Simunition
Simunition is a trademark for training ammunition produced by General Dynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systems Canada Inc. of Québec, Canada. Simunition encompasses many types of training rounds, 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 with reduced-pressure/reduced-velocity rounds for more realistic training.
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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.
Types of Simunition
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 and 5.56mm calibers and fires using a special pressurized gas system for a reduced velocity. The projectile is filled with a detergent-based, water-soluble colored marking compound. 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 USMC and is known as SESAMS (Special Effect Small Arms Marking System).
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) 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 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 40x46mm training grenade desigined to be fired from military grenade launchers such as the US M203. 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.
See also
External links
- Simunition Homepage for Simunition training rounds.
- SNC TEC The manufacturer of Simunition.
