Primer-igniter: types, application, device and principle of operation

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

The invention of the primer changed the world of firearms forever. By increasing the rate of fire, he also increased the reliability of the muskets and pistols used centuries ago on the battlefield. Today, the igniter primer is an integral part of any cartridges - smoothbore and rifled, small.22 LR and large-caliber 12.7 mm. Of course, many gun lovers would be interested to know about the history of its invention, as well as the main varieties.

History of the capsule

Let's start with the fact that the primer-igniter was first made in 1814 by the American specialist D. Shaw. It looked exactly like what many shooters are used to seeing today - a small metal container filled with a mixture of mercury fulminate and bartholium s alt.

However, it was used quite differently than it is today. The primer simply fit on a special protrusion - a brand tube, which was located directly above the seed hole in the barrel.

Yes, it was not very comfortable. Butafter all, before the shooters had to pour gunpowder on a shelf, and then set fire to it. The slightest wind, not to mention the rain, made firing a firearm very difficult. So the claim that the primer has revolutionized the gun world is out of the question.

Why is it needed?

The answer is as simple as possible. The primer is used in modern cartridges to ignite gunpowder. An open flame that shoots out in a tiny directed explosion effectively copes with the task.

But as practice shows, it allows you to achieve a different, side effect. It is this explosion that significantly increases the pressure in the cartridge case, providing even faster and more efficient combustion of gunpowder. Of course, this leads to an increase in the power of the shot and the range of the bullet (shot or buckshot).

Device

Conventionally, all capsules used today can be divided into two types: open and closed. The former are direct descendants of the brainchild of D. Shaw, but the development of the latter was initiated by the French engineer Zhevelo, who created a very different igniter primer towards the end of the nineteenth century. By the way, the invention was named after this engineer, thanks to which every shooter knows him today.

The open type primer is a red cap made of copper, on the bottom of which an explosive is placed (we will talk about it later). To protect it from moisture, aluminum foil is laid on top, fixed with a specialvarnish. The hole in the sleeve, designed to install the igniter, is equipped with a small protrusion - an anvil. Explosive when installing the primer rests against it. When the striker hits, it ignites, being clamped, igniting gunpowder through two needle-thick holes.

A completely different device has a "zhevelo" igniter primer. The cases it is used with do not have an anvil. But it is part of the capsule itself. A pointed metal object is located inside the structure, which significantly increases the dimensions. The increased manufacturing complexity causes a marked increase in cost. But reliability also increases dramatically. In addition, the ability to abandon the anvil in the sleeve allows the flame to break through not through two tiny holes, but through one, but equal in size to the primer itself. Of course, this provides not only more powerful ignition, but also a sharp increase in pressure. Therefore, gunpowder burns even faster, and the charge flies a greater distance with less persistence.

Explosive

Of course, when talking about the igniter capsule, one cannot fail to mention its composition. More specifically, the explosive used in it.

In the first capsules, as mentioned above, a mixture of Bertolet s alt and mercury fulminate was used. She was perfect for black powder. But for modern cartridges using smokeless powder, this composition is no longer suitable. The point is that the reactionignition proceeds too quickly and almost without gas evolution. Because of this, the pressure in the sleeve does not increase, and the gunpowder does not always burn out completely without residue. Therefore, today antimony has also been added to the classic recipe. Thus, the composition of the explosive is as follows:

• 35% mercury fulminate - thanks to it, self-ignition occurs;
• 40% Berthollet s alt - when burned, it decomposes, releasing oxygen needed to ignite gunpowder;
• 25% antimony, which significantly increases the combustion temperature of the mixture.

Accurate proportions are extremely important - any violation of technology leads to the fact that the primer will not be able to effectively cope with its task. Some experts argue that it is much more difficult to make it than, for example, a camera. Therefore, it is simply impossible to create an igniter capsule with your own hands.

A little about the types of capsules "Zhevelo"

As mentioned above, all capsules can be divided into two types: open and closed. The latter include primarily "Zhevelo" - it is used mainly for hunting weapons.

In recent years, the demand for them is constantly growing. The fact is that most hunters today refuse to use expensive brass sleeves, preferring plastic ones. Although they can be used only a few times (and are often thrown out after the first shot), they are much cheaper, and you don’t have to reload. It was the demand that broughtto the fact that various modifications appeared on the market. For example, on sale you can see the primer-igniter KV-209, KV-21, KV-22. By the way, the 21st is a legacy of the Soviet era, and the 209th appeared relatively recently.

What to say about the centrifuge

But the popularity of the centrifugal type igniter among fans of smoothbore weapons is falling. Despite the simplicity and cheapness, it cannot provide such a fast and powerful burning of gunpowder, so the demand for it is reduced. But the use of a centrifuge in rifle cartridges ensures that it will not disappear very soon. Even a cartridge of caliber 7.62, not to mention 5.56, contains a much smaller amount of gunpowder than, for example, 12 or 16 caliber. Therefore, the centrifugal primer does a great job here.

Very similar to the centrifugal capsule analogue of the Boxer system - having exactly the same device, they differ only in the absence of a positioning welt. But these samples are used mainly in the USA, where self-loading of cartridges for rifled weapons is legal.

Of course, if you paint all kinds of igniter primers by numbers, it will take one more article. But what has already been said is enough for the reader to get an idea of this difficult, but integral component of the modern cartridge.

Conclusion

The article is coming to an end. Now you know the composition of the primer-igniter, its history, as well as the main varieties. We hope this information will be useful to you and will allow you to betterunderstand the world of weapons and everything connected with it.