• Home

  • Constructions

  • Construction
    Projectile
    Head stamps
    Colour markings
  • Ammunition

  • Articles

  • Color markings of ammunition smaller than 20mm
     
     
     
    Ammunition may be colour marked on different ways to identify different types of ammunition. There are an old and a new system plus that some types of ammunition has color marks to tell them apart. The most common kind of marking is to paint the tip of the projectile or the whole projectile. That is to separate which kind of projectile the ammunition have. Color marks on the case head can show if the ammunition is over or under loaded. Color on neck and primer may tell lookalike ammunition apart. A typical example is the 9mm m/39 and m/39B.

    Colour markings of the projectile 1941 and after.
    White tip Tracer.
    Red tip Tracer. To be found on some ammunition after year 2000. It is following the Nato standard.
    Black tip Armor piercing projectile.
    Orange tip Incendiary projectile
    Yellow tip Armor piercing/Incendiary/Explosive ( .50 BMG only)
    Yellow tip/whitering Armor piercing/Incendiary/Explosive/Tracer (.50 BMG only)
    Red projectile  Blank ammunition 
    Uncolored wooden projectile. Only in 6,5x55. This is blank ammunition for machine guns. Later changed to the red projectile ammunition.
    Green projectile  Inert round

    Color markings of the projectile before 1941.
    Red tip Tracer.
    Black tip Armor piercing projectile.
    Orange tip Incendiary projectile
    Green tip Earlier code for "peace time" ammunition. Soon changed to blue tip ammunition.
    Blue tip This ammunition is either labeled "Not for automatic weapons" or "Only for peace time shooting" It can be found in different shades of blue. The case of the ammunition is weaker than an ordinary case, and it might cause problems with broken cases in automatic weapons. The ammunition is found during WW2 and is an training ammunition that is cheaper in production than combat ammunition.
    Red projectile  Blank ammunition for rifles.
    Green projectile Inert round
    Green wooden projectile Only in 6,5x55. This is blank ammunition for machine guns.
    .
     
    Color markings of case head 
    If half the case is black that means that the ammunition have a reduced amount of propellant. This is only used on some kinds of tracer ammunition.
    6,5x55

    If the whole of the case head is black that means that the ammunition has an increased amount of propellant. E.g. a proof load. The ammunition may ONLY be fired by an armorer. Is used to test the function of the weapon.
    9x19



    Copyright © 2000 Chris
    The Swedish military ammunition site