Which saftety standards define the maximum allowed pressure and standard cartridge dimensions?
There are two safety standards for (civil) ammunition established all over the world, which every handloader should know:
In the USA, the SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Inc., 555 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897) publishes and sponsors standards approved by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) as voluntary industry performance standards for the use by commercial manufacturers.
The C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour lEpreuve des Armes à Feu portatives, 45, Rue Fond-des-Tawes, 4000 Liège, Belgium) sets the standards for civil ammunition and weapons for European member countries. These standards are mandatory in countries having ratified the CIP Standard.
By working together, the CIP and SAAMI are working towards the development of international standards. Maximum standardized pressures are listed in our cartridge database.
Notice: We recommend to stay 10-15% below the maximum standardized pressure with any load to buffer for any variations. Only very experienced handloaders should exceed these thresholds at own risk.