The number in parentheses is the nation's Nation Code.
Austria (41) •
* * Hirtenberger Patronenfabrik ("Hirtenberg Cartridge Manufacturer") – Hirtenberg, Baden bei Wien,
Lower Austria, Austria. "Clean" export headstamp used by Hirtenberger – with the stars at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock, the 2-digit year at 12 o'clock, and the caliber at 6 o'clock. The marks are either two 5-point stars, two 6-point asterisks, or a 5-point star and a 6-point asterisk. •
B Wöllersdorfer Werke Berndorf –
Berndorf,
Bezirk Baden,
Lower Austria, Austria. •
GR Georg Roth AG –
Lichtenwörth, Austria. Headstamp is a cypher of G & R combined. Many of its foreign holdings were seized and nationalized after World War I. Absorbed by Hirtenberger Patronenfabrik in the 1930s. •
H or
HP Hirtenberger Patronen-, Zündhütchen-und Metallwarenfabrik A.-G. ("Hirtenberger Cartridge, Primer and Metalwares Manufacturer") (1860–1938; 1957–2004) –
Hirtenberg,
Baden bei Wien,
Lower Austria, Austria. Originally a metalware and cartridge factory, it eventually concentrated on cartridge-making. In 2004 it closed down its cartridge production lines and now focuses exclusively on making mortar shells. •
KC or
K&C Keller & Co –
Hirtenberg,
Baden bei Wien,
Lower Austria, Austria. •
MfW K.u.K Munitions fabrik Wollersdorf (1895-1920; 1924-1939?) -
Wöllersdorf,
Bezirk Wiener Neustadt-Land,
Lower Austria, Austria. Imperial Austrian munitions factory that controlled plants in Berndorf, Hirtenberg, Enzesfeld, Blumau and Theresienfeld. Was made part of the
Staatlichen Industriewerke ("State Industrial Works") in 1919. Completely destroyed in a fire in 1920 and wasn't operational until 1924. From 1933 to 1938 political prisoners were kept at a concentration camp on the grounds; ironically, some were Nazis. It was taken over by Hirtenberg in 1938 after the Anschluss. •
ÖJP Österreichische Jagdpatronenfabrik ("Austrian Hunting Cartridge Factory") (1948 – ?) –
Kramsach,
Tirol, Austria. Founded in 1948, taken over by Hirtenberger in 1964. ; German P-Codes (1938–1940) – Operated under German occupation •
P.635 Otto Eberhardt Patronenfabrik (1938?-1945) – Hirtenberg,
Niederdonau, Austria. Formerly
Hirtenberger Patronen-, Zündhütchen- und Metallwaren-fabrik A.-G. until taken over after the
Anschluss in 1938.
Belgium (13) •
AEP Anciens Ètablissements Pieper ("Pieper's Old/Former Establishments") (1905–1950) – Herstal, Belgium. Contracted with Fabrique Nationale and other manufacturers to make ammunition under their headstamp. •
FN or
FNB, ''
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre'' (FN) –
Bruges, Belgium. •
JA Jules Ancion & Cie –
Liège, Belgium. •
P ''
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre'' (FN) –
Herstal, Belgium. •
PB (
Poudrerie Belge de Clermont > Belgian Powdermill of Clermont) (1990-Present) – Rue Clermont, Clermont-sous-Huy,
Engis, Belgium. Powder mill that provides propellants for both French and Belgian manufacturers. Currently owned by
SNPE group. Formerly
Poudreries Réunies de Belgique ("Reunified Powdermills of Belgium") from 1969 to 1989. ===
Bosnia-Herzegovina (75) === •
ИК,
IK Igman zavod ad Konjic ("Igman Factory at Konjic") – Konjic, Bosnia. Named for the nearby
Igman plateau.
Czech Republic (16) •
bxn Sellier & Bellot – Vlasim, Czech Republic.
Denmark (22) Danish headstamps have the Danish Crown at 12 o'clock, the year of production split between 9- and 3-o'clock (thousands and hundreds place at 9 and tens and ones at 3), and the manufacturer code at 6 o'clock. Reloaded cartridges overstamp a triangle at the 6 o'clock position. From 1968 to 2007 ammunition packaging was stamped or embossed with the letters HMAK ensigned by a crown – standing for
Hærens Materielkommando (
Army Materiel Command) •
AMA Ammunitionsarsenalet ("Ammunition Arsenal") (1676–?) –
Copenhagen, Denmark. •
HA Hærens ammunitionsarsenalet ("Army Arsenal") (?-?) – •
HL Hærens Krudt et Patroner Laboratoriesværks ("Army Powder & Cartridges Laboratory Works") (1900–1937) – Copenhagen, Denmark.
Egypt (36) Egypt uses Arabic-language letters and numerals in its headstamp – letters and numerals are read from right to left and dates and numbers are read from left to right. (Arabic-language numerals are different from the Western "Arabic" numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.) – also, Arabs refer to their counting system as the "Indian" numerals). At 12 o'clock is the three-letter acronym for
Gomhoreyyet Maṣr el-ʿArabeyya (جمهورية مصر العربية, "Arab Republic of Egypt") – which looks like the English letters ERC in cursive from left to right but represent the Egyptian Arabic letters GMA from right to left. At 4 o'clock is the two-digit Arsenal Number and at 8 o'clock is the two-digit year. The metric designation for a cartridge on the headstamp is written in reverse with the length first, followed by the bore (i.e.,
7.62×54mmR M91 Russian is written as 54 × 7.62). •
٠١ (GMA 01) Military Factory 10 (
Abu-Kir Company for Engineering Industries) –
Abu Qir,
Alexandria, Egypt. •
٧٢ (GMA 72) Military Factory 27 (
Shubra Company for Engineering Industries) (1953–present) –
Shubra district,
Cairo, Egypt.
Finland (58) •
LAPUA Lapuan Patruunatehdas ("Cartridge Factory at Lapua") (1949–1998) –
Lapua, Finland. It is now called Nammo Lapua (1998–present), a division of the
Nammo Group. •
SAT, SAKO SAKO A.B. (
Suojeluskuntain Ase-ja Konepaja Oy, "
Civil Guard Weapon- and Machining-works Ltd.") (1921–present)- Riihimäki, Finland. It was originally founded by the Civil Guard in 1919 to recondition and rebuild surplus Russian service weapons, but became independent in 1921. It was later acquired by Beretta Holding Group in 2000. •
T Oy Tikkakoski A.B. (aka TIKKA) –
Jyväskylä,
Central Finland, Finland. Manufactured arms and various consumer goods, like sewing machines. Tikkakoski Arsenal was its arms division, the only privately owned weapons manufacturer in the country, and operated from 1930 to 1947. It was seized by the Russians as war reparations from 1947 to 1957 and demilitarized to produce consumer goods. Private investors bought it back and ran it from 1957 to 1983. The company was bought out by SAKO in 1983. SAKO (and through them, the TIKKA hunting rifle brand) was later acquired by Beretta in 2000. •
VPT Valtion Patruunatehdas ("State Cartridge Factory") (1923–1949) –
Lapua, Finland. The forerunner to Lapua. In 1949 it was absorbed by
Valmet and renamed LAPUA. •
VRT Vihtavuori Ruutitehdas: “State Powdermill.” Jyväskylä, Lakeland District (Finnish: Järvi-Suomi). [1921-Present].
France (14) Notes: :Early French headstamps mark the bullet type at 12 o'clock (eg., ART.M), the 1-digit Quarter of production at 9 o'clock, and the 2-digit Year of production at 3 o'clock. The codes for the manufacturer (e.g. A.RS) and metal producer (e.g. S) are conjoined at 6 o'clock (i.e, A.RS.S). :Later French headstamps mark the 1-digit Quarter of the year of production and 2-digit Year at the 12-o'clock position (e.g. Q-YY), the letter code for the metal supplier for the case at the 3-o'clock position, the cartridge caliber and model at the 6-o'clock position, and the manufacturer at the 9-o'clock position. They are oriented so that the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides are at right angles to the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides. •
ART. ''Direction de l'Artillerie
("Management of the Artillery") (?-1918) – The French state body under the ministère de Guerre
("Ministry of War") that oversaw the manufacturing of artillery pieces and munitions before the creation of the Service de l'Équipement'' ("Equipment Service"). It was a prefix to the cartridge designation at the 12 o'clock position used on early French-made military cartridges. •
ART.M stands for 8mm Lebel
Balle M (manufactured 1886–1898). Colonial arsenals manufactured the cartridge after 1898 for Colonial forces equipped with earlier-pattern rifles. •
ART.D stands for 8mm Lebel
Balle D (manufactured 1898–1932). •
A.A. Amorçage Anglais ("English Primers") (1915?-1918) – A suffix on the cartridge designation at the 12 o'clock position used on British-made cartridges during World War I. British primers were of a different type than the French models, lacking a cover over the annulus. :
Manufacturers •
ABS Atelier de Construction de Bourges ("Manufacturing Workshops of Bourges") –
Bourges,
Cher,
Centre, France. •
ADI Cartoucherie de Douai (Cartridge Factory of Douai) -
Douai,
Hauts-de-France, France. •
ALM Ateliers Legueu de Meaux (Legueu Workshops of Meaux) –
Meaux, France. Manufactured cartridge-cases and bullets. •
AMN Atelier de Chargement de Montluçon (Loading Workshop of Montluc) –
Montluçon, France. •
APX Atelier de Construction de Puteaux (Manufacturing Workshop of Puteaux) –
Puteaux, France. •
A.RS, RS Atelier de Construction de Rennes (Manufacturing Workshop of Rennes) –
Rennes, France. •
A.TE, TE Atelier de Fabrication de Toulouse (Manufacturing Workshop of Toulouse) –
Toulouse, France. •
A.TS, TS Atelier de Construction de Tarbes (Manufacturing Workshop of Tarbes) –
Tarbes, France. •
A.VE, VE Cartoucherie de Valence (Cartridge Factory of Valence) (1874–1964) – town of
Bourg-lès-Valence, municipality of
Valence, department of
Drôme, region of
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. •
A.VS, VS Atelier de Fabrication de Vincennes (Manufacturing Workshop of Vincennes)
Vincennes, France. •
CN Ateliers Mécaniques de Normandie (Mechanical Workshops of Normandy). •
CP Cartoucherie Leon Paulet à Marseille – Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. •
DTE ? – Unknown. •
ECP Ecole Centrale de Pyrotechnie (Central School of Pyrotechnics)
Bourges, France. •
F Cartoucherie Française ("Cartridge Factory of France") –
Survilliers, department of
Val-d'Oise, region of
Île-de-France, France. Starting as a small ammo-production firm with a dozen workers, government contracts during World War I (1914–1918) to produce military cartridges, rockets and shells caused it to grow to 332 employees. The interwar years (1919–1939) were prosperous, but the cartridge production line was shut down during the German Occupation (1940–1945). Production resumed in the mid 1940s, but munitions production was stopped in the late 1980s due to a cancelling of government contracts. •
G Gévelot S. A. (
Société Française des Munitions de Issy-les-Moulineaux) (1820–1950; 1950–1980) – Paris, France. Firm founded in Paris by Marin Gévelot in 1820. Initially set up to manufacture swords, they began making percussion caps from 1823. Merged with Gaupillat & Cie in 1883 to become Société Française des Munitions in 1884. Took the name of Gévelot S.A. in 1950. •
LM Cartoucherie du Mans (Cartridge Factory of Le Mans)
Le Mans, France. •
MGM Manufacture Générale de Munitions ("General Ammunition Factory") (1930–1978) – Bourg-les-Valence and Clérieux, France. Bought out by Gevelot S.A. in 1974 and integrated into
Société Française des Munitions in 1978. The Bourg-les-Valence site is closed and the Clérieux site is run by Cheddite France. •
MI, SM Robert Paulet & Cie (''Société Méridionale d'Industrie
> "Meridian Industrial Association") – Marseille, France. Formerly Cartoucherie Leon Paulet à Marseille''. •
MR Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin ("Machine-Building Factory of the
Upper Rhine", or MANURHIN) (?-1990) –
Mulhouse–
Bourtzwiller,
Haut-Rhin,
Grand Est (formerly
Alsace), France. Manufactured cartridges as well as the industrial machinery to make bullets and casings and load cartridges. Bought out and merged with GIAT in 1990. •
PB (
Poudrerie Belge de Clermont) – Rue de Clermont,
Engis, Belgium. •
RY Établissements Rey Frères ("Rey Brothers Enterprises") –
Nîmes, France. •
SF, SFM Société Française de Munitions de Issy-les-Moulineaux ("French Association for Munitions of Issy-les-Moulineaux") (1820-?; 1950-?) –
Issy les Moulineaux, France. Firm founded in Paris by Marin Gévelot in 1820. Merged with Gaupillat & Cie in 1883 to become Société Française des Munitions in 1884. Took the name of Gévelot S.A. in 1950. If the headstamp has five-pointed stars at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, it is commercial sales or export contract ammunition. •
TH Cartoucherie de la Seine ("Cartridge Factory of the Seine") – Le Havre, France. A division of
Tréfileries du Havre à Rugles ("Wire-Drawing Works of
Le Havre and
Rugles"). :
Metal Suppliers •
BS ''Atelier de laminage de l'Ecole de Pyrotechnie de Bourges'' ("Rolling Mill Workshop of the Pyrotechnics School of Bourges") –
Bourges, France. •
C Compagnie française des métaux ("French Metals Company") –
Castelsarrazin,
Tarn-et-Garonne,
Midi-Pyrénées, France. A metal-supplier for
Atelier de Fabrication de Toulouse. •
D Société Electro-métallurgie de Dives (Electro-plating Association of Dives") – Dives, France. Formerly
Compagnie du Duralin de Dives. •
F Tréfileries et Laminoirs de la Méditerranée à St-Louis. ("Wire-Drawing Works and Rolling Mills of the Mediterranean of St. Louis") (1957–present) –
Île Saint-Louis,
Paris,
Hauts-de-Seine,
Île-de-France, France. A metal-supplier for
Cartoucherie Leon Paulet de Marseilles. •
I Société de Métallurgie Franco-Belge de Issy-les-Moulineaux ("Franco-Belgian Metallurgic Society of Issy-les-Molineaux") (1895–Present) –
Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. A Belgian company that supplied metal stock for
Société Française de Munitions de Issy-les-Moulineaux. •
P S.A.
Des Mines et Fonderies de Pontgibaud (?-1897) –
Pontgibaud,
Puy-de-Dôme department,
Auvergne region, France. Manufactured bullets and cartridge-cases. It went out of business in 1897 when the local lead deposits played out. •
P Société Française des Métaux à Couéran (1901–1961) – Originally founded as the Laveissière company in 1859, but was refounded and renamed in 1901. In 1961 it was merged with
Tréfileries et laminoirs du Havre to form
Tréfimétaux. In 1967
Tréfimétaux came under the control of
Péchiney, who later sold the company to the Italian group SMI SpA (
Società Metallurgica Italiana) in 1987. •
R Trefilerie et Laminoirs du Havre à Rugles (Usine de Rugles) ("Wire-Drawing Works and Rolling Mills of La Havre and Rugles (Factory at Rugles)") – Rugles, Normandy, France. Made bullets and cartridge-cases for
Cartoucherie de la Seine. •
S Compagnie Française des Métaux ("French Metals Company") –
Sérifontaine,
Oise, France. A metal-supplier for
Tréfileries du Havre à Rugles. :
French Colonial Arsenals •
A.AR, AR ''Cartoucherie d'Alger'' ("Cartridge Plant of Algiers") –
Algiers, Algeria. •
CV Cartoucherie Voltaïque ("Cartridge Plant of the Volta") –
Ouagadougou,
Haute-Volta (later
Republic of Upper Volta [1958–1984], modern-day
Burkina Faso [1984–present]). •
EID Établissements Industriels de la Défense ("Defense Industry Establishments") –
Damascus, Syria;
Mandat Français pour la Syrie et le Liban ("French Mandate of Syria and the Levant") Uses Arabic letters and numbers on the headstamp since independence as the
Syrian Republic. Post-colonial headstamp has the Arabic word for Syria (سورية, or
Sūrya) at 12 o'clock, metric caliber at 3 o'clock, contractor code (م .م. د, MMD for مؤسسة معامل الدفاع
Muasasat Meaml aldifae, or "Defense Industries Corporation") at 6 o'clock, and two-digit year of production at 9 o'clock.
Germany (12) ;(?-1919) All loading, assembly and packing of ammunition took place at Spandau Arsenal. Peacetime headstamps had the 2-digit year of production at 3 o'clock, month of production at 9 o'clock, and content case manufacturer (
S for Spandau or
P for
Polte) at 6 o'clock. Wartime headstamps had the 2-digit year of production at 12 o'clock, case type (S67 = Brass made with 67% copper) at 3 o'clock, content case manufacturer at 6 o'clock, and the batch number at 9 o'clock. The carton label had three lines of text. The first line would be made up of the bullet type, cartridge assembly and packing facility (
Mf. for Spandau's
Munitionsfabrik), followed by the date of assembly (in the format MM.DD.YY; 2-digit Month, the Day, and 2-digit Year). The second line concerned the propellant manufacturer (
P. for Spandau's
Pulverfabrik or
Tr. for the powdermill at Troisdorf). The third line listed the model of primer (
Zdh, or
zundhuetchen), the date of manufacture, and the manufacturer; an "X" between the primer type and date of manufacture indicated it was a type of primer with a low mercury content. •
C Munitionsfabrik Cassel ("Ammunition Factory at Kassel") –
Kassel,
Hesse-Nassau, Germany. Closed after the war. Old wartime-manufactured batches of catridges were still being loaded in the early 1920s by German cartridge-manufacturers who bought up the remaining stock. (They had a declaration on the label that attested that they were old production, to prevent accusations they circumvented the Versailles Treaty). •
S Kaiserlich Munitionsfabrik ("Imperial [Prussian] Munitions Factory") (1722–1919) –
Spandau Arsenal,
Spandau,
Berlin, Germany. Manufactured 7.92mm Mauser ammunition. It was decommissioned in 1919 and was no longer allowed to manufacture war materiel. Gustav Genschow & Co. (GECO) bought the facility in 1924 and used it to make .22-caliber target rifles. GECO loaded cartridges with wartime-manufactured Spandau cases, presumably ones they picked up when they bought the facility. •
Mf. Munitionsfabrik – The portions of Spandau arsenal dedicated to making cartridge cases and bullets, assembling full cartridges, and packing them into cartons and crates. This would be found in the middle of the first line of the ammo carton label, followed by F1, F2 or F3 (the number of the assembly line that assembled the ammunition). •
P Pulverfabrik – The portions of Spandau arsenal dedicated to manufacturing propellants. The code
P. would be followed by the propellant batch number, the letter
L. (for
Lieferung > "Shipment") and the 2-digit year of manufacture. •
P Polte – Magdeburg,
Saxony, Germany. •
D. Königlich Sächsisch Arsenal ("Royal Arsenal of Saxony") –
Dresden,
Saxony. •
DM Karlsruhe,
DM K Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik ("German Metallic Cartridge Factory") (1889–1896) – Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany. It started making Mauser rifle ammunition for the
Argentinian Army in 1891 and the
Prussian Army in 1893. It was reorganized in 1896 to form
Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM). The "DM" headstamp was used by DWM until the early 20th century, perhaps after using up all the old DM cases and headstamp bunters in stock. •
DWM Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (1896–1945) – Berlin-
Borsigwalde, Germany. Between 1922 and 1936 the company is briefly renamed
Berlin-Karlsruher Industrie-Werke AG (BERKA). It secretly begins armament production in 1928. •
H E & C Patronenhulsenfabrik Henri Ehrmann & Cie. (1872–1878) – Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany. A cartridge-case factory set up by Henri Ehrmann and Leopold & Wilhelm Holtz. It is bought out by engineer Wilhelm Lorenz in 1878 and becomes
Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik Lorenz In 1883 it begins production of complete cartridges and is renamed
Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik Karlsruhe-Baden. Bought out by
Ludwig Loewe & Cie in 1889 and merged with
Pulverfabrik Rottweil-Hamburg ("Rottweil Powdermill at Hamburg") and the
Vereinigte Rheinisch-Westfälische Pulverfabriken ("United Rhenish & Westphalian Powdermills") to form
Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik. •
N & S Niebecker und Schumacher –
Solingen, Germany. ;(1919–1926) The
post-war German government assembled cartridges at the
Wehrkreis ("Defense District") arsenals. War industries were reduced to monopolies: Polte was selected to supply cartridge cases and bullets and Dynamit Nobel was selected to provide explosives and propellants. Cartridge-loading machines were installed at artillery depots to train technicians in how to operate the machinery in times of emergency. The Wehrkreise were reorganized and increased after Hitler came to power. •
I (Königsberg) (1919–1932) – Königsberg Arsenal •
II (Stettin) (1919–1932) – ? •
III (Berlin) (1919–1932) –
Jüterbog Arsenal •
IV (Dresden) (1919–1932) – Zeithain/Riesa Arsenal •
V (Stuttgart) (1919–1932) •
VI (Münster) (1919–1932) – ? •
VII (Munich) (1919–1932) – Ingolstadt •
VIII (Breslau) (1919–1932) – ? •
IX (Kassel) (1919–1932) – ? •
X (Hamburg) (1919–1932) – ? •
XI (Hannover) (1919–1932) – ? •
XII (Wiesbaden) (1919–1932) – ? •
XIII (Nurnberg) (1919–1932) – ? •
XVII (Wien) (1938-1945) •
XVIII (Salzberg) (1938-1945) •
AI Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken A.G. (1936?-1939) – Lübeck, Germany. Headstamp used by Germany to covertly supply the Spanish
Nationalists during the
Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The headstamp has "AI" at the 12 o'clock position (perhaps to copy the headstamp of the Dutch
Artillerie-Inrichtingen munitions works), large lower-case letter "e"s at the 3- and 9-o'clock positions, and the year of production at the 6 o'clock position. •
DWM B Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (1896–1945) – Berlin-
Borsigwalde, Germany. •
DWM H Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (1940–1945) –
's-Hertogenbosch,
North Brabant, Netherlands. The
Nederlandsche Wapen-en Munitiefabriek NV. factory run by the German occupation forces. •
DWM K Deutsche Waffen uund Munitionsfabriken (1896–1945) – Karlsruhe, Germany. •
DWM L Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken –
Lübeck-Schlutup,
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. •
N – Nuremberg, Germany. Made gunpowder and complete cartridges. •
P Polte Armaturen-und-Maschinenfabrik A.G., Werk Magdeberg –
Magdeburg,
Sachsen, Germany. After Versailles they were the official supplier of ammunition components to the
Weimar Republic. Made cartridge cases and bullets from 1919 to 1926? and complete cartridges from 1926? to 1945. There were also cover-headstamps used to pretend that Polte, the official contractor for the Weimar Republic, manufactured them. •
Pi Hirtenberger Patronenfabrik – Hirtenberg, Austria. Renamed the
Otto Eberhardt Patronenfabrik after the German occupation. •
Pu H. Burgsmüller & Söhne –
Kreiensen, Germany. A small gunsmithing firm that made hunting shotguns and drillings. They later got into munitions production. •
Pö Gehre Dampfmesser GmbH – Sebaldushof,
Treuenbrietzen,
Brandenburg, Germany. Dr. Martin Böhme was an engineer whose factory made gas, steam and liquid gauges and a sideline in metalwares. In 1926 the metalware factory in the hamlet of Sebaldushof was bought out by the Kopp Brothers of Berlin and it was renamed to
Metallwarenfabrik Truenbrietzen. •
Ps – Production by the Swedish government. •
PVT Polizeischule fuer Technik und Verkehr ("Police Academy for Technology and Transport") (1927?-1945) – Berlin, Germany. The
Polizeischule fuer Technik und Verkehr was founded in 1927? The central academy building was designed in 1929 and built by 1934. It was renamed the
Technische Polizeischule ("Technical Police Academy") in 1936. The PVT monogram and government Eagle property mark was inscribed on its small arms at the factory by Simson. •
SKD Selve-Kronbiegel-Dornheim A.-G. (1924–1945) –
Sömmerda,
Thuringia, Germany. A partnership between three former arms manufacturers who were turning to cartridge manufacture. Selve owned the Braun und Bloem pinfire cartridge trademarks, manufactured pinfire cartridges at the
Fabrik von Braun und Bloem, and operated out of
Düsseldorf. Rheinmetall owned the Dreyse und Collenbusch needlefire cartridge trademarks and operated out of
Sömmerda,
Thüringen; it used the name Kronbiegel for Ehrfurt merchant Friedrich Kronbiegel (?-1820) – Dreyse's first partner. G.[eorge] C.[arl] Dornheim owned the GECADO trademark, the
B.STAHL Metallhulsenfabrik – Suhl ammunition plant in Suhl (which made metal cartridge cases), and the
Lindender Zünderhütchen-, Patronen- und Tonwarenfabrik in
Empelde, Ronnenberg,
Hanover (which made percussion caps and primers, assembled cartridges, and made clay pottery and dishes). SKD manufactured ammunition under the SELKADO ammunition trademark until 1940. G.C. Dornheim A.G. sold the cartridge plant in Suhl in 1925 and sold off the factory in Empelde and the GECADO ammunition trademark to Dynamit-Nobel in 1927. Afterwards RWS began producing ammunition for G.C. Dornheim. •
Has Pulverfabrik Hasloch – Hasloch, Bavaria, Germany. Made propellants. •
Mog. Deutsche Sprengchemie, Werk Moschwig – Moschwig, Germany. Made explosives and gunpowder. •
Rdf. Dynamit Nobel, Werk Reinsdorf – Reinsdorf, Germany. Made explosives and gunpowder. Absorbed by I.G. Farben in 1926, and then by WASAG (
Westfälisch-Anhaltische Sprengstoff-Actien-Gesellschaft) in 1945. •
Rdf 128 Pulverfabrik Walsrode – Walsrode, Germany. A cover code as a subterfuge to pretend that the powder had been made by Dynamit Nobel, the official explosives and propellant manufacturer for the Weimar Republic. •
Rottw. Pulverfabrik Rottweil ("Gunpowder Factory at Rottweil"),
Rottweil,
Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany. Made gunpowder. A particular type of shotgun-cartridge propellant called "Rottweil Powder" was invented by them. •
Tr. Troisdorf – Troisdorf, Germany. Manufactured propellants. •
Walsr. Pulverfabrik Walsrode ("Gunpowder Factory at Walsrode") – Walsrode, Germany. Made gunpowder. ;P-Codes (1926–1941) The German government adopted coded headstamps for military ammunition to keep the identity of their suppliers secret. This was briefly continued during the early war and included factories in occupied countries. It was a subterfuge to pretend that Polte manufactured the items. Headstamps had the cartridge manufacturer's P-code at 12 o'clock, the cartridge case type (e.g.,
S* for brass) at 3 o'clock, the Lot number at 6 o'clock, and the 2-digit year of production at 9 o'clock. Steel-cased ammunition had a combined code at the 3 o'clock position that was composed of the
Roman numeral code for the steel mill (I through XXIII), the lower-case letter code for the firm that plated the cases (a through z?), and the composition of the steel alloy used (1 through 17). (e.g., IXw1). •
P.14A Waffenwerke Brünn A.-G. ("Armory at Brno"), Werk Povazska Bystrica -
Považská Bystrica,
Czechoslovakia. Operated under German occupation. Later renamed
Povazske Strojárne ("Factory at Povaska") post-war. •
P.25 Metallwarenfabrik Treuenbrietzen G.m.b.H, Werk A (Sebaldushof) –
Sebaldushof, Treuenbrietzen,
Pommern, Germany. This was the first factory owned by the Kopp Brothers. They expanded to
Selterhof (Treuenbrietzen) (1934),
Roederhof (Belzig) (1935),
Metgethen and
Salzwedel. •
P.28 Deutsche Waffen u. Munitionsfabriken A.-G. (DWM), Karlsruhe, Germany •
P.69 Patronen-, Zündhütchen- und Metallwarenfabrik A.-G. (formerly Sellier & Bellot Schönebeck) –
Schönebeck-an-der-Elbe,
Salzlandkreis,
Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. Made cartridges, primers and detonator caps, and metalware. •
P90D Munitionsfabriken Prag (vormals Sellier & Bellot) – Vlasim, Czechoslovakia. •
P.94 Kabel- und Metallwerke- Neumeyer A.-G. –
Nürnberg, Germany. •
P.120 Dynamit A.-G. (DAG), Werk Empelde (1928–1945) – Empelde, Ronnenberg, Hanover, Germany. Formerly
Lindender Zünderhütchen- und Patronen-fabrik ("percussion-cap- and cartridge-factory of
Linden") (?-1927); closed for a year for reorganization and then reopened in 1928. •
P.131 Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken A.-G. (DWM), Berlin-Borsigwalde, Germany •
P.132 Draht-und-Metallwarenfabriken GmbH ("Wire and Metal Goods Factory") - Salzwedel, Saxony. •
P.151 Rheinisch-Westfälische Sprengstoff A.-G. (RWS) ("Rhenish-Westphalian Explosives Co."),
Werk Nürnberg-Stadeln – Nürnberg-Stadeln, Germany. •
P.154 Polte Metallwarenfabrik, Werk Grüneberg (formerly Grüneberger Metallgeselschaft G.m.b.H.) – Grüneberg (Nordbahn), Brandenburg, Germany •
P.163 Metallwarenfabrik Treuenbrietzen G.m.b.H., Werk Selterhof –
Selterhof, Treuenbrietzen,
Pommern, Germany. •
P.181 Hugo A. Schneider A.-G. (HASAG) – Leipzig, Germany. •
P.186 Metallwerk Wolfenbüttel G.m.b.H. -
Wolfenbüttel,
Lower Saxony, Germany. •
P.198 Metallwarenfabriken Treuenbrietzen GmbH., Werk Röderhof (1935-?) –
Roederhof, Belzig, Germany. •
P207 Metallwerk Odertal GmbH – Odertal, Post Lautaberg, Harz, Germany. •
P.249 Finower Industrie G.m.b.H. – Finow/Mark, Germany. •
P.334 Mansfeld A.-G. Metallwarenfabrik, Werk Rothenburg – Saale, Rothenburg, Germany •
P.369 Teuto Metallwerke G.m.b.H., Osnabrück, Germany •
P.405 Rheinisch-Westfälische Sprengstoff A.-G. (RWS),
Werk Durlach (formerly Gustav Genschow & Co.); Durlach, Germany. •
P.413 Deutsche Waffen- und Munitions-fabriken A.G. (DWM), Lûbeck-Schlutup, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. •
P.490 Hugo A. Schnieder A.G. (HASAG), Werk Altenburg – Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany. •
P.635 Gustloff-Werk Hirtenberg (
Otto Eberhardt Patronenfabrik) – Hirtenberg,
Niederdonau, Austria. A division of Gustloff Werk (Gustloff Works), a division of the
Wilhelm Gustloff Stiftung (
Wilhelm Gustloff Foundation), a nationalized corporation composed of companies confiscated from Jewish owners or partners. It was later renamed for Otto Eberhardt. ;Letter Codes (1940–1945) •
ak Munitionsfabriken Prag ("Munitions Factory – Prague") (formerly
Sellier & Bellot) (
Occupation: 1938–1945) – Vlasim, Czechoslovakia. •
auy Polte Metallwarenfabrik, Werk Grüneberg (formerly Grüneberger Metallgeselschaft G.m.b.H.) – Grüneberg (Nordbahn), Brandenburg, Germany •
bne Metallwerk Odertal GmbH – Odertal, Post Lautaberg,
Harz, Germany. •
cg Finower Industrie GmbH – Finow, Mark, Brandenburg. •
ch DWM Lüttich (formerly
FN-Herstal, Liège) (
Occupied: 1940–1944) –
Liège, Belgium. •
cxm Gustav Genschow & Co. A.-G. (Geco) (1887–1959) – Berlin, Germany. Ammunition manufacturer and sporting arms wholesaler. They owned ammunition plants in
Durlach and
Wolfartsweier; a leather-goods factory in Hachenburg; associated arms factories in
Zella-Mehlis,
Suhl, and
Liège; and had stores in
Cologne,
Suhl,
Frankfurt am Main,
Nuremberg, and
Königsberg. In 1924 they bought a firearms factory in
Spandau from
Deutsche Werke. In 1927 they were bought out by I.G. Farben and were allied with RWS. In 1938 they were one of the firms who bought the rights to manufacture the
Klein-Kaliber Wehrsportgewehr ("Small-Caliber Military Sports Rifle", or KKW), a
.22-caliber competition and training rifle sold to the public. They also bored rifle-barrel blanks for the
K98k Mauser and
Sturmgewehr 44. •
de Hugo Schneider AG (HASAG) (1944–1945) – Leipzig, Germany. •
dnh Rheinisch-Westfälische Sprengstoff A.-G., (Previously Gustav Genschow & Co.) Werk Durlach, Germany. •
dou Waffenwerke Brunn (formerly Zbrojovka Brno) (
Occupation: 1938–1945) –
Považská Bystrica,
Czechoslovakia. •
eba Metallwarenfabrik Scharfenberg-u. Teubert G.m.b.H. -
Breitungen-Werra,
Thuringia, Germany. •
eej Märkisches Walzwerk GmbH – Strausberg
bez.,
Potsdam, Germany •
emp Dynamit A.-G., Werk Empelde –
Empelde,
Ronnenberg,
Hanover, Germany. •
fer Metallwerke Wandhofen GmbH – Wandhofen,
Schwerte an der Ruhr,
Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. •
fva Draht- und Metallwarenfabrik GmbH ("Wire- and Metalware-factory") –
Salzwedel,
Saxony, Germany. •
Hak Hanseatisches Kettenwerke ("Hanseatic Chain Works") (1935-?) –
Langenhorn, Hamburg Gau, Germany. A division of
Pötz und Sand Metallwaren of
Monheim that also manufactured autocannon and light artillery shells. It also managed the ammunition factories in occupied and Vichy France (1940–1944). •
hhw Metallwerke Silberhütte GmbH,
St-Andreasberg-im-Harz,
Goslar, Lower Saxony, Germany. •
hla Metallwarenfabrik Treuenbrietzen G.m.b.H., Werk Sebaldushof –
Sebaldushof, Treuenbrietzen,
Pommern, Germany. •
hlb Metallwarenfabrik Treuenbrietzen G.m.b.H., Werk Selterhof –
Selterhof, Treuenbrietzen,
Pommern, Germany. •
hlc Zieh- und Stanz-werke GmbH ("[Wire] Drawing and [Metal] Punching Works") – Schleusingen, Thüringen •
hrn Presswerke G.m.b.H. – Metgethen,
Ostpreußen, Germany (now
Imeni Alexandra Kosmodemyanskogo,
Kaliningrad oblast,
Russian Federation) •
htg Polte Armaturen- und Maschinenfabriken, AG - Duderstadt Plant, Westphalia, Germany. •
kam HASAG (formerly P.W.U. Fabryka Amunicji Skarżysko-Kamienna) (occupied 1939–1944) – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. •
naq Graphische Kunstanstalt Karl Vogel (Karl Vogel "Graphic Arts Institution") – Leipzig, Germany. Made pasteboard cartons and cardboard boxes for ammunition; the manufacturer code and year of production were impressed on the box. May have also made ammo labels, as they did high-quality color printing work before the war. •
ndn Heinrich Bluecher Fabrik technischer Buersten ("industrial-brush-making factory") –
Spremberg,
Spree-Neiße,
Brandenburg, Germany. A factory that manufactured 9×19mm cartridge cases to be filled elsewhere. •
oma Ernst Mahla Blechwarenwerke ("sheetmetal-ware works") – Prague, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. A factory that made 9×19mm ball and armor-piercing ammunition. •
oyj Atelier de Construction de Tarbes – Tarbes, France. Produced ammunition during the German Occupation (1940–1944). •
pas Cartucherie de Toulouse - Toulouse, France. Produced ammunition during the German Occupation (1940–1944). •
wa HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG, Abteilung Lampenfabrik –
Leipzig, Germany. Found on ammunition headstamps and cannon shell cases •
wb HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG – Berlin-
Koepenick plant. See 'wa' •
wc HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Meuselwitz plant, Thuringia. •
wd HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG (Hasag Werk II) –
Taucha,
Saxony plant. •
we HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Langewiesen, Thuringia plant. •
wf HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Kielce plant, Poland. •
wg HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Altenburg plant. •
wh HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Eisenach plant. •
wj HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Oberweissbach, Thuringia plant. •
wk HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Schlieben plant. •
wm HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Dermbach plant, Thuringia. •
wn HASAG, Hugo Schneider AG –
Derrnabach Dermbach plant, Thuringia (Often confused with 'wm'). ;(1946–present) The headstamp has the manufacturer code at 12 o'clock, 2-digit year of production at 3 o'clock, 2-digit week of production at 6 o'clock, and NATO interchangeability symbol (+) at 9 o'clock. Example: MEN / 79 21 / (+) would mean it was manufactured by Metallwerk Elisenhütte Nassau GmbH in week 21 (i.e., May 21–27) of 1979. •
DAG Dynamit Nobel A-G () –
Troisdorf,
Rhein-Sieg-Kreis,
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Fürth. It owned the RWS, Geco, and Rottweil brands. In 2002 its ammunition factories and their brands were purchased by RUAG (
Rüstungs Unternehmen Aktiengesellschaft) and were spun off to form
RUAG Ammotec GmbH (Fürth). •
ME or MEN Metallwerk Elisenhütte Nassau G.m.b.H. (1957–present) –
Nassau,
Lahn,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Made part of the CBC Group in 2007. •
MS Manusaar
A-G (1953–1973) –
Büdingen,
Hessen,
West Germany. Also known as
Manusaar-Diehl-Büdingen, Saarbrücken, FRG;
Manusaar-Büdingen Saarbrücken; and
Société Manusaar-Büdingen. Manusaar-Diehl was founded in the '50s as a partnership between
Manurhin (France) and
Munitionsfabrikanten Karl Diehl (Germany); the name Manusaar is a combination of MANUrhin and SAAR (the
Saar Valley, where the factory was based). It manufactured primers from 1953 to 1972 and cartridges from 1957 to 1973; it went out of business in 1973 due to a loss of market share to other, larger European manufacturers.
Greece (23) •
ΕΠΚ (Ελληνικό Πυριτιδοποιείο Καλυκοποιείο >
Ellinikó Pyritidopoieío Kalykopoieío (Pyrkal) = "Hellenic Powder & Cartridge Factory") (1908-1950s) -
Athens, Greece. The Greek alphabet version of the headstamp, with the manufacturer's code (ΕΠΚ) at 12 o'clock and the caliber or cartridge name at 6 o'clock. •
GPC ("Greek Powder and Cartridge Company") - The English language version of the headstamp. •
HXP Pyrkal (1950s–2004) –
Athens, Greece. Manufactures cartridges and disintegrating belt links. Merged with
Hellenic Arms Industry in 2004 to become
Hellenic Defence Systems. The headstamp had the manufacturer's code (HXP) at 12 o'clock and the two-digit year of production at 6 o'clock. •
P C H,
PC Pouderie et Cartoucherie Hellenique (Pyrkal). Pyrkal's export and commercial headstamp during the interwar years (1920s and 1930s). Packaging was in French for sales to French Colonial territories like North Africa and the French Mandate. The
PC headstamp was used on British contract orders up until the
German occupation (1941–1945).
India (72) The Indian government property mark was an
arrowhead over a letter "I" for India. •
D Dum Dum Arsenal –
Dum Dum,
Calcutta,
West Bengal state, India. The "D" was at the 9 o'clock position and the Indian property mark was at 3 o'clock. They invented and manufactured the
.303 Mk.II Special, a soft-point semi-jacketed Ball cartridge for the Enfield Rifle that was later banned by the Hague Convention. •
D↑F Dum Dum Factory –
Dum Dum,
Calcutta,
West Bengal state, India. The "D↑F" was at the 12 o'clock position, the Indian property mark was at 3 o'clock, the Lot number was at 6 o'clock, and the cartridge Mark number was at 9 o'clock. •
K Kirkee Arsenal (1872–1913?) –
Kirkee cantonment,
Poona district,
Maharashtra state, India. Founded in 1817 to manufacture small arms. Expanded to include a cartridge-making factory in 1872 and an explosives factory in 1942. The "K" was at the 9 o'clock position and the Indian property mark was at 3 o'clock. They manufactured the
.303 Mk.II Special, a soft-point semi-jacketed Ball cartridge for the Enfield Rifle that was later banned by the Hague Convention. •
K↑F Kirkee Factory (1914–1960) –
Kirkee cantonment,
Poona district,
Maharashtra state, India. The "K↑F" was at the 12 o'clock position, the Indian property mark was at 3 o'clock, the Lot number was at 6 o'clock, and the cartridge Mark number was at 9 o'clock. •
KH Khamaria Factory (1990s-Present) –
Khamaria,
Jabalpur district,
Madhya Pradesh state, India. •
N Dum Dum Arsenal, Northern Circuit –
Dum Dum,
Calcutta,
West Bengal state, India. The "N" was at the 9 o'clock position and the Indian property mark was at 3 o'clock. The cartridge Mark number was at 12 o'clock and the Lot number was at 6 o'clock. •
OFV Ordnance Factory at Varangaon (1964–present) –
Varangaon,
Jalgaon district,
Maharashtra state, India. •
OK Ordnance Factory at Khamaria (1942–1947; 1947–Present) –
Khamaria,
Jubbulpore district,
Central India Agency (later
Madhya Pradesh state after Independence), India. It manufactures cartridge and shell components, propellants, and small arms ammunition. •
S Kirkee Arsenal, Southern Circuit –
Kirkee cantonment,
Poona district,
Maharashtra state, India. The "S" was at the 9 o'clock position and the Indian property mark was at 3 o'clock. The cartridge Mark number was at 12 o'clock and the Lot number was at 6 o'clock.
Israel (31) Israel has supposedly manufactured ammunition under the Spanish S, SA, and SB headstamps. This is ammunition captured from Egypt and Syria, which bought ammunition from Spain and Italy. •
AE Eretz Ayalon ("Ayalon Institute") (1945–1948) – Kibbutzim Hill,
Rehovot,
British Mandate, Palestine. An underground munitions factory hidden in the basement of a community center that had a working bakery and a laundry. The copper for the casings was acquired by scrap dealers who supposedly were using it to make brass lipstick cases. ("Cartridges, Mauser, 7.9 Caliber, Pattern..."), then followed by
S for
Spiczasty ("Pointed [Ball]") or
SC for
Spiczasty Ciężki ("Pointed, Heavy [Ball]"). 8mm Lebel "D" ammunition packets were marked
Nb. Francuskie OSTRA ("Cartridges, French LIVE"). The Lot code had the 3-digit lot number (in Arabic numerals), month (in Roman numerals), and four-digit year. The third line had the code for the Ammunition Factory (W. AM. No.-#) that made it. •
I Wytwornia Amunicji (WYTW. AM., "Ammunition Factory") No.1 (
Brest-Litovsk). •
II Wytwornia Amunicji No.2 (
Poznań). •
III Wytwornia Amunicji No.3 (
Warsaw). •
IV Wytwornia Amunicji No.4 (
Kraków). •
V Wytwornia Amunicji No.5 (
Przemyśl). •
F A S Fabrika Amunicji Skarzysko ("Ammunition Plant at Skarzysko) (1925–1939) –
Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Civilian ammunition brand manufactured by P.W.U. Fabryka Amunicji. •
W Wojskowa Wytwornia Amunicji Karabinowej (WWAK, "Military Rifle Ammunition Factory") (1921–1925) – Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 1921 using nationalized machinery liberated from the
Georg Roth A.G. subsidiary factory in
Poznań (formerly Posen). It made bullets, primers, cases, and complete cartridges. It was closed in 1925 and moved to Skarzysko. •
SK Państwowa Wytwornia Uzbrojenia Fabryka Amunicji (
P.W.U. Fabryka Amunicji, "National Armament Factory – Ammunition Plant") (1925–1939) – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Founded in 1925 by moving the WWAK's machinery from Warsaw. •
N Norblin S.A.. Ammunition factory founded in 1922 in Warsaw. It had a metal foundry and cartridge production plant at Glownie that made cartridge brass for other firms as well. Ammunition made by Norblin had the Norblin "N" at both the 12 o'clock (cartridge manufacturer) and 6 o'clock (case manufacturer) positions. •
Pk Zaklady Amunicyjne, Pocisk, Spolka Akcyjna ("Ammunition Works 'Bullets' Joint Stock Company"), or
Z.A. Pocisk S.A. – A Franco-Polish Joint Stock Company created in 1921 to supply the Polish Government with ammunition. Using machinery purchased from
Hirtenberger of Austria, a cartridge plant was set up in Warsaw and a munitions plant was set up in
Rembertów. In 1932 it was nationalized by the Polish Government, who consolidated all production at Rembertów. In 1934 it began producing the
Darzbór ("Good Hunting") shotshell line. In 1935 it began production of the
Gryf ("
Griffin") shotshell line, which used French-made components by SFM that were assembled by Pocisk in Poland. •
Dz Walcownie Metali "Dziedzice" S.A. (1896–Present) –
Dziedzice,
Silesian Voivodeship. A metalworks that also manufactured cartridge cases. •
F or
Fr Fraget – Warsaw, Poland. A metalworks that manufactured cartridge cases. It was originally a Russian-owned factory set up in the 1850s as for making galvanized silverplate wares. It was repurposed after World War I due to the economic crisis that followed the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires. ;
Poland (1939–1945) •
kam Hugo Schneider AG (HASAG) Eisen und Metallwerke ("Iron and Metal Works")
G.m.b.H. - Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Manufactured ammunition and small arms for the German military using slave labor. The Germans removed all the machinery in 1945, then wrecked whatever they could before they retreated. •
nbe Hugo Schneider AG (HASAG) Eisen und Metallwerke GmbH, Werk Apparatebau Tschenstochau -
Częstochowa, Poland. •
pae - probably HASAG Skarżysko-Kamienna. •
DZ Metallwalzwerke A.G. Dziedzitz –
Dziedzitz,
Gau Schlesien. In early 1940 they originally made brass cartridge cases and copper, aluminum and zinc alloys for the war effort. The facility was later focused on only producing
duraluminum sheets and all its other machinery was shipped to other factories in Poland. The machinery was later returned in 1947. ;
Poland (1945–1989) The Polish headstamp for Factory 21 either has the factory number in an oval or upside-down to keep it from being confused with the Hungarian and Romanian Factory 21s. This was extended to other Polish headstamps for consistency. •
(21) Państwowa Fabryka Amunicji Skarżysko-Kamienna ("State Ammunition Factory at Skarżysko-Kamienna") (1945–1948) – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Made small arms ammunition. •
21 Zakłady Wyrobów Metalowych Skarżysko-Kamienna ("Skarżysko-Kamienna Metal Products Works") (1948–1988) – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Made small arms ammunition and the civilian MESKO brand, along with appliances and metalware. MESKO is an acronym for
Zakłady Metalowe Skarzysko Kompania ("Metal Works Company at Skarzysko"). It was merged with the PREDOM appliance brand and renamed PREDOM-MESKO S.A. in 1975. It then separated again and was renamed MESKO S.A. in 1985. •
21 General Sikorski Zakłady Metalowe MESKO ("General Sikorski MESKO Metal Works") (1988–1993) – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Renamed as an expression of Polish independence. •
54 Factory 54 – Poniatowa, Poland. Only 7,62x25 Tokarev. •
343 Factory 343 –
Wrocław pilczyce. 1952-1973? •
PFA Państwowa Fabryka Amunicji ("State Ammunition Factory") (1945–1955?) – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Skarżysko-Kamienna's headstamp until they were assigned factory numbers. •
MESKO Marka Export Solidność Konkurencyjność Otwartość ("Brand for Export – Reliability, Competitiveness, and Honesty") – Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Civilian hunting and competitive shooting ammunition brand that reworded the acronym for MESKO. In 2005 MESKO joined the PHZ Bumar Group, which consists of 22 manufacturing companies from the now privatized Polski Przemysł Obronny (PPO, "Polish Defense Industry"). •
NITRON –
NITRON S.A. Krupski Mlyn,
Silesia, Poland. Only produced sport ammunition .22 short, .22 Long Rifle.
Portugal (24) •
* AE * Arsenal do Exercito ("Army Arsenal") –
Lisbon, Portugal. In the cypher-style headstamp, the "A" is superimposed over the "E" and is at 12 o'clock, the 4-digit year is at 6 o'clock, and 5-pointed stars are at 9- and 3-o'clock. •
BF Arsenal do Exercito ("Army Arsenal") –
Lisbon, Portugal. A cover headstamp used by the Portuguese government on ammunition sent to Angola, Rhodesia, and South Africa during the
Border War. The code was created from the headstamp
AE by moving one letter to the right in the alphabet. The headstamp code faces the rim, with the letter code at 6 o'clock, the batch number at 12 o'clock, the NATO Interchangeability symbol (+) at 9 o'clock, and the 2-digit year at 3 o'clock. •
FA Fabrica de Armas ("Arms Factory") (?-1902) – Santa Clara, Lisbon, Portugal. •
FCPQ Fábrica de Cartuchame e Pólvoras Quimicas ("Cartridge & Chemical Powder Factory") (1927–1947) –
Chelas, Marvila,
Lisbon, Portugal. Changed to
Fabrica Nacional de Municoes de Armas Ligeiras (FNMAL) in 1947. •
FMBP, FBP Fábrica de Material de Guerra de Braço de Prata ("War Materiel Factory in Braça de Prata") (1907–1998) – Braço de Prata, Lisbon, Portugal. •
FNM Fabrica Nacional de Municoes de Armas Ligeiras ("National Small Arms Munitions Factory") (1947–2001) –
Lisbon, Portugal. •
FPB? Fábrica da Pólvora em Barcarena ("Powdermill in Barcarena") (1619–1988) –
Bacarena,
Oeiras,
Lisbon, Portugal. •
FPC Fábrica da Pólvora em Chellas ("Powdermill in Chelas") (1898–1927) –
Chelas, Marvila,
Lisbon, Portugal. Changed to
Fábrica de Cartuchame e Pólvoras Quimicas (FCPQ) in 1927.
Romania (39) UM stands for
Uzina Mecanica (Mechanical Plant). •
21 RPR,
21 Factory 21 (UM Cugir), Republica Populară Romînă (
"Romanian People's Republic") (1947–present) –
Cugir. The acronym RPR was used from 1947 to 1965 to differentiate the Romanian Factory 21 from the Hungarian and Polish Factory 21s. •
22 Factory 22 (UM Sadu) (1970–present) –
Bumbești-Jiu. Sadu was the name of a nearby town about 14 km away and was adopted as a cover. •
CMC Uzinele Metalurgice din Copșa - Mică și Cugir ("Metallurgical Works of Copșa Mica and Cugir") (1925–1944) –
Cugir,
Transylvania, Romania. Created in Paris in 1925 by investments by the Romanian government, the British firm Vickers-Armstrong, and the privatized Austrian firm UDR Co. (
Uzinele de Fier si Domeniile Reşiţa – "Reşiţa Iron Works and Domains"), with production beginning in 1928. It made both small arms and ammunition, with the factory in Cugir and the metal-smelting plant in
Copșa Mică. The Czech firm CZ-Brno replaced Vickers Armstrong in 1934 and CMC began producing ZB-30 machineguns and 7.92mm Mauser ammunition in 1935. In 1939 the Czechs' holdings in the company were taken over by
Hermann Göring. Romania was taken over by a German-sponsored right-wing coup in 1940 and were German allies from 1941 to 1944. CMC made 9×19mm Parabellum and
7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition and the
Orița submachine gun. CMC later became UM Cugir. •
kyn Astra, Fabrica Româna de Vagoane, Motoare, Armament și Muniții (" 'Astra', Romanian Factory for Wagons, Engines, Weapons, and Munitions") (1943–1944) – Brașov, Transylvania, Romania. The German contractor code for the Astra factory in Brașov. It manufactured artillery shells and land mines. •
kyo Întreprinderile metalurgice "Dumitru Voina", Societate Anonimă Română, Fabrica de Armament, Brașov (" 'Dumitru Voina' Metallurgy Enterprise, Romanian S.A., Armament Factory at Brașov) (1943–1944) –
Brașov, Treansylvania, Romania. The German contractor code for the PAB metal works, owned by Mr. Dumitru Voina. •
PA Pirotehnia Armatei ("Army Pyrotechnics") (1861-1939) – Bucharest, Romania. The government explosives factory. It manufactured
9mm Steyr pistol,
6.5mm Mannlicher rifle,
13.2mm Hotchkiss Long HMG,
37mm Hotchkiss QF, and
53x176mmR M1887 Gruson QF cartridges. A third letter in the headstamp indicated the metal supplier or manufacturer for the cases. It was closed in 1944 when Romania pulled out of
the war. It was renamed the
"9th of May" Workshops in 1947 and was demilitarized and repurposed to make machinery and spare parts for the construction industry. It was privatized as PUMAC S.A. in the 1990s. The complex was demolished in 2009. •
PAB Pirotehnia Armatei / Brașov (Armament Factory / Brașov) (?-1943) –
Brașov. •
PAF – Unknown. •
PAH – Unknown. •
PAM – Unknown. •
PAR – Unknown. •
PAT – Unknown. •
PA Pirotehnia Armatei (1939–1944) –
Bumbești-Jiu. A factory set up with German investment and assistance. Closed in 1944. Reopened and name changed to UM Sadu in 1947. It manufactured
6.5mm Mannlicher and 13.2x99 Hotchkiss Long HMG cartridges. •
R SD ("Romania – SaDu") ''
(2015–present) – The new headstamp for all Sadu ammunition production, replacing all previous commercial and military headstamps. This is in accordance with an arms industry reform (Law 295/2004, reviewed 2014) in which the first letter stands for Romania and the next letters are the two syllables of Sadu. R SD'' is at 10 o'clock, the 2-digit year is at 2 o'clock, and the metric caliber is at 6 o'clock. The "L" prefix to the metric caliber means "long" (i.e., L 5,56 or L 7,62×54mm). •
U Viromet S.A. (1936–1942; 1949–1991; 1991–present) –
Victoria, Romania. A factory initially conceived by the Romanian military to make locally produced smokeless propellants. The military's proposal was approved in 1936 and government permission and planning were provided in 1937. The German firm Ferrostaal was contracted to build it in the hamlet of Ucea in the town of Victoria and provide technical assistance. Work began in 1939 but was stopped in 1942 due to wartime austerity measures. The contract was cancelled in 1944 when Romania declared war on Germany. In 1949 it was finished, reopened and renamed to
Fabricile Ucea ("Factories at Ucea"). In the 1970s it started making its own primers, detonator caps, and fuses. Gradually it diversified from explosives and propellants to making refined chemicals, synthetic resins, and processed plastics. In 1991 its explosives, propellants and fuses division was spun off and renamed S.C Pirochim Victoria S.A, made a division of ROMARM, and transferred under R.A. Rompiro Făgăraş. The remainder of Viromet S.A. was reorganized and then placed under control by InterAgro S.A.
Serbia (73) •
FOMU Fabryka Oruzja i Municje, Užice ("Weapons and Munitions Factory – Užice") (1935–1940; 1944–1947) –
Užice, Serbia, Yugoslavia. The invading Germans sabotaged the facility in 1940 but was reopened in 1944. •
PP, PPU or ППУ Prvi Partizan|Prvi Partizanski [zavod] ad Užice ("First Partizan [factory] at Užice") (1941; 1947–Present) –
Užice,
Serbia. On September 24, 1941, the FOMU facility was liberated from the Germans, who had wrecked the machinery and burned down the administration building. The ammunition production machinery and tool shop were moved to an underground vault under the National Bank and the other machinery was dispersed to the surrounding towns. An explosion on November 22, 1941, that killed 130 workers forced its closure. The factory moved back to the FOMU facility in 1944. It was renamed
Prvi Partizanki zavod ad Užice (PPU) on September 5, 1947.
Singapore (32) •
CHJ Chartered Industries of Singapore (1967–2000) – Singapore. The headstamp used a letter code for the date (O = 0, A = 1, etc.; "J" is used instead of "I"): the first two letters were the last two digits of the year and the third was the letter 'B' for "
Berdan primed".
FJ B would be 1969,
GG B would be 1977, and
JH would be 1998. When the company switched to
Boxer primed cartridges in the 1980s, the third letter was dropped. Chartered Industries was merged with
ST Kinetics in 2000.
Republic of South Africa (18) :South Africa left the Commonwealth of Nations in 1961 and was re-admitted in 1994. It remains a Republic. :NOTE: The manufacturer and last two digits of the year are on the upper arc of the stamp (e.g., WA 80 for Walter Annexe, 1980). The symbols on the lower arc of the stamp indicates the caliber (
7.7mm,
5.56mm or
7.62mm) and R# or R#M# indicate the model (R) and mark (M) of the cartridge, like the Commonwealth L#A# stamp (e.g., R1M1 is the first model and second Mark of a cartridge). Later, the 2-digit year is in the 12 o'clock position and a digit in the 6 o'clock position on the headstamp indicated the load identification code. •
A Factory A,
Pretoria Metal Pressings. – Pretoria, South Africa. •
B Factory B, Pretoria Metal Pressings. – Kimberly, South Africa. •
LA Luther Annexe, Pretoria Metal Pressings. A factory named for Stephanus "'Fanie" Luther, a former PMP employee. Produced mostly civilian ammo, but there was some military production during high volume orders. •
WA Walter Annexe, Pretoria West factory, Pretoria Metal Pressings. – Pretoria, South Africa. A factory named for Allen Walter, a former PMP employee. Produced military ammo. •
PMP Pretoria Metal Pressings – A division of Denel Group. •
JMPD Pretoria Metal Pressings – A division of Denel Group. For Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD)
South Korea (37) •
KA Government Arsenal –
Busan Metropolitan City,
Republic of Korea. Manufactures military cartridges. •
PS Poong-San, Poongsan Corporation – Angang Ammunition Plant,
Seoul,
Republic of Korea. Manufactures military cartridges. •
PSD Poong-San Defense, Poongsan Corporation – Dongrae Ammunition Plant,
Seoul,
Republic of Korea. Manufactures military cartridges. •
PMC Precision Made Cartridges, Poongsan Corporation –
Seoul,
Republic of Korea. Manufactures commercial cartridges. The "M" in the headstamp looks like an upside-down "W".
Spain (33) •
ENSB, SB, or SB-T Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara de Industrias Militares ("
Saint Barbara National Military Industries Enterprise") (?-2001);
Toledo, Spain. Later absorbed as part of General Dynamics in 2001. •
FNP Fábrica Nacional de Palencia ("National Factory at Palencia");
Palencia, Spain. The
FNP is at 12 o'clock and the 4-digit year is at 6 o'clock. •
FN T Fábrica Nacional de Toledo ("National Factory at Toledo");
Toledo, Spain. The factory is famous for making blades for swords, knives, bayonets and razors. Ammunition was made at a separate cartridge plant at the factory complex. The
FN is at 12 o'clock and the
T is at 6 o'clock; the first 2 digits of the year (19) were at 9 o'clock and the last 2 digits were at 3 o'clock. Later reorganized as
Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara de Industrias Militares, part of
Santa Bárbara Sistemas. •
PS Pirotecnia Militar de Sevilla ("Military Explosives Factory at Seville"),
Seville, Spain. •
SBS Santa Bárbara Sistemas ("Saint Barbara Systems") (2001–present);
Toledo, Spain. The new name for
Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara de Industrias Militares since it was absorbed by General Dynamics in 2001.
Sweden (65) Amf stands for
Ammunitionsfabrik ("Ammunition Factory"). They used a royal crown at the 12 o'clock position for government-manufactured or foreign-contracted ammunition; this was left blank if it was made by a private Swedish contractor. The 2-digit year is displayed at the 9 o'clock (tens) and 3 o'clock (ones) positions, and the contractor letter or number at the 6 o'clock position. Early ammunition had a 4-digit year with the first 2 digits (thousands and hundreds) at 9 o'clock and the second 2 digits (tens and ones) at 3 o'clock. Ammunition with an
E at the 12 o'clock position (which stands for
Ersättning, or "Substitute") have a bimetallic cartridge-case (brass-clad steel) due to wartime economy measures during World War II. The component manufacturers were marked on the packaging.
Kbr. stood for
Karlsborg and
Mbr. stood for
Marieberg, the government ammunition factories.
Åker or
Åbr. stood for
Åkersberga, the government powdermill.
Tillverkade ("assembled by") is the final manufacturer of the assembled cartridges;
Krut ("gunpowder") is the propellant manufacturer,
Hylsor ("cases") is the cartridge case manufacturer,
Tändh ("primers") is the primer manufacturer, and
Kulor ("balls") is the bullet manufacturer.
Parti ("Lot") is the Lot Number. The old method was made up of the 1-letter arsenal code (usually preceded by AMF), the lot number and 2-digit year of production, and the day and month of manufacture. (example:
AMF K p3/43 2-3 is
Amf Karlsborg - Lot #003 - 1943 - 2nd of March). The new method is made up of the 1-letter arsenal or 3-digit contractor code, 2-digit manufacturing year, and 3-digit (or larger) lot number, followed by the day and month of manufacture. (example:
02762614 24/08 is
Amf 27 (ÅB Norma), 1962, Lot #614, 24th of August). Foreign ammunition producers included
Deutschen Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik (DWM) of Germany;
Hirtenberger Patronen-, Zündhütchen- und Metallwarenfabrik A.G. (HP) and Keller & Co (KC or K&C) of Austria;
Société Française des Munitions (SFM) of France; and
Valtion Patruunatehdas (VPT) of Finland. The ammunition was repacked in Swedish-made packaging to keep the contractors anonymous.
Tändsticksfabrik means "Matchstick Factory". The government contracted match factories to manufacture gunpowder and pyrotechnic fillers like tracers. This was to prevent foreign supplies from being cut off due to embargo or war. It not only made Sweden self-sufficient but helped local industries by giving them government contracts. ;Amf Codes •
K Amf Karlsborg (1870–?) –
Karlsborg, Sweden. Factory originally founded inside the
Karlsborg fortress in 1870, then transferred to an external factory complex (
Vanäsverken) in 1887. The letter code on the packaging was
Kbg. •
M Amf Marieberg (1876–1950) –
Marieberg, Stockholm, Sweden. The ammunition factory was closed in 1950 and production was transferred to FFV Zakrisdalsverken in Karlstad. The letter code on the packaging was
Mbg. •
H Hirtenberg bei Wien, Austria. Hirtenberg was home to a number of ammunition factories and Sweden had contracts with most of them. H is in the 12 o'clock position and the company headstamp (HP or KC) is at the 6 o'clock position. •
Z Zakrisdalsverken ("Zakrisdal Works") – Karlstad, Sweden. Export factory mark. •
24 Norrhammars Bruk (AKA
Husqvarna) – Norrhammars, Sweden. Only manufactured the brass cases. •
25 Vulcans Tändsticksfabrik – Tidaholm, Sweden. •
26, 026 ÅB Svenska Metallverken – Västerås, Sweden. •
27, 027 ÅB Norma Projektilfabrik – Åmotfors, Sweden •
28 Jönköpings Vestra Tändsticksfabrik – Jönköping, Sweden. •
29 Valtion Patruunatehdas (VPT) – Finland. Only contracted for
6.5×55mm Swedish Mauser ammunition during World War II. •
30 Deutschen Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik (DWM), Germany. •
31 Svenska Tändsticks – Jönköping, Sweden. •
32 Lidköpings Tändsticksfabrik – Lidköping, Sweden •
33 Waffenwerke Brünn (1939–1945) – Povázská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia. Contracted with the German occupation owners of the Czech Brno plant. Only contracted for
7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition during World War II. •
34 Jönköpings Tändsticksfabrik, Jönköping, Sweden. •
35, 035 Svenska Metallverken (1954–1965) – Blikstorp, Sweden. •
070 FFV Vanäsverken (AKA
Nammo/Vanäsverken) – Vanäsverken, Karlsborg, Sweden. •
071 FFV Zakrisdalsverken – Karlstad, Sweden. ;Headstamps •
CG Carl Gustav Gevärsfaktori (1812–present) – Vanäsverken, Sweden. Reorganized and absorbed by FFV in 1943 and renamed FFV-Vanäsverken. Acquired by Bofors in 1991 as Bofors-Carl Gustav. Acquired by NAMMO Group in 1998 and renamed NAMMO Vanäsverken. Despite the name changes, the
CG headstamp is still retained. •
FFV Förenede Fabriksverken (1943–1991) –
Karlsborg, Sweden. •
N Nordiska Metallaktiebolaget –
Västerås, Sweden. The N is at the 12 o'clock position, the 2-digit year is at the 9 o'clock (tens) and 3 o'clock (ones) positions, and the caliber is at the 6 o'clock position. •
NORMA ÅB Norma Projektilfabrik –
Åmotfors, Sweden. ;Foreign Contract Number Headstamps •
434 Bakelittfabrikken (1946–present) – Aurskog, Norway. Acquired by the Nammo Group in 2005 and absorbed by Nammo Raufoss in 2017. •
583 Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikk (AKA
Nammo/Raufoss) – Raufoss, Norway. •
586 Hirtenberger Patronenfabrik A.G. – Hirtenberg bei Wien, Austria •
599 Diehl Wehrtechnik (a division of Diehl Stiftung) – Germany. •
602 IVI Inc. (a division of
SNC-Lavalin) – Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Canada. Only contracted for
.50 BMG ammunition. •
613 Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos – Santo Andre, Brazil. •
616 Winchester/Olin – East Alton, Illinois, USA.
Turkey (27) •
MKE –
Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu (MKEK; "Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation") –
Kırıkkale, Turkey. Its munitions are distributed in North America by Zenith Quest International (ZQI), which owns the commercial Guardian Ammunition (GA) brand. Military ammunition corporation. == Warsaw Pact manufacturers (1955–1991) ==