Colour coding of ammunition
In addition to the headstamp, military ammunition often has some form of colour coding in the form of bands of coloured lacquer round the bullet, a stripe across the bullet-case joint or round the joint between the primer and cartridge case (primer annulus). Caution should be exercised when attempting to identify the stripe of colour round the case-bullet joint or primer annulus as this is often no more than a waterproofing varnish. As a general rule, if there is no coloured varnish on the bullet, then it is a standard ball (military nomenclature for standard bullet) round.
Examples of coloured lacquer used and their significance follow.
China. Originally, China used the Russian system of colour coding as their ammunition was originally supplied from this source. In 1967, however, China adopted her own system as follows.
Bullet tip code
Green
Black and red Black
Violet and red Violet Red White
Tracer
Armour piercing/incendiary - pre-1967 Armour piercing/incendiary - post-1967 Armour piercing/incendiary/tracer - pre-1967 Armour piercing/incendiary/tracer - post-1967 Incendiary
Mild steel bullet core - pre-1967
Israel
Bullet tip Primer annulus Bullet type
None
Black
Black
Blue
Purple
Green
Green
Green
Ball Tracer
Armour piercing
Armour piercing/incendiary
Incendiary
NATO countries. All NATO countries use the same bullet tip colour-coding system.
Red Tracer
Black Armour piercing
Silver Armour piercing/incendiary
Blue Incendiary
Yellow Observation (a bright flash and smoke on impact)
Yellow/red Observation/tracer
Orange Dark ignition tracer
United Kingdom prior to formation of NATO in 1955
Primer annulus
Purple Ball or practice
Green Armour piercing
Red Tracer
Blue Incendiary
Yellow Proof (a special high-pressure cartridge)
Black Observation
Bullet tip
Blue Incendiary
Black Observation
Green Armour piercing
White Short-range tracer
Grey Dark ignition tracer
Red Long-range tracer
United States
7.62 x 51 mm ammunition uses NATO code
0.30" Carbine and 0.45' ACP - red tip for tracer
0.50" Browning machine gun - NATO Code plus
Red tip silver band Armour piercing/incendiary/tracer
Yellow tip red band Observation/tracer
Brown Tip Tracer
Light blue tip Incendiary
USSR. In the 1930s, the colour coding was very poor, but during and after World War II, it was regularized and expanded. The following bullet tip colour-code system is now standard for all Warsaw Pact Countries:
Yellow Heavy ball
Silver Light ball
Green Tracer
Black Armour piercing
Black/red Armour piercing/incendiary (now obsolete)
Black/yellow Armour piercing/incendiary (current)
Purple/red Armour piercing/incendiary/tracer
Red Incendiary/tracer
Black/green Reduced velocity for silenced weapons

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