centerfire
Noun
Meaning
centerfire (plural centerfires)
A type of firearm cartridge with the primer in a central primer cap.
Synonym: central fire
Anagrams
Examples
The primer charge is at the base of the cartridge, either within the rim (a " rimfire " cartridge) or in a small percussion cap embedded in the center of the base (a " centerfire " cartridge).
As a rule, centerfire cartridges are more powerful than rimfire cartridges, operating at considerably higher pressures than rimfire cartridges.
Some shooters desiring to reload for obsolete rimfire cartridges alter the firearm in question to function as a centerfire, which allows them to reload.
This is practically impossible with most centerfire cartridges.
Though less common, pistol-caliber conversions of centerfire rifles like the AR-15 are commercially available.