Simunition is a trademark for training ammunition produced by General Dynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systems Canada Inc. of Québec, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Simunition encompasses many types of training rounds

Cartridge (firearms)

A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...

, the best-known being the FX Marking Cartridge.

Simunition rounds are designed to be fired through police and military service weapons. Most Simunition cartridges require slight modification to the weapon to ensure that normal service rounds cannot be fired during training and to simulate full recoil

Recoil

Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...

 with reduced-pressure/reduced-velocity rounds for more realistic training.

History

SNC Technologies Inc. (now known as General Dynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systems Canada Inc.) created Simunition in the late 1980s with the goal of providing more realistic training to military and law enforcement agencies.

FX Force-on-Force System

FX marking cartridges are a line of training ammunition that can be fired through standard firearms. The cartridges come in 9mm/.38

.38 Special

The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...

 and 5.56mm

5.56 x 45 mm NATO

5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...

 calibers and fire using a special pressurized gas system for a reduced velocity. The projectile is filled with a detergent-based, water-soluble colored marking compound, similar to a paintball

Paintball

Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...

. The projectile breaks upon impact, marking the target and allowing trainers to assess the accuracy and lethality of the hits. This system is used extensively in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 where it is known as SESAMS (Special Effect Small Arms Marking System). The 5.56mm FX marking cartridges have a velocity of approximately 198 m/second, as opposed to paintball guns which are generally limited to 91 m/second.

CQT System

CQT Close Quarters Target Ammunition are polymer projectiles that fire using the same pressurized-gas system as FX for reduced velocity. The advantages of CQT rounds are reduced penetration, which allows for the use of lower-cost materials in training environments and allows for close-range indoor training (see Kill House

Kill house

Kill House is a live ammunition training facility used to train soldiers and police officers in the tactics necessary for urban combat. Kill houses are designed to mimic a varying range of structures such as suburban homes and factories to prepare soldiers and police officers for close range combat...

) without the need for bullet-trap systems. CQT bullets are potentially lethal and should not be fired at personnel.

Securiblank System

Securiblank cartridges are blanks

Blank (cartridge)

A blank is a type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound . Blanks are often used for simulation , training, and for signaling...

 that can be fired through service weapons modified to fire Simunition. These blanks feature reduced pressures and noise levels for increased safety.

Greenshield System

Greenshield ammunition is a standard, lethal round designed to be used in indoor training ranges. The round is frangible (meaning it fractures upon impact), lead-free, and non-toxic. These are full-energy, lethal rounds not to be fired at personnel. Greenshield cartridges do not require modification to the firing weapon.

Short Stop

Short Stop training ammunition is designed for short-range training ranges where stray bullets and ricochets could be a concern. The ammunition is a full-velocity, lethal ammunition that is designed to shatter upon impact while retaining comparable recoil characteristics and accuracy out to 100 meters. This ammunition is available in a tracer variant that allows visual tracking of the round in daylight and night conditions. Short Stop ammunition does not require modification to the firing weapon.

DragonFly

DragonFly is a 40×46mm training grenade designed to be fired from military grenade launchers such as the US M203

M203 grenade launcher

The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...

. The grenade is available in three weights (light, medium, and heavy) and comes with a reusable steel cartridge case. The round is made of inert black polymer and can be used in force-on-force training. The purpose of the DragonFly grenade is to reduce the risk of injury and the maintenance cost of a firing range by being less damaging to range infrastructure.

External links

• Simunition Homepage for Simunition training rounds.
• SNC TEC The manufacturer of Simunition.
• ITIWSI International Security Training Training Center
• Setcan Corporation Training Center