By
Code(10)
It is
not intended here to exhaustively illustrate Communist head
stamps in this caliber, but typical styles of headstamping
are shown. Communist 7.62mm M.43 ammunition, with few
exceptions bears headstamps, although occasionally, for
reasons connected with subversive activities, headstamps
have been omitted entirely or partially. However the
standard method of headstamping within the Communist sphere
is to mark M.43 ammunition with the year of manufacture and
with a factory identifying mark. The date usually
appears as the last two digits of the year of manufacture,
but some, mainly Yugoslavian, may have the full 4 digits. In
the 1950s, the Soviet Union made limited use of a Cyrillic
letter in place of the date, the reason for this being obscure.
(For letters concerned see below.) Some North Korean M.43
ammunition, but not all, has the date shown by means of a
Korean character or hieroglyphic. Although numbered
factory codes are used throughout the Communist world,
including China, and although the factory numbering sequence
seems to be a common one, some duplication of numbers exists.
Apart from numbered factory codes, some letter codes are used
instead. Early Cuban manufacture and Czech and Yugoslav codes
are letter codes, and most North Korean M.43 ammunition uses a
Korean letter or hieroglyphic. Universally, headstamp
factory codes, dates and other ciphers are stamped, not
raised. Apart from factory codes and dates, some Communist
7.62 mm ammunition includes in the headstamp additional
ciphers such as a star, triangle, etc.
CYRILLIC
LETTER DATE CODE, USSR:
| r |
1952 |
| A
(Cyrillic A) |
1953 |
| E |
1954 |
| N
(Cyrillic inverted/turned N) |
1955 |
| K |
1956 |
FACTORY
CODE LETTERS, 7.62 mm x 39 AMMUNITION:
|
ZV
|
Czecheslovakia
|
|
aym
|
Czecheslovakia
|
|
bxn
|
Czecheslovakia
|
|
PMV
|
Cuba
|
|
IK
|
Yugoslavia
|
|
NK
(Cyrrillic inverted/turned N)
|
Yugoslavia
|
|
nny
|
Yugoslavia
|
|
PP
|
Yugoslavia
|
FACTORY
CODE NUMBERS, 7.62mm x 39 AMMUNITION:
| 04 |
East
Germany, GDR / DDR |
| 05 |
East
Germany, GDR / DDR |
| 10 |
Bulgaria |
| 10 |
unknown
(believed not Bulgarian) |
| 13 |
Cuba |
| 21 |
Hungary |
| 23 |
Hungary |
| 21 |
Poland |
| 343 |
Poland |
| 22 |
Romania |
| RPR
22 |
Romania |
| 93 |
North
Korea |
| 93 |
North
Korea |
| 3 |
USSR/Russia |
| 17 |
USSR/Russia |
| 60 |
USSR/Russia |
| 270 |
USSR/Russia |
| 539 |
USSR/Russia |
| 711 |
USSR/Russia |
| 31 |
PRC/China |
| 031 |
PRC/China |
| 51 |
PRC/China |
| 61 |
PRC/China |
| 71 |
PRC/China |
| 81 |
PRC/China |
| 101 |
PRC/China |
| 111 |
PRC/China |
| 121 |
PRC/China |
| 301 |
PRC/China |
| 351 |
PRC/China |
| 391 |
PRC/China |
| 501 |
PRC/China |
| 661 |
PRC/China |
| 821 |
PRC/China |
| 964 |
PRC/China |
| 6201 |
PRC/China |
| 9121 |
PRC/China |
| 9141 |
PRC/China |
| 311 |
unconfirmed,
possibly PRC/China |
| 451 |
unconfirmed,
possibly PRC/China |
| 671 |
unconfirmed,
possibly PRC/China |
| 946 |
unconfirmed,
possibly PRC/China |
Duplication
occurs over the allocation of Code 21 which is used by both
Hungary and Poland. Hungarian ammunition, however has the
factory code 21 and the date both the same way up, whereas
Poland has the date inverted.
Code 10
was at one time a factory code used by USSR on calibers other
than 7.62mm x39, but this factory ceased manufacture after
1945. Code 10 is still used by Bulgaria, including use on M.43
ammunition. However in the 1970s M.43 ammunition coded
"10" appeared, which, from its style of head stamping,
did not seem to be Bulgarian.
From
the early 1970s, a large number of new Chinese factory codes
appeared, mostly three or four digits, on a number of
calibers, including 7.62mm x 39. There seems little doubt that
these new high codes do not represent new factories, but have
been allocated to the original factories, probably even more
than one such number being allocated to the original
factories. As far as can be ascertained, the original
factories in commission prior to 1970 were numbered
11,31,41,51,61,81, although a factory 21 may also have
existed. those of the original series known to be making
7.62mm x 39 ammunition are shown in the previous listing
(table). It is assumed that the allocation of the new
higher numbered codes is an intentional measure, designed to
cause confusion outside China, and the higher number codes
have been in service parallel with the original low-digit
numbers.
7.62mm
x 39 identification chart with key (1-30)
7.62mm
x 39 identification chart with key (31-58)
