HANDBOOK OF ENEMY AMMUNITION

PAMPHLET No. 15

GERMAN AMMUNITION MARKINGS AND NOMENCLATURE

SECTION I

SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION

	Type	Bullet Type	Remarks	Identification
	(a) 7.92 mm Rifle and M.G. (Ground Use)	Plate II
1	Ball (s.S.)	Lead core. Steel (clad G.M.) envelope.	Being replaced by the mild steel core round	Green cap ammunition
2	Ball (m.s. core) (S.m.K.)	Mild steel core. Lead sleeve. Steel (clad G.M. or zinc) enve-lope.	Now used as the standard ball ammuni-tion	Blue cap or cap annulus.
3	Ball (m.s. core) (long) (S.m.K. lang)	Mild steel core. Small lead-ring sleeve. Steel (clad G.M. or zinc) enve-lope.	(Overall length uncharged). Bullet lengthened to complement for low of weight due to small lead content, and set deeper in the cartridge case.	Colourless varnish on the zinc cap.
4	A.P. (S.m.K.)	Flat base hard steel core. Lead sleeve. Steel (clad G.M.) envelope.	Also used in aircraft gun.	Red cap or cap annulus.
5*	AP/T (S.m.K. L'spur)	ditto. with tracer cup and bare washer	ditto. Usually yellow trace. Some have green/red trace. Some have green trace	Red cap or cap annulus black tip (10 mm) to bullet.
6	Low Velocity Ball (Nahpatrone)	As for ball.	For use with the rifle fitted with a silencer.	Bright green laquered case.
	(b) 7.92 mm Rifle and M.G. (Miscellaneous)	Plate II
7	A.P. (Tungsten) (S.m.K. H.)	Tungsten carbide core. Lead sleeve. Steel (clad G.M.) envelope.	Obsolescent.	Red cap or cap annulus. Black bullet.
8	Explosive Incendiary (B.)	White phophorus in nose. Lead plug containing fuze. Steel (clad G.M.) envelope.	Serves as observing round when used by ground troops. Also used in aircraft guns.	Black cap or cap annulus. Black bullet with plain tip (early types plain bullet with a aluminium plated tip).
9	Practice Ball (l..S.)	Aluminium core Steel (clad G.M.) envelope.	Practice A.A. light bullet.	Green stripe on cartridge base.
10	Practice tracer (l.S. L'spur)	Aluminium core Tracer cup Steel (clad G.M.) envelope	ditto	Green stripe on cartridge base. Black tip (10 mm) to bullet.
11	Bulletted Blank (plate)	Hollow wooden bullet	For firing M.Gs. on exercises.	Black cap or cap annulus. Purple wooden bullet.
	Type	Bullet Type	Remarks	Identification
	(c) 7.92 mm (for aircraft machine guns only)	Platte III
12	High Velocity A.P. (S.m.K.v.)	As 4 above	Was used with slightly modified M.G. 17	Red cap or cap annulus. Green ring 10 mm from bul-let tip (early type had green bullet tip).
13*	AP/T 100/600 (S.m.K. L'spur 100/600)	As 5 above	Dark ignition for 100 metres Duration of trace 600 meters	Red cap or cap annulus. Black tip (10 mm) to bullet.
14	H.V. AP/T 100/600 Trace (S.m.K. L'spur 100/600 v.)	As 5 above	See 12	Red cap or cap annulus. Black tip (10 mm) to bullet. Green ring 10 mm from bul-let tip.
15	AP/T night tracer (S.m.K. Gl'spur)	As 5 above		Red cap or cap annulus. Black tip (5 mm) to bullet.
16	H.V. AP/T night tracer (S.m.K. Gl'spur v.)	As 5 above	See 12	Red cap or cap annulus. Black tip (5 mm) to bullet. Green ring 10 mm from bul-let tip.
17	AP/I (P.m.K.)	Shaped steel core Lead nose and base plug White phosphorus surrounds core stem Steel (clad G.M.) envelope.		Black cap or cap annulus. (Occasionally red annulus, or red band).
18	H.V. AP/I (P.m.K. v.)	ditto	See 12	Black cap or cap annulus. Green ring 10 mm from bul-let tip (early type had green tip).
19	H.V. Explosive Incendiary (B.v.)	As 8 above	See 12	Black cap or cap annulus. Black bullet, plain tip Green ring 10 mm from bul-let tip.
	(d) 7.92 mm Rifle Grenade Propelling Cartridges	Plate IV
	Type	Type of Cartridge Case	Remarks	Identification
1*	For the propaganda grenade (G.Kart. für G.Propgr.)	Crimped mouth		Red cap annulus.
2	For the H.E. Grenade (G.Kart. für G.Sprgr.)	Crimped mouth	Early pattern	Yellow cap annulus.
3*	For the H.E. Grenade (G.Kart. für G.Sprgr.)	Long neck closed by a plug held in by  crimping the mouth	Replaces (2)	Yellow cap annulus.
4	For the H.E. Grenade (Treibpatr. für G.Sprgr.)	Closed with a blue wooden bul-let.	Being introduced as stocks of (3) are used	Blue wooden bullet.
5*	For the H.E. Grenade (long range)	Closed with a yellow wooden bullet.	To boost the grenade range (from 250) to 500 yards approx.	Yellow wooden bullet.
6*	For the small A.P. Grenade (G.Kart. für G.Pzgr.)	Crimped mouth		Black cap annulus.
7*	For the large A.P. Grenade (G.Treibpatr. für gr.G.Pzgr.)	Closed with a black wooden bullet		Black wooden bullet.
8	For the small A.P. Grenade SS 46	Crimped mouth		Plain brass cap.
9	For the large A.P. Grenade SS ??	Long neck closed by a plug held in by crimping the mouth		Plain zinc cap.
	Type	Bullet Type	Remarks	Identification
	(e) Pistol and Machine Carbine Ammunition	Plate IV
1	7.92 mm Ball (Pist.Patr. 43)	Mild steel core, lead sleeve Steel (clad G.M.) envelope		Zinc cap plain laquered.
2	9 mm Ball (Pist.Patr. 08)	Lead core Steel (clad G.M.) envelope	Brass case Obsolecent	Black cap annulus.
3	9 mm Semi AP (Pist.Patr. 08 m.E.)	Mild steel core Lead sleeve and base Steel (clad G.M.) envelope	Recoming the standard ball	Black cap annulus (was black bullet now plain bul-let)
4	9 mm Ball (sintered iron (Pist.Patr. 08 m.S.E.)	Solid sintered iron		Grey coloured bullet Black ring at junction of bul-let and case.
5	9 mm Low velocity ball (Pist.Nahpatrone 08 S.)	Lead core	Bullet 3 mm longer to increase weight. Overall length of round unchanged.	Bright green laqured case. Plain bullet.
	(f) Anti-Tank Rifle Ammunition (7.92 mm/13 mm)	Plate IV
1	Practice Ball	Lead core Steel (clad G.M.) envelope	Intended for range practice (Not illustrated)	Plain bullet. Green cap annu-lus. Stamped Δ on cartridge case.
2	AP/T (lachrymatory) (S.m.K.H.Rs. L'spur) Labelled: Patrone 318	Tungsten carbide core Lead sleeve G.M. envelope Tracer cup and lachrymatory pellet		Black tip bullet. Red cap an-nulus. Brass case.
3	Propelling Cartridge for the A. tk. Rifle Grenade (Treibpatrone 318)	Mouth closed with plain wooden bullet		Plain wooden bullet.