Editing Cartridge (firearms) (section)

==Dummy rounds==
[[File:Naboj23 mm.jpg|thumb|left|80px|[[23×152mm]] cartridge, drill round]]
{{Main|Dummy round}}
Drill rounds are inert versions of cartridges used for education and practice during military training. Other than the lack of propellant and primer, these are the same size as normal cartridges and will fit into the mechanism of a gun in the same way as a live cartridge does. Because dry-firing (releasing the firing pin with an empty chamber) a gun can sometimes lead to firing pin (striker) damage, dummy rounds termed [[snap cap]]s are designed to protect centerfire guns from possible damage during "dry-fire" trigger control practices.

To distinguish drill rounds and snap-caps from live rounds these are marked distinctively. Several forms of markings are used; e.g. setting colored flutes in the case, drilling holes through the case, coloring the bullet or cartridge, or a combination of these. In the case of centerfire drill rounds, the primer will often be absent, its mounting hole in the base is left open. Because these are mechanically identical to live rounds, which are intended to be loaded once, fired, and then discarded, drill rounds have a tendency to become significantly worn and damaged with repeated passage through [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]]s and firing mechanisms, and must be frequently inspected to ensure that these are not so degraded as to be unusable. For example, the cases can become torn or misshapen and snag on moving parts, or the bullet can become separated and stay in the breech when the case is ejected.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

=== ECI (Empty chamber indicator) ===
[[File:Mek-Porek 9x19mm Parabellum from behind.jpg|thumb|upright|9 × 19 mm Mek-Porek]]
The brightly colored ECI is an inert cartridge base designed to prevent a live round from being unintentionally chambered, to reduce the chances of an accidental discharge from mechanical or operator failure. An L-shaped flag is visible from the outside so that the shooter and other people concerned are instantly aware of the situation of the weapon. The ECI is usually tethered to its weapon by a short string and can be quickly ejected to make way for a live round if the situation suddenly warrants it. This safety device is standard-issue in the [[Israel Defense Forces]]<ref>Shoval, Lilach. [http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=15149 "IDF to issue new safety device to prevent accidental weapon discharge"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104203837/http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=15149 |date=4 January 2016 }}, ''[[Israel Hayom]]'', Tel Aviv, 31 January 2014. Retrieved on 4 January 2016.</ref> known as {{ill|מ"ק פורק|he|מ"ק_פורק|vertical-align=sup}} ("Mek-Porek").

===Snap cap===
[[File:Snap caps.jpg|left|thumb|An assortment of snap caps of varying calibers]]
A [[snap cap]] is a device that is shaped like a standard cartridge but contains no primer, propellant, or projectile.  It is used to ensure that [[dry firing]] firearms of certain designs does not cause damage.  A small number of rimfire and centerfire firearms of older design should not be test-fired with the chamber empty, as this can lead to weakening or breakage of the firing pin and increased wear to other components in those firearms. In the instance of a rimfire weapon of primitive design, dry firing can also cause deformation of the chamber edge.  For this reason, some shooters use a snap cap in an attempt to cushion the weapon's firing pin as it moves forward.  Some snap caps contain a spring-dampened fake primer, or one made of plastic, or none at all; the springs or plastic absorb force from the firing pin, allowing the user to safely test the function of the [[firearm action]] without damaging its components.

Snap caps and action-proving dummy rounds also work as a training tool to replace live rounds for loading and unloading drills, as well as training for misfires or other malfunctions, as they function identically to a live "dud" round that has not ignited.  Usually, one snap-cap is usable for 300 to 400 clicks.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}  After that, due to the hole at the false primer, the firing pin does not reach it.