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tracers and etc.

sammash
I've got a bunch of ammo I have collected thru the years. The different colors on the bullets mean different things Is there a standard. Orange-tracers, black-armorpiercing, red, green, etc. Does anybody know what all the colors represent. Thanks. Sam.
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6 comments

Date Votes
  • babun
    Here is a declassified PDF file that has everything you could want to know. It is a large file , so you will have to scroll thru it.....
    http://www.dia.mil/publicaffairs/Foia/smcal_vol1.pdf
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  • Spider7115
    This might help:

    Black: Armor Piercing
    Blue: Incendiary
    Orange/Red: Tracer
    Green: Semi-AP (newish .223 only)
    Green w/ silver band: Frangible
    Silver: API
    Yellow: Spotter (exploding)
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  • Nwcid
    While spider is very accurate when it comes to US military ammo but it also depends on what country the ammo is made in.

    In some cases green or red can be tracers.
    I have some "SS109" that is normally green tipped that is black tipped.
    Then there are also things like Nosler ballistic tips that while not paint different colors are for different calibers.
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  • babun
    I would advise you Not to take any color coding info that is given in general terms as right. Each country and indeed the years the ammo was made affects what the colors mean. There is a lot of yellow tip com-bloc
    ammo that is "heavy ball" and there is french ammo with black tips that is tracer as just two examples. Spend a little time and read that pdf file listed above, you will find just about any mil ammo ever made listed there. There is some ammo out there that is NASTY stuff, be careful before you fire it or pull it apart. Go to page 125 or so to get an idea about US ammo, but remember, Nato size ammo comes from many places. Bob
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  • Tailgunner1954
    I have rounds with NO tip color, but green sealer on the primer and case mouth, these are EXPLOSIVE (7.7 Jap semi-rimmed)
    I have blue tip rounds that are phosperious incindary (Italian 303 brit)
    I have black tip rounds that are explosive tracers (german B-patrone)
    All of the above are in the small arms class (IOW none 7.62 to 7.92mm)

    Each country and era had it's own standard, and without knowing what era/contry your talking about..................
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  • fordsix
    pic of headstamp with color tips..and we will tell you[;)]
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