An Evaluation of Primer Preseating in Small Caliber Cartridge Production

Abstract

This work presents the findings of a study to quantify the relative effectiveness of the primer preseating operation in small caliber cartridge production. In theory, primer preseating would enable cartridge stamping tools to achieve deeper stamping penetration depths and subsequently, greater primer retention forces. This is because, with preseating incorporated in the existing small caliber cartridge production process, a cartridge stamping tool would be fully dedicated to performing the case stamping operation (rather than the simultaneous primer seating and case stamping operations it currently performs). The findings presented in this work include measured percentages of total stamping tool force dedicated to primer seating, stamping tool penetration depths with and without primer preseating and primer retention forces with and without primer preseating. These findings and their underlying principles were produced through a static force equilibrium analysis and finite element modeling and simulation studies.

Keywords:

• Cartridge case
• Primer seating
• Small caliber ammunition production
• Stamping process

Notes

Communicated by Nickolay Banichuk.

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