Coloring codes used to identify ammunitions in fire arms

 

Coloring codes used to identify ammunitions in fire arms

Hi guys!

Thanks for tuning here, in this blog we talk about the coloring codes used to identify ammunitions in fire arms.  Mostly all of you know about the ammunitions used in fire arms, you can see in movies, expos, soldiers carrying ammos etc.

Let us go and see about the ammunitions,

Guys!

We can identify the type of the ammunitions by the color codes present in the tip of the projectile. But it varies depends upon the manufactures of the ammunitions. Here we are going to discuss about the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) standards only, but each and every country follows their own color codes.

Fig 1.1

 The figure1.1 show the coloring codes used in 7.62 X 51 mm fully powered NATO cartridge.

NATO Standard color codes

1.     Red-                                                  for tracer rounds

2.     Black-                                               for armor-piercing rounds

3.     Silver / green / silver band-              for armor-piercing / incendiary

4.     Green-                                               for steel core rounds

5.     Blue -                                                 for incendiary rounds

6.     Yellow-                                              for observation rounds

7.     Yellow-Red-                                       observation rounds / tracer rounds

8.     Orange-                                             for dark ignition tracer rounds

9.     No color-                                           ball rounds

      Violet tip -                                          dim tracer

1   Red tip with yellow band -                 observation or tracer

1    Red tip with silver band-                    armor piercing incendiary tracer

1   Violet tip with silver band-                  armor piercing incendiary dim tracer

1   Blue (entire projectile) or

blue tip                              -                 short-range training

1  Blue (entire projectile with

red tip or red tip with blue

band)                                -                   short-range tracer training

 

Now let us discuss about the above topics, the figure 1.2 shows the types of rounds and their types.

 Fig 1.2

1.)  Armor piercing

              The armor piercing rounds are used to penetrate the light armored targets such as trucks, vehicles.  These rounds tips are coated with black color.  Also, these rounds projectile contains two layers such as light layer or outside layer and inside layers, mostly inside layers contains tungsten materials for armor piercing.  The outside jacket is mostly copper or light material.

 

2.)  Tracer rounds

              This type of ammunition is used to track the trajectory path of projectile in dim light situations such as night for correcting the aim.  And the tip of the projectile contains pyrotechnic charges such as magnesium, these charges burn brightly upon the time of the ignition and gives a visible path to the shooter for correction the aim.

 

3.)  Incendiary rounds

               This type of ammunition is used to destroying the enemy targets such as fuel tanks and mostly it is used to destroying the flammable targets, mostly these rounds projectile contains flammable Pyrotechnic charges such as phosphorus and magnesium.  At the time of striking the object it will ignites due to the heat generated by the impact.

 

4.)  Ball rounds

               This type of ammunition mostly used to against the anti-personal targets and these contains two cores they are two cores they are outer and inner core.  Mostly the inner core contains lead core and outer core is covered by fully metal jacket such as bronze or steel.  It will bulge after hitting the harder target.

 

5.)  Observation rounds

              These rounds are used to identify the place where the round is hit.  After hitting the targets, the round will develop the flame or smoke for identify the target after the impact.  The tip of the projectile includes flammable substances.  After hitting the target, it will burn due to the heat generated by the impact.

 

6.)  Blank rounds

               Actually, this types rounds contains only charge and there is no projectile the neck of the shoulder is cover with bronze, this is mostly used in parade, ceremony and movies.  Figure 1.3 shows the blank rounds.

Fig 1.3

 

7.)  Training rounds

                These rounds are mostly used in training purpose only and it is coated with blue or blue with red band.

The figure 1.4 shows the cross section of the full round