European Ammo Box Translations
by James W. Rawles, S.O. Wendell, Klaus Ferfort, and Jaume M. Canaves i Vives
Copyright 2005-2013, by James W. Rawles.  All Rights Reserved

 Revised May, 2013

 

In response to repeated requests from newsgroup subscribers, here is a combined re-posting of translations
of German, Spanish, and Swedish military ammunition box and
crate markings:
 
PART 1:   German
 
Abbreviation  German                                English
 
B.                   Beobachtung                         observation
 
B-patrone      Beobachtungspatrone           observation cartridge (exploding)
 
                     Blei                                      lead

                     Exerzierpatrone                   inert (training) cartridge
 
Gesch.           Geschoss                              bullet
 
Gl'spur          Glimmspur                            dim ignition tracer
 
                     kurz                                      short
 
L.                  Ladestreifen                         charger
 
L.                  Lieferung                              lot (batch)
 
                     lang                                      long
 
l.S.                leichtes Spitzgeschoss         aluminum-cored bullet
 
L'spur            Leuchtspur                           bright ignition tracer
 
m.E.               mit Eisenkern                       mild steel core ball
 
MG                Maschinengewehr                  machinegun
 
MP                Maschinenpistole                  submachinegun
 
n.A.               neue Art                                new type
 
                     nah                                       short range
 
Patr.             Patrone                                 cartridge
 
Patrh.           Patronenhuelse                      cartridge case
 
Pist.             Pistole                                  pistol
 
P.                 Phosphorgeschoss                 incendiary
 
P.m.K.           Phosphorgeschoss mit Kern   armor-piercing incendiary
 
PP                Pistolenpatrone                     pistol cartridge

                    Platzpatrone                          blank cartridge

                    Pulver                                    gunpowder
 
PzB             Panzerbuechse            antitank rifle
 
Rdf.            Rheindorf                              Rheindorf factory of Dynamit Nobel
 
S*                                                              brass case
 
S.                 Spitzgeschoss                 (light) pointed ball bullet
 
                    Stahl                                     steel
 
S.                 Still                                      subsonic
 
SE                Sinter Eisen                           sintered iron (AP)
 
S.m.E.           Spitzgeschoss mit Eisenkern  pointed bullet w/ iron core
 
S.m.K.           Spitzgeschoss mit Kern          armor piercing (AP)
 
S.m.K.H.        Spitzgeschoss mit Kern Hart  AP  w/tungsten carbide core
 
StG              Sturmgewehr                          assault rifle
 
s.S.              schweres Spitzgeschoss         heavy pointed ball bullet
 
                    Tragschlaufe                          carrying loop
 
Trop.            Tropenpack                             tropic pack
 
Ub                Uebung                                    practice
 
Zdh.              Zuendhuetchen                        primer

PART 2:  Spanish

Abbreviation   Spanish                               English
 
                       acero                                   steel
 
                       bala                                     bullet

                       carabina                              carbine

                       cartucho                              cartridge

                       cartucho de guerra              live round

                       cartucho de instruccion      inert round; dummy

                       corto                                   short

                       concurso                             match

                       corrosivo                            corrosive

                       especial                              special

ES                   especial sobre cargada        high pressure test cartridge

                       fabrica militar                   military arsenal

F                     fogueo                                 blank

                      fulminante                          primer; priming

                      fulminante no corrosivo      non-corrosive priming

I                     incendiaria                          incendiary

                      largo                                    long

                      laton                                    brass

L                    luminosa                              tracer

LP                  luminosa perforante            armor piercing tracer

m                   modelo                                 model

N                    normal                       full metal jacket ("ball")

P                    perforante                           armor piercing
 
                      plomo                                  lead

                      punta hueca                         hollow point

QI                   quimica incendiaria             chemical incendiary

R                    reglaje                      observation; fire adjustment

S                    (German designation)           (light) pointed ball
                      Spitzgeschoss

SS                  (German designation)           heavy pointed ball
                      schweres Spitzgeschoss

                      subfusil                              submachinegun

TH                  trazadora humosa                smoke tracer

TL                  tranzante lumenosa             luminous tracer
 
                      vaina                                cartridge case

Part 3:  Swedish

Abbreviation   Swedish                               English

ag                   automatgevar                       semiautomatic rifle

                      aldre                                     older

am                  ammunition                         ammunition

ask                 askar                                    box

                      bandade                                belted

brandprj         brandprojektil                      incendiary bullet

g                     gevar                                    rifle

k                     karbin                                  carbine

kal                  kaliber                                 caliber

kg                   kulsprutegevar                     light machinegun

kpist              kulsprutepistol            machinepistol (submachinegun)

kptr                kammarparton           low-powered cart. for indoor firing

ksp                 kulspruta                              machinegun

kspband          kulspruteband                       machinegun belt

ml, M              modell                                  model

nband             normalband                           belted ball cartridges

oml                omladded                              reloaded

ovnprj            ovnprojektil                         gallery practice bullet

p                    pansar                                  armor piercing

pist               pistol                                   pistol

pprj               pansarprojektil                    armor piercing bullet

pptr               pansarpatron                        armor piercing cartridge

                     prickskytte         sharp round (match grade, for sniping)

prj                 projektil                              bullet

ptr                 patron                                  cartridge

                      ramad                                  in chargers

red lng           reducerad laddning               reduced loading

sk                  skarp, skarpa                        live  cartridge

sl, slj            sparljus                                tracer

slbrandband   sparljusbrandband        belted tracer and incend. cartridges

slnband          sparljusnormalband      belted tracer and ball cartridges

slpband          sparljuspansarband      belted tracer and AP cartridges

slprj              sparjusprojektil                   tracer bullet

slptr              sparljuspatron                      tracer cartridge

                      spetskula                              pointed bullets

                      trubbkula                              round-nosed bullets

                      wolframskarna               tungsten carbide (AP) core

BTW, if anyone in the U.S. have any available, I am looking for a supplier for 60
rounds of Swedish made 6.5 x 55 tracer (white or red tip), and 400 rounds of 6.5 x 55 AP
ammo ("pansar" - black tip). Let me know if you can provide all or just part of this.  Since
this is for my personal use, I'm willing to pay top dollar. I also have lots of
ammunition, magazines, and precious metals to trade.

Since so many of you rec.gunners own 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mausers, I thought that It would
be appropriate to repost S.O. Wendell's answers to FAQs about the brass stock disks and
the aluminum trajectory compensation plates found on many Swedish Mausers:

The Model 1896 was originally made for the round nose m/1894 6.5x55 mm bullet. It was
replaced by a pointed bullet in 1941. Since the sights
were for the round nose the rectangular aluminum plate was added to show how thepoint of
aim, and the distance markings on the sights, had to be changed.

"Sikte for trubbkula" means "Sights for round-nose bullets"
"Skjutning med spetskula" means "Shooting with pointed bullets"
"Avstand" means "Distance"
"Sikte/Rp" (Rp is short for Riktpunkt) means "Sights/Point of Aim"

The figures, i e "100-250  300/-3" mean that at an actual distance of
100 to 250 meters you should use the 300 meter scale on the sights,
and aim low (I'd say 3 decimeters, or 1 foot low), since the higher
velocity of the pointed bullet means a flatter trajectory. At an
actual distance of 400 meters you should use the scale for 500 meters
and aim dead-on, and so on.

It seems like the M1896s, with sights for round-nose bullets, were
fitted with the aluminum plate during the war, while the Model 1938 carbines (those made
after 1941 at least) had sights made for the pointed
bullets, and had yellow decals (or aluminum plates) on the stock
indicating point of aim for shooting with round-nose bullets.

A round brass disk in the stock tells the exact measurement of the bore. It has a scale that
goes from 6.46 mm up to 6.59 mm. The exact bore diameter is marked on the disc with a
small triangular mark. The state of the barrel, in three steps, 1, 2 and 3 could also be
indicated.

Thanks again to S.O. Wendell. Danke to Klaus Ferfort for his assistance in the German
translations. Muchas gracias to Jaume M. Canaves i Vives, for his assistance in the
Spanish translations.

I hope that you find this information useful.   Your comments,
additions/deletions/corrections are appreciated.

 James Wesley, Rawles      <><

   e-mail: rawles@usa.net
 
 
I'm the author of numerous firearms FAQS on topics including:
AR-15 magazines, M1 Carbine magazines, M14/M1A magazines, M1911 magazines,
FN/FALs and L1A1s, Mauser rifles, pre-1899 cartridge guns, and  European Ammo Box
Markings Translations.  These FAQs are available at www.SurvivalBlog.com/faqs.html

I'm also the author of pro-gun survivalist novels and a screenplay. For info,
see:   http://www.rawles.to

I'm also the author of the Internet's most popular daily blog on family preparedness.  See:  www.SurvivalBlog.com
 
  Copyright 2005-2013, by James Wesley, Rawles