CONTENTS

I FOREWORD ...... 9

II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 10

III INTRODUCTION ...... 11

IV DISCLAIMER ...... 13

V THE CYRILLIC ALPHABET ...... 14

1 SOVIET AMMUNITION DESIGNATIONS AND NOMENCLATURE ...... 15 1 .1 Designation System for Small Arms Ammunition ...... 15 1 .2 Designation System for Medium Calibre Ammunition ...... 16 1 .3 Designation System for Large Calibre Artillery Ammunition ...... 17 1 .4 Abbreviated Ammunition Designations of the Warsaw Pact States ...... 24

2 SOVIET AMMUNITION MARKINGS ...... 31 2 .1 Stamped-In Markings ...... 31 2 .2 Colour Markings ...... 35 2 .3 Stencilled Markings ...... 39

3 AMMUNITION CHEMISTRY ...... 43 3 .1 Powders and Propellants ...... 43 3 .2 High Explosives ...... 46 3 .3 Incendiaries ...... 49 3 .4 Pyrotechnics ...... 50

4 CALIBRE 12 .7x108 ...... 53 4 .1 12 .7mm Degtyarev Machine Gun ...... 53 4 .2 12 .7mm Berezin Aircraft Machine Gun ...... 58 4 .3 12 .7mm Afanasev Aircraft Machine Gun ...... 61 4 .4 12 .7mm YakB Helicopter Machine Gun ...... 64 4 .5 12 .7mm NSV Machine Gun ...... 67 4 .6 12 .7mm KORD Machine Gun ...... 70 4 .7 Miscellaneous 12 .7mm Weapons ...... 71 4 .8 Ammunition Used in the 12 .7mm Machine Guns Prior to and During WWII ...... 72 4 .9 Ammunition Used in the 12 .7mm Machine Guns Post WWII ...... 76

1 5 CALIBRE 12 .7x108R ...... 87 5 .1 12 .7mm ShVAK Aircraft Machine Gun ...... 87 5 .2 Ammunition used in the 12 .7mm ShVAK Aircraft Machine Gun ...... 88

6 CALIBRE 14 .5x114 ...... 91 6 .1 14 .5mm PTRD and PTRS Anti-Tank Rifles ...... 91 6 .2 Ammunition Used in the PTRD and PTRS Anti-Tank Rifles ...... 95 6 .3 14 .5mm KPV Machine Gun ...... 98 6 .4 14 .5mm Subcalibre Devices ...... 102 6 .5 Miscellaneous 14 .5mm Weapons ...... 104 6 .6 Ammunition Used in the KPV Machine Gun ...... 104

7 CALIBRE 20x99R ...... 117 7 .1 20mm ShVAK Aircraft Cannon ...... 117 7 .2 20mm B-20 Aircraft Cannon ...... 121 7 .3 Subcalibre Device ...... 123 7 .4 Ammunition Used in the 20mm ShVAK and B-20 Aircraft Cannon ...... 124

8 CALIBRE 23x115 (NS-23) ...... 131 8 .1 23mm NS-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 131 8 .2 23mm NR-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 136 8 .3 Ammunition Used in the NS-23 and NR-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 142

9 CALIBRE 23x115 (AM-23) ...... 153 9 .1 23mm AM-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 153 9 .2 23mm GSh-23 Twin Barrel Aircraft Cannon ...... 155 9 .3 23mm GSh-6-23 Gatling Aircraft Cannon ...... 162 9 .4 Ammunition Used in the AM-23, GSh-23 and GSh-6-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 166

10 CALIBRE 23x152B (VYa) ...... 181 10 .1 23mm VYa Aircraft Cannon ...... 181 10 .2 Post-War Developments Using the VYa Cartridge ...... 185 10 .3 Ammunition Used in the VYa Aircraft Cannon ...... 186 10 .4 23mm Subcalibre Devices ...... 191 10 .5 Ammunition Used in the 23mm Subcalibre Devices ...... 193

11 CALIBRE 23x152B (ZSU) ...... 195 11 .1 23mm ZU-23 Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 195 11 .2 23mm ZSU-23-4 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 196 11 .3 Ammunition Used in the 2A14 (ZU-23) and 2A7 (ZSU-23-4) Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 201

2 12 CALIBRE 23x260 ...... 211 12 .1 23mm R-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 211 12 .2 Ammunition Used in the R-23 Aircraft Cannon ...... 218

13 CALIBRE 25x218SR ...... 221 13 .1 25mm Anti-Aircraft Gun M1940 ...... 221 13 .2 Twin Barrel 25mm Anti-Aircraft Gun 94-KM ...... 222 13 .3 Naval 25mm Anti-Aircraft Gun 84-KM ...... 222 13 .4 Ammunition Used in the 25mm Anti-Aircraft Guns 72-K, 94-KM and 84-KM ...... 222

14 CALIBRE 25x218 ...... 227 14 .1 25mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Gun 2M-3 ...... 227 14 .2 25mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Gun 2M-3M ...... 231 14 .3 25mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Gun 2M-8 ...... 232 14 .4 Ammunition Used in the 25mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Guns 2M-3, 2M-3M and 2M-8 ...... 232

15 CALIBRE 30x28B ...... 239 15 .1 30mm Automatic Grenade Launcher AGS-17 ...... 239 15 .2 30mm Automatic Grenade Launcher AGS-30 ...... 241 15 .3 Other Grenade Launchers ...... 242 15 .4 Ammunition Used in the 30mm Grenade Launchers ...... 244

16 CALIBRE 30x155B ...... 251 16 .1 30mm NR-30 Aircraft Cannon ...... 251 16 .2 Ammunition Used in the NR-30 Aircraft Cannon ...... 256

17 CALIBRE 30x165 (GROUND BASED GUNS) ...... 271 17 .1 30mm 2A42 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Cannon ...... 271 17 .2 30mm 2A72 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Cannon ...... 274 17 .3 30mm 2A38 Anti-Aircraft Cannon ...... 276 17 .4 Ammunition Used in the 2A42, 2A72 and 2A38 Cannon ...... 278

18 CALIBRE 30x165 (NAVAL GUNS) ...... 289 18 .1 30mm Anti-Aircraft Guns AK-630 and AK-630M ...... 289 18 .2 30mm Anti-Aircraft Gun “Kashtan” ...... 295 18 .3 30mm Anti-Aircraft Gun AK-306 ...... 296 18 .4 Ammunition Used in the Naval Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 296

19 CALIBRE 30x165 (AIRCRAFT GUNS) ...... 303 19 .1 30mm GSh-30 Twin Barrel Aircraft Cannon ...... 303 19 .2 30mm GSh-6-30 Gatling Aircraft Cannon ...... 305 19 .3 30mm GSh-301 Single Barrel Aircraft Cannon ...... 308

3 19 .4 Ammunition Used in the GSh-30, GSh-6-30 and GSh-301 Aircraft Cannon ...... 314

20 CALIBRE 30x210B ...... 323 20 .1 30mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Gun AK-230 ...... 323 20 .2 Ammunition Used in the 30mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Gun AK-230 ...... 328

21 CALIBRE 37x94R ...... 335 21 .1 37mm Hotchkiss Guns ...... 335 21 .2 Miscellaneous 37mm Trench Guns ...... 336 21 .3 Ammunition Used in the 37mm Hotchkiss and Trench Guns ...... 337

22 CALIBRE 37x155 ...... 341 22 .1 37mm N-37 Aircraft Cannon ...... 341 22 .2 37mm NN-37 Aircraft Cannon ...... 345 22 .3 Ammunition Used in the N-37 and NN-37 Aircraft Cannon ...... 346

23 CALIBRE 37x198 ...... 355 23 .1 37mm Sh-37 Aircraft Cannon ...... 355 23 .2 37mm NS-37 Aircraft Cannon ...... 355 23 .3 Ammunition Used in the Sh-37 and NS-37 Aircraft Cannon ...... 361

24 THE FIRST SOVIET ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS ...... 363 24 .1 M1928 37mm Automatic Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 363 24 .2 25mm Anti-Aircraft Gun of the Kovrov Arms Plant ...... 363 24 .3 AKT-37 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 364 24 .4 ASKON-37 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 365 24 .5 ASKON-45 45mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 365 24 .6 AP-20 20mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 365 24 .7 M1930 20mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 365 24 .8 M1930 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ...... 367

25 THE FIRST SOVIET ANTI-TANK GUNS AND RIFLES ...... 369 25 .1 37mm Anti-Tank Gun M1930 ...... 369 25 .2 Recoilless 37mm Anti-Tank Gun “K” ...... 371 25 .3 20mm Anti-Tank Gun INZ-10 ...... 372 25 .4 Korovin’s 20mm Anti-Tank Gun ...... 372 25 .5 25mm Anti-Tank Gun MTs ...... 373 25 .6 37mm Anti-Tank Gun of OKB-15 ...... 373 25 .7 Blyum 14 .5mm Anti-Tank Rifle ...... 373 25 .8 RES 20mm Anti-Tank Gun ...... 373 25 .9 LPP-25 25mm Anti-Tank Gun ...... 374

4 26 THE FIRST SOVIET TANK GUNS ...... 375 26 .1 37mm Hotchkiss Tank Gun ...... 375 26 .2 37mm Tank Gun PS-2 ...... 375 26 .3 37mm Tank Gun B-3 ...... 375 26 .4 45mm Tank Gun 6-K ...... 376 26 .5 37mm Tank Gun ZIS-19 ...... 376 26 .6 Miscellaneous Tank Guns ...... 376

27 CALIBRE 37x252SR ...... 377 27 .1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun M1939 ...... 377 27 .2 Naval 37mm Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 383 27 .3 37mm Airborne Anti-Tank Gun ChK-M1 ...... 384 27 .4 Ammunition Used in the 37mm Anti-Aircraft Guns and the Airborne Anti-Tank Gun ChK-M1 . . . 386

28 EXPERIMENTAL 37MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS ...... 393 28 .1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun MIK-4 ...... 393 28 .2 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ZIV-4 ...... 393 28 .3 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun A-15 ...... 393 28 .4 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun 500-P ...... 394 28 .5 Ammunition Used in the Experimental 37mm Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 395

29 CALIBRE 40MM GRENADE LAUNCHER ...... 397 29 .1 40mm Grenade Launcher GP-25 ...... 397 29 .2 40mm Grenade Launcher GP-30 ...... 398 29 .3 40mm Six-Shot Grenade Launcher RG-6 ...... 398 29 .4 40mm Grenade Launcher RGM-40 ...... 399 29 .5 Spade Grenade Launcher “Variant” ...... 399 29 .6 Ammunition Used in the 40mm Grenade Launchers ...... 399 29 .7 Automatic Grenade Launchers TKB-0134 “Kozlik” and 6G27 “Balkan” ...... 403

30 CALIBRE 40 .6MM GRENADE LAUNCHER ...... 405 30 .1 40 .6mm Dyakonov Rifle Grenade Launcher ...... 405 30 .2 Ammunition Used in the 40 .6mm Dyakonov Rifle Grenade Launcher ...... 408 30 .3 Taubin’s Automatic 40 .6mm Grenade Launcher ...... 411

31 MISCELLANEOUS GRENADE LAUNCHERS ...... 413 31 .1 30mm Grenade Launcher BS-1 ...... 413 31 .2 43mm Grenade Launcher “Iskra” ...... 414 31 .3 43mm Grenade Launcher GM-94 ...... 414

5 32 CALIBRE 45x186 ...... 417 32 .1 45mm NS-45 Aircraft Cannon ...... 417 32 .2 Miscellaneous Large Calibre Aircraft Cannon ...... 418 32 .3 Ammunition Used in the NS-45 Aircraft Cannon ...... 419

33 CALIBRE 45x310R (ANTI-TANK GUNS) ...... 421 33 .1 45mm Anti-Tank Gun M1932 ...... 421 33 .2 45mm Anti-Tank Gun M1937 ...... 422 33 .3 45mm Anti-Tank Gun M1942 ...... 423 33 .4 Ammunition Used in the 45mm Anti-Tank Guns ...... 425 33 .5 45mm Subcalibre Device ...... 435

34 CALIBRE 45x310R (TANK GUNS) ...... 437 34 .1 45mm Tank Gun M1932 ...... 437 34 .2 45mm Tank Gun M1934 ...... 437 34 .3 45mm Tank Gun M1938 ...... 437 34 .4 45mm Tank Gun ZIS-19BM ...... 438 34 .5 45mm Tank Guns VT-42 and VT-43 ...... 438 34 .6 Ammunition Used in the 45mm Tank Guns ...... 438

35 CALIBRE 45x310R (NAVAL GUNS) ...... 441 35 .1 45mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Guns 21-K and 21-KM ...... 441 35 .2 45mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Guns 40-K and 41-K ...... 442 35 .3 Ammunition Used in the 45mm Naval Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 443

36 CALIBRE 45x386SR ...... 447 36 .1 Naval 45mm Anti-Aircraft Guns SM-21-ZIF and SM-20-ZIF ...... 447 36 .2 Ammunition Used in the Naval 45mm Anti-Aircraft Guns SM-21-ZIF and SM-20-ZIF ...... 450

37 CALIBRE 47x131R ...... 453 37 .1 47mm Hotchkiss Revolver Gun ...... 453 37 .2 Ammunition Used in the 47mm Hotchkiss Revolver Gun ...... 453

38 CALIBRE 47x376R ...... 457 38 .1 47mm Single Barrel Hotchkiss Gun ...... 457 38 .2 Ammunition Used in the Single Barrel 47mm Hotchkiss Gun ...... 457

39 57MM HOTCHKISS AND NORDENFELT GUNS ...... 459 39 .1 57mm Naval Hotchkiss L/40 and L/50 Guns ...... 459 39 .2 57mm Naval Hotchkiss L/58 Gun ...... 460 39 .3 57mm Nordenfelt Casemate Gun ...... 460 39 .4 57mm Nordenfelt Coast Defence Gun ...... 462

6 40 CALIBRE 57x165RR ...... 463 40 .1 57mm N-57 Aircraft Cannon ...... 463 40 .2 Ammunition Used in the N-57 Aircraft Cannon ...... 466

41 CALIBRE 57x348SR ...... 467 41 .1 57mm Anti-Aircraft Gun S-60 ...... 467 41 .2 Self-Propelled Twin Barrel 57mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ZSU-57-2 ...... 472 41 .3 Naval 57mm Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 472 41 .4 Ammunition Used in the 57mm Anti-Aircraft Guns ...... 476

42 CALIBRE 57x480R ...... 487 42 .1 57mm Anti-Tank Gun ZIS-2 ...... 487 42 .2 57mm Anti-Tank Gun Ch-26 ...... 488 42 .3 East German 57mm Anti-Tank Gun “Kanone 70” ...... 490 42 .4 Self-Propelled 57mm Anti-Tank Guns ...... 491 42 .5 Ammunition Used in the 57mm Anti-Tank and Tank Guns ...... 493

43 AMMUNITION CHARGER CLIPS AND BELT LINKS ...... 503 43 .1 Introduction ...... 503 43 .2 Charger Clips ...... 504 43 .3 Belt Links ...... 505 43 .4 Markings and Manufacturers ...... 510

44 THE HISTORY OF THE SOVIET AMMUNITION INDUSTRY ...... 511 The Beginning ...... 511 The Russo-Japanese War ...... 512 The First World War, the October Revolution and the Civil War ...... 512 The Soviet Era ...... 514 The Second World War ...... 516 The Cold War ...... 517 The Breakdown of the Soviet Union ...... 518

APPENDIX 1 - MANUFACTURER CODE TABLES ...... 519 Soviet Manufacturer Codes ...... 519 Warsaw Pact Manufacturer Codes ...... 539

APPENDIX 2 - SOVIET AND WARSAW PACT FUZES ...... 553

APPENDIX 3 - AMMUNITION DRAWINGS (ON CD-ROM) ...... 555

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 565

INDEX ...... 579

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