Color System for Small-Caliber Projectiles

Certain features of marking of large-caliber projectiles carry over into the marking of smaller sizes, but in general, sizes of 40-mm and under follow no single standard identifi-cation system and are best considered as individual groups.

40-mm – Automatic antiaircraft weapon: This ammunition follows the large-caliber system in general.

30-mm – Aircraft cannon: This ammunition follows a system independent of the large-caliber code, but common to 20-mm Navy ammunition, which is likewise for aircraft can-non. Color of projectile body indicates type of projectile.

A new trend in the painting 30-mm projectiles is to leave the body unpainted except for an identifying color band immediately behind the nose fuze.

25-mm – Automatic antiaircraft weapon: This ammunition follows the large-caliber system in part. Green tipping to indicate the presence of explosive filling was followed in H.E. and H.E.-tracer projectiles of earlier manufacture, but apparently has been abando-ned in more recent lots.

Maroon (with or without green tip): High explosive.

Red (with or without green tip): H.E., tracer. Later lots only are self-destroying.

Orange (with or without green tip): H.E., tracer. Identical to red non-S.D. rounds.

Orange (with red paint around the case primer): H.E., tracer. Construction of tracer dif-fers from above.

Green: H.E.I. (W.P.).

White (with black under coat): A.P.-T. Projectiles sometimes appears bluish-white, white-tipped, or black due to loss of white paint.

20-mm – Aircraft cannon Mk 1 and Mk 2: Color of body indicates tpye of projectile. White bands indicate modifications of basic design.

13-mm – Type 2 aircraft machine gun (fuzed ammunition): Color of body indicates type of projectile; follows aircraft cannon code.

Small arms – 7.7-mm, 7.9-mm, 13.2-mm: Identifying color is applied around the pri-mer in the base of the case.

Purple: Incendiary Model 2 (H.E.).