ABSTRACT
Small arms ammunition is manufactured in about 180 factories in 50 countries. The ammunition was demonstrated in a double-barrelled hinged gun, designed by Lefaucheux, which proved to be the first of a long line of hunting shot-guns. The development of caseless ammunition began during World War II and has now reached an advanced stage in the USA and FR Germany. Military small arms ammunition today is essentially the same as that introduced at the turn of the century. Modern full-power rifle (and light machine-gun) ammunition is essentially the same as that introduced at the turn of the century. There can be little doubt that full-power ammunition is excessively powerful for use as an anti-personnel weapon at the usual combat ranges of less than 300 m. A number of small arms projectiles designed to infect the body of the victim with a toxic agent of the nerve gas type have been studied in military laboratories.
