
for metallic cartridges.
Modern primers are typically made of a mixture of lead
styphnate, barium nitrate, and antimony sulfide. These
compounds are more stable and less toxic than mercury
fulminate. Additionally, modern primers may incorporate
variations for specific applications, such as non-corrosive
primers for military use or lead-free primers for environmental
concerns.
1. Primer Cup - A small metal cup, into which the primer mixture is
loaded. The capsule is open to one side, into which the anvil
and the primer ignition material is inserted.

2. Charge/Primer Compound/Primer Mix/Pellet - serves to ignite

the main powder charge.

3. Paper Disc - (Foil) acts as a shield for the pellet, protecting

it from moisture and other disruptive influences that may effect
performance or reliability.
4. Anvil - the point against which the priming compound is crushed
to detonate the primer.

5. Vent/Flash Hole - allow the flash of the primer to reach the inside
of the case and ignites the gunpowder.
The explosive ignites and shoots a flame through the flash hole,
igniting the propellant to fire the cartridge.
 TYPES OF PRIMER
TYPES OF PRIMER

•Rimfire
•Centerfire Boxer
•Centerfire Berdan
RIMFIRE PRIMER
A rim-fire (or rimfire) is a type of metallic cartridge used in firearms, where
the primer is located within a hollow circumferential rim protruding from
the base of its casing.
When fired, the gun's firing pin will strike and crush the rim against the
edge of the barrel breech, sparking the primer compound within the rim,
and in turn ignite the propellant within the case. Invented in 1845,
by Louis-Nicolas Flobert
Priming compound is a mechanical mixture of lead styphnate, antimony
sulfide, barium nitrate, and other chemicals. This combination will create
heat and gas when struck sharply.
Centerfire boxer primer
Colonel Edward Mounier Boxer, of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, England, was working
on a primer cap design for cartridges, patenting it in England on October 13, 1866, and
subsequently received a U.S. patent for his design on June 29, 1869, in U.S. patent
91,818.
The Boxer design has a central single flash hole, which allows shooters to easily remove
and replace spent primers using reloading tools. The Boxer primer's design makes it
more accessible to reload, as the spent primer can be quickly removed with specialized
tools.
Consist of four main components: the cup, the anvil, the primer compound, and the
sealant. The cup is typically made of brass and holds the primer compound, which is a
mixture of lead styphnate, barium nitrate, and antimony sulfide.
Centerfire berdan primer
Berdan primers, patent by American inventor Hiram Berdan in 1866, are a
simple capsule, and the corresponding case has two small flash holes
with a bulged bar in between, which serves as the "anvil" for the primer.
Berdan primers have an anvil that is integral to the primer pocket on the
cartridge case.
made of a copper or brass alloy cup with a brass anvil and are filled with
an impact-sensitive leadstyphnate igniter. The metal parts of the primer
are usually nickel-plated to resist corrosion. Propellants can vary from
black gunpowder to a more modern smokeless powder which contains
nitrocellulose.
PRIMER
The primer contains a mixture of substances that perform three
basic functions: an initiator, which is an explosive that starts
the process when the firing pin hits the primer; a sensitizer,
which helps in the ignition process; and a fuel, which sustains
the flame and ensures adequate time to light the powder.
 Types of priming mixture compound
corrosive and non corrosive

CORROSIVE PRIMING MIXTURE COMPOUNDS:

CORROSIVE PRIMING MIXTURE COMPOUNDS
CONTAIN SUBSTANCES THAT PROMOTE CORROSION
UPON IGNITION, TYPICALLY COMPOUNDS
CONTAINING CHLORATES OR FULMINATES .
NON-CORROSIVE PRIMING MIXTURE COMPOUNDS:
NON-CORROSIVE PRIMING MIXTURE COMPOUNDS
ARE FORMULATED TO MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE THE
PRODUCTION OF CORROSIVE RESIDUES UPON
IGNITION.
Characteristics:
•CHLORATES OR FULMINATES ARE COMMONLY USED IN
CORROSIVE PRIMING MIXTURES DUE TO THEIR
EFFECTIVENESS IN INITIATING IGNITION.
•THESE COMPOUNDS LEAVE BEHIND RESIDUE CONTAINING
CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES SUCH AS POTASSIUM CHLORIDE
OR LEAD CHLORIDE UPON COMBUSTION.
•CORROSIVE RESIDUES ARE HYGROSCOPIC, MEANING THEY
ATTRACT MOISTURE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE,
EXACERBATING CORROSION IN FIREARMS IF NOT CLEANED
PROPERLY AFTER USE.
•HISTORICALLY, MANY OLDER MILITARY SURPLUS
AMMUNITIONS USED CORROSIVE PRIMING MIXTURES.
Characteristics:

•Non-corrosive priming mixtures often contain more stable

compounds such as lead styphnate or lead azide, which
produce less corrosive residue upon combustion.
•These compounds are designed to ignite reliably without
leaving behind corrosive by-products.
•Most modern commercially available ammunition uses non-
corrosive priming mixtures.
 Composition of Primer Mixture
1. Potassium Chlorate
2. Antimony Sulphide
3. Mercury Fulminate

THREE BASIC FUNCTIONS

1. INITIATOR
2. FUEL
3. SENSITIZER