Berdan versus Boxer?

[MilesTeg]

These questions have been bugging me for quite awhile.

Can anyone fill me in on how the Boxer and Berdan priming systems were developed and why hasn't the whole world converted over to Boxer? Are there pro's and con's to the 2 types outside of the reloading issues? Also, what was the purpose behind "crimping" military primers?

 

[Target Shooter]

Primers in the U.S. are often referred to as Boxer primers, after the designer, Edward M. Boxer, a British Army Officer during the mid 1800's. At about the same time, an American ordnance officer, Hiram Berdan, introduced a different priming system in the U.S. The Berdan primer uses 2 or 3 smaller flash holes that are off center and surround an anvil that is formed as part of the bottom of the primer pocket. From a manufacturing standpoint, Berdan's system is simpler and less expensive, but cases of this type are extremely difficult to reload. Aluminum CCI Blaser cartridges use this system and are not reloadable. Ironically, it was the British Boxer system that the U.S. has adopted, while the American Berdan system is still widely used in Great Britain, and Europe. The Boxer system uses a larger centered flash hole and the anvil is a separate metal piece that's held inside the primer cup.

For your second question, the purpose of crimping in primers was so the ammunition could be used in automatic weapons and primers backing out from excessive vibration would be eliminated.

TS

 

[MilesTeg]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Paul Fitz Jones]

Berdan VS Boxer primers

The Europeans took on the berdan primer so that the governments could keep complete control of the non reloadable at the time ammunition supply whereas the American government trusted their civilians in reloading their own ammo.

A crimped primer pocket could also be better sealed with lacquer also to keep out moisture.

An Old Timer

 

[Mike Irwin]

Actually I think it's a lot simpler than that...

In the United States there was a much greater call for reloadable ammo from both the civilian and military markets than there was in Europe.

Part of that I think was the amount of westward expansion, but from the military standpoint, it was an issue of saving money.

From the adoption of the Boxer primer as the military standard in the 1880s up until about World War I, virtually every round fired on military training ranges was collected and shipped back to a military arsenal to be reloaded.

The reloading of military cartridges is how it was discovered that mercury caused brass embrittlement, especially with the new smokeless powders.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Actually I think it's a lot simpler than that...

In the United States there was a much greater call for reloadable ammo from both the civilian and military markets than there was in Europe.

Part of that I think was the amount of westward expansion, but from the military standpoint, it was an issue of saving money.

From the adoption of the Boxer primer as the military standard in the 1880s up until about World War I, virtually every round fired on military training ranges was collected and shipped back to a military arsenal to be reloaded.

The reloading of military cartridges is how it was discovered that mercury caused brass embrittlement, especially with the new smokeless powders.

 

[18 SHOT]

10-4 THX FOR THE GOOD INFO. I DIDN'T KNOW THE DETAILS I NEW ONE YOU COULD RELOAD AND THE OTHER YOU COULDN'T. IM GOING TO BE SMART AFTER I READ YOU GUYZ A WHILE.