The brass cartridge opened the way for modern repeating arms, by uniting the bullet, gunpowder and primer into one assembly that could be fed reliably into the breech by a mechanical action in the firearm.

In Europe, 9mm Flobert smooth-bore shotguns are commonly used by gardeners and farmers for pest control,[7] and face very little to no restriction, even in countries with strict gun laws.

[8] These garden guns are short range weapons that can do little harm at distances greater than 15 to 20 yards (14 to 18 m), and are relatively quiet when fired with shotshells, compared to standard ammunition.

[9] The guns are especially effective inside barns and sheds, because the snake shot they use will not injure livestock with a ricochet, or put holes in the roof or walls.

[11] Fiocchi-made 9mm Flobert rimfire ammunition uses a 1.75-inch (44 mm) brass shotshell, firing 1⁄4 ounce (7 g) #8 shot, with a velocity of 600 ft/s (180 m/s).

In some cases, weapons that had previously been converted from a full-power calibre so as to instead fire Flobert cartridges have been restored to their original chambering, making more powerful firearms out of 'gallery guns'that are still able to seriously hurt or kill a person but deliver much less energy and are shorter range.