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5.56x45mm NATO ammunition Info Required

EagleEyes

Well-Known Member
Hi All,
You must excuse me as I’m a newbie to BOCN and haven’t picked up the lingo yet but I’d like to pick your brains.
I’ve just picked up 2 charger clips of 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition for my collection and was wondering if anybody could help me identify these rounds and give me the manufacturer & usage? I’ve attached some pictures of the: primer + headstamp, projectile & full round.

Round 1
Headstamp: 04 88
Case: Steel
Projectile: Green Tip, Copper Jacket with Steel Core (SS 109)
Manufacturer: Mechanische Werksttten Knigswartha - East Germany (04)
Date: 1988
Weapon: Wieger assault rifle series (STG940)

Round 2
Headstamp: SF 86 5.56
Case: Aluminium
Projectile: Ceramic (Short Range)
Manufacturer: Societe Gevelot - France (SF)
Date: 1986

Is there a library of terms I should use to describe these components?

Cheers
Andy
 

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Last edited:
The first one - 04 88 was made at Mechanische Werksttten Knigswartha East Germany and the green tip is the SS 109 style projectile.
Can't tell you much of the next one, except that its a French SFM made probably short range cartridge.
Erik
 
Thanks Erik,
Do we know what the numbers are on the headstamp and what is a SS 109 style projectile?
What would the French short range cartridge be used for and is this a common cartridge?

Cheers
Andy
 
The 04 is the code for the factory and the 88 is the date 1988. The SS 109 projectile is the model designation and even google will give you some informations about that projectile.
Erik

Thanks Erik,
Do we know what the numbers are on the headstamp and what is a SS 109 style projectile?
What would the French short range cartridge be used for and is this a common cartridge?

Cheers
Andy
 
SS109 projectile

Cheers, I used Google and found this info for the SS109 projectile:

Projectile: NATO SS109 ( US M855)
Weight: 4 gram (62 grain)
Diameter: 5.70 mm (0.224 in)
Material: FMJBT with a steel core
Muzzle Velocity: 940 m/s (3,100 ft/s)
Muzzle Energy: 1,767 J (1,303 ft.lbf)
Developer: FN (Fabrique Nationale) Belgium
Performance: Penetrates a steel helmet at 600 meters. Has lower muzzle velocity with a better long range performance then the US M193 BALL.

Has anybody anything else to add?

Cheers
Andy
 
Is there a library of terms I should use to describe these components?

Cheers

I will now switch into Pavlovian mode for the enjoyment of Dano and 18 Pounder (my apologies if you are new to BOCN but my pedantry for correct terminology amuses them for some reason)

I will try to find a picture I have somewhere that shows the correct names for each part of a round. What you term the head should be called the bullet or projectile, as the head is that part of the cartridge case that holds the primer.

With regard to your East German 5.56mm, this was made before the fall of the wall, so I can only surmise it was made for possible export. The green tip is the standard NATO identifier for the SS109 type of bullet with the steel tip penetrator.

The other French round is one of a number of short range rounds they have developed using plastic and other materials for the bullet. I do not know the designation of that particular round.

Regards
TonyE
 
Hello

The East-German 5.56 was made for the Wieger assault rifle series (STG940). These guns were based on the AK74 and were for export.
About the cartridge: I've to check my database, but I thought the green tip was a tracer.

greetz
 
Hello

The East-German 5.56 was made for the Wieger assault rifle series (STG940). These guns were based on the AK74 and were for export.
About the cartridge: I've to check my database, but I thought the green tip was a tracer.

greetz

You are right, the East Germans wanted to sell the 5,56x45 together with the Wieger, but followed the western marking system with the green tip for the SS 109 and red tip for tracer.
Erik
 
Has anybody anything else to add?
It is the standard NATO ball round (despite being really an SAP), so it's basically what every army uses for almost every combat purpose, except for tracers (in MGs) and AP (also in MGs, and rare).

It has been criticised for lack of effectiveness except at very short range, and for having a practical long-range performance which falls far short of the theoretical one. The British Army reckons that it is a 300m round in the L85A2 rifle, 40mm in the L86A2 LSW, and 200m in the short-barrelled Para Minimi. Considering that more than half of all Taleban attacks are taking place in the 300-900m range bracket (using PKMs and SVDs in 7.62x54R), they have been redeploying 7.62mm GMPGs and surplus L96 sniper rifles to the foot patrols, and are trying to obtain lighter 7.62mm MGs.
 
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