Experimental Assessment of Primer Pressure in 9 mm Pistol Ammunition

In theoretical simulations of internal ballistics phenomena, the value of pressure generated by the ignition system is required. Typically, the ignition pressure value is assumed to be 3 - 5 MPa. The work presents a measurement stand using a “micro closed vessel”, designed to determine the ignition pressure for 9 mm pistol ammunition. Pressure measurements were made for two types of ammunition, differing in the construction of the ignition system. The results of measurements indicate that the value of the ignition pressure is twice as high as usually assumed. In addition, the mass of the ignition charge was determined, which is used in selected models of internal ballistics. The mass value was at the level of 0.02 g.