CRFSC Ammunition Types and Storage 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the headstamp on a cartridge case typically indicate?
- The powder charge weight
- The manufacturer and calibre designation (Correct answer)
- The bullet velocity rating
- The primer type used
Correct answer: The manufacturer and calibre designation
The headstamp is stamped into the base of the case and shows the manufacturer's mark and calibre or cartridge designation.
Question 2: Which type of primer is recessed into a rim that runs around the entire base of the cartridge case?
- Berdan primer
- Boxer primer
- Centerfire primer
- Rimfire primer (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Rimfire primer
Rimfire cartridges have priming compound spun into the hollow folded rim at the base of the case.
Question 3: A rifle cartridge is labelled '7.62×51mm NATO'. What does the second number (51) represent?
- Bullet diameter in millimetres
- Case length in millimetres (Correct answer)
- Muzzle velocity in metres per second
- Maximum pressure in megapascals
Correct answer: Case length in millimetres
In metric cartridge nomenclature, the second number is the length of the cartridge case in millimetres.
Question 4: What is the primary hazard of storing ammunition in a vehicle during hot summer weather?
- The powder absorbs moisture and becomes inert
- Heat can cause cartridges to detonate inside the vehicle
- Extreme heat degrades the brass causing cartridges to split (Correct answer)
- Primers can separate from the case and fall out
Correct answer: Extreme heat degrades the brass causing cartridges to split
Prolonged high heat weakens brass cases, causes propellant degradation, and can lead to misfires or case failure when the ammunition is later fired.
Question 5: What is a 'sabot' as it relates to ammunition?
- A non-toxic lead substitute used in shotgun pellets
- A plastic sleeve that allows a smaller-diameter projectile to be fired from a larger-bore barrel (Correct answer)
- A type of wad used to seal propellant gases in shotgun shells
- A hollow-point bullet designed for maximum expansion
Correct answer: A plastic sleeve that allows a smaller-diameter projectile to be fired from a larger-bore barrel
A sabot is a plastic carrier that holds an undersized projectile and falls away after leaving the muzzle, allowing high-velocity flight of the sub-calibre bullet.
Question 6: Under Canadian law, where may a person store ammunition in the same container as a non-restricted firearm?
- Never — ammunition and firearms must always be stored separately
- Only if the firearm is unloaded and the ammunition is in a separate locked pouch inside the container
- Only if the container is a locked hard-sided case approved by the RCMP
- In any locked container, provided the firearm is rendered inoperable (Correct answer)
Correct answer: In any locked container, provided the firearm is rendered inoperable
The Firearms Act permits storing ammunition with a non-restricted firearm in the same locked container as long as the firearm is rendered inoperable by a trigger lock or other approved device.
Question 7: What term describes the pressure wave that travels back through the shooter's hand when a cartridge fires?
- Muzzle blast
- Recoil impulse (Correct answer)
- Hangfire wave
- Primer pulse
Correct answer: Recoil impulse
Recoil impulse is the rearward force transmitted to the firearm and shooter caused by expanding propellant gases pushing the projectile forward.
CRFSC Ammunition Types and Storage 2
What does the headstamp on a cartridge case typically indicate?