Also known as: percussion cap.
| Function | Ignites on a sharp blow |
|---|---|
| Construction | A copper cap holding a fulminate compound |
| Artillery use | In percussion primers and fuze primers |
Ignition by percussion
The percussion cap was a small copper cup holding a fulminate that detonated when struck. Best known from small arms, the same principle served artillery in percussion primers for firing guns and in the primers within percussion fuzes.
A plunger or hammer driven onto the cap, whether by the gunner's action or by the shock of a projectile striking its target, produced the flame that fired the charge.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.