Centerfire Ammunition - Advantages

Advantages

Centerfire cartridges are more reliable for military purposes, because the thicker metal cartridge cases can withstand rougher handling without damage. The stronger base of a centerfire cartridge is able to withstand higher pressures than a thin rimfire cartridge. Higher pressures give a bullet higher velocity and greater energy. While centerfire cartridge cases require a complex and expensive manufacturing process, economies of scale are achieved through interchangeable primers for similar cartridges. The expensive individual cases can be reused after replacing the primer, gunpowder and projectile.

Handloading reuse is an advantage for rifles using obsolete or hard-to-find cartridges such as the 6.5x54 Mannlicher, or larger calibers such as the .458 Lott, for which ammunition can be expensive. The forward portion of some empty cases can be reformed for use as obsolete or wildcat cartridges with similar base configuration. Modern cartridges larger than .22 caliber are mostly centerfire. Actions suitable for larger caliber rimfire cartridges declined in popularity until the demand for them no longer exceeded manufacturing costs, and they became obsolete.