Third Party Press

WW2 German Ammunition Box Labels

Aaron

Aaron

Senior Member
Hello! I'm looking to learn How to properly read ammunition labels. Using Chubbeck's book, this is the best I was able to do.

Yellow highlight is what I need translated or do not understand, followed by parentheses and a description of the issue. If anyone can help with corrections please post them.

Green highlight is simply the category and description of each line.

If anyone has any sources for further learning, let me know!
 

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Second batch of rounds, I believe these are mismatched based on the rounds not matching any batch codes. They all have 1940 dated stripper clips as well marked P208.40 and the box is not marked for clips.
 

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Fifth Batch of rounds. I'll be posting more later on. Thanks guys!
 

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Let’s give it a try.

First line is OK. Bullet is a always a tombac plated steel (iron) jacket
Lot 22 from 1936 “L” means Lieferung”
Nitrocellulose Gewehr Blätchen Pulver Rdf .“Reinsdorf” 14. Lieferung 1935.
Case Polte star 56 (Star means brass case made with 72% copper)
S.K.D. is Selve-Kronbiegel Dornheim. Manufacturer of the primer, lot 156 sublot c (Rate) Lieferung from the year G. “G” is the “Reichsheer year code” of 1935.

The P162
The “2” means; second powder lot
S.K.D. like the first.

The P25
Powder is made by Rottweil; lot 11 from 1939
Primer made by DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken) Lot 220 from 1939.

The P163
The “6” is the powder lot.
Now the label mentioned “Geschossteile”. (core) also made by P163
Rest is described above.

The P490
Pl. lackiert means; a CWS case with additional lacquer.
They did it a short time because the CWS case was sticking in an MG.
Later the cases were only lacquered (green)
They produced these types of cases at the same time.
Made you a picture.

Rgds
 

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Dutch, do you believe that the ammo posted in batch 2 does not belong to the box due to the added clips and no matching batch numbers? If not I plan on repacking them, but I don't want to separate them without some input. I have 4 boxes of it all with the same ammo markings.
 
7,9 boxes

Not Dutch, but the cartridges are not correct for boxes. Repacked ammunition with incorrect or unknown data, gets a different label affixed to the box (if done by German military). Regards, JH
 
Aaron, as you can see on the label the second lot of 1935 must be in the box.

Somebody took a box with this label and stuffed other cartridges in, probably to get a better price for them.

I made you a picture from the head stamp belonging to the box.
Unfortunately, I only can show you a fired case.
 

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Thanks for the confirmation guys! When I got these they were labeled as original boxes with repacked original ammunition so I was just looking to confirm if I could unpack these, just making sure to sort correct ammo and boxes out so as not to separate anything by accident.
 
If they were checked and repacked in a “Heeres Munitions Anstalt”, they were packed in “neutral” boxes

Some examples;
 

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Two more boxes, much less help needed this time around. Both just need a single maker identified, along with the meaning to 88.
 

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Aaron said:
Two more boxes, much less help needed this time around. Both just need a single maker identified, along with the meaning to 88.
Click to expand...

The P249 was loaded with powder made by the; Sprengstofwerk Blumau/felixdorf.
The “88” means primer model 88.
By the 7,9 the used over the year’s different kind of primers, Mod.88, Mod 30, Mod. 30 black, Mod. 30/40 and Mod. 43.

The P25 cartridges were loaded with Powder from; Deutsche Sprengchemie plant Moschwig

Rgds
 
primer models

I’ve read (on other fora) that the Zdh 88 primer is corrosive; & that some (later) formulae may not be corrosive, specifically Zdh 30/40. Personally, I assume that all wartime primers are corrosive........
 
Muncher 1953 said:
I’ve read (on other fora) that the Zdh 88 primer is corrosive; & that some (later) formulae may not be corrosive, specifically Zdh 30/40. Personally, I assume that all wartime primers are corrosive........
Click to expand...

The primer 88, officially called Zündhütchen 88, is a corrosive primer.

The non-corrosive primer was the Zündhütchen 30. You can identify it by the copper plating.
Later the copper was replaced by a lacquer. This is the Zündhütchen 30 schwarz.

The primer 30/40 was a non-corrosive zinc plated primer.

Specially for the German air force they developed the non-corrosive Zündhütchen 43.
Normally they only accepted cartridges with a Zündhütchen 88.

On a single cartridge they (Zdh. 30/40 and 43) looks the same.
Positive identification is only possible by the box label.

Rgds
 
The only part I cannot determine a meaning for on this box is the abbreviation versh. or verfch.? And the maker R.W.S. Any help is appreciated.
 

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7,9

Aaron said:
The only part I cannot determine a meaning for on this box is the abbreviation versh. or verfch.? And the maker R.W.S. Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...

It means the case lot numbers are mixed or "various". Regards, JH
 
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