Each rifle or handgun is designed to be used with a specific type of cartridge.

Direct answer

  • The standard safety and hunter‑education wording is:
    “Each rifle or handgun is designed to be used with a specific type of cartridge.”
  • Using the wrong cartridge (or any ammunition not exactly matching the markings on the firearm’s barrel/receiver) can cause malfunctions, damage, or serious injury.

Quick Scoop: why “cartridge”?

  • A cartridge is the complete unit of ammunition for rifles and handguns (case, primer, powder, and bullet), matched to a specific caliber and pressure.
  • Firearms are marked for a specific cartridge (for example, “9 mm Luger” or “.308 Win”), and only that exact cartridge type should be used in that gun.

Safety note

  • Never guess ammunition; always match the cartridge designation on the ammo box and case head to the markings on the firearm.
  • If unsure what cartridge a rifle or handgun takes, a qualified gunsmith or certified instructor should verify before the firearm is loaded.

TL;DR: The sentence should end with “cartridge,” as in “a specific type of cartridge,” and this is a core concept in basic firearm safety.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.