A primer-fired ammunition cartridge for an electrical discharge weapon having a housing with an exterior surface and two wire-tethered darts positioned within dart chambers in the housing and two electrical contacts positioned on opposite surfaces of the housing for lengthening an electrical arc path across the exterior surface of the housing. The housing can include a flange portion for engaging a chamber in an electrical discharge weapon wherein the flange portion includes an aperture thereby allowing the flange portion to bow and absorb resultant forces between the ammunition cartridge and the chamber of the electrical discharge weapon during firing of the cartridge.