Headstamp Markings on Swedish 6,5 mm Ammunition

Military ammunition

written by Mats Persson

Always Berdan primers

Live ammunition; always new cases.

Blank and gallery ammunition; always used cases.

Four radial grooves;

half past one

half past four

half past eight

half past ten

The last two digits in the year of production;

third digit nine o'clock,

fourth digit three o'clock.

A letter code, a numeric code, an abbreviation or a trade mark for the manufacturer six o'clock.

24      Norrahammars Bruk, Norrahammar (only mfg the cases)
25      Vulcans Tändsticksfabrik, Tidaholm
26      Svenska Metallverken AB, Västerås
026     Svenska Metallverken AB, Västerås
27      AB Norma projektilfabrik, Åmotfors
027     AB Norma projektilfabrik, Åmotfors
28      Jönköpings Vestra Tändsticksfabrik, Jönköping
30      DWM, Germany
32      Lidköpings Tändsticksfabrik, Lidköping
33      Brünn, Czechoslovakia
34      Jönköpings Tändsticksfabrik, Jönköping
070     FFV Vanäsverken, Karlsborg
071     FFV Zakrisdalsverken, Karlstad
583     Raufoss, Norway
586     Hirtenberg, Hirtenberg bei Wien, Austria
H       Hirtenberg, Hirtenberg bei Wien, Austria
K&C     Keller & Co, Hirtenberg bei Wien, Austria
SFM     Société Francaies de munition Paris, France
K       Amf Karlsborg
M       Amf Marieberg
N       Nordiska Metallaktiebolaget, Västerås
Norma   AB Norma Projektilfabrik, Åmotfors
VPT     Valtion Patruunatehdas, Finland  (Lapua)
DWM     Deutschen Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik, Germany

Sometimes the text "Amf" twelve o'clock, this means "Ammunitionsfabrik" (ammunition-factory) and refers to the code six o'clock.

Older cases often have a crown twelve o'clock, this normally means that the ammunition have been manufactured by a state ammunition factory, i.e. Amf Karlsborg or Amf Marieberg.


But it seems like the crown also appears on ammunition made in France and Germany - by SFM and DWM.
 

Sometimes an "E" twelve o'clock, this means that the case is made of brass-plated steel instead of brass.

Sometimes the manufacturer twelve o'clock - mostly on imported ammunition made by SFM and K&C.

The code for Amf Zakrisdal 'Z', and the code for Svenska tändsticks AB, Jönköping '31', could be found on boxes but as far as I've been told they didn't manufacture any brass in 6,5x55 - they probably just loaded some 6,5 mm ammunition.

The code for VPT in Finland was '29', but this code have only been observed on boxes - all cases were marked 'VPT'.

Of course there are other markings as well!

Norma's ammunition for practice

Silvertoped, Fälttorped, Banskyttepatron

Factory reloaded ammunition - always Berdan primers

"norma" twelve o'clock

A code for the year of production, either, one letter six o'clock

O
P
S
T
U
V
L
I
C

or, two letters, one eight o'clock and one four o'clock

S D
S X
S G
M N

Sometimes an "n" twelve o'clock, the year of production nine o'clock and three o'clock and "6.5x55" six o'clock.
 

Norma's ammunition for hunting

Always Boxer primers

"norma" twelve o'clock

Calibre six o'clock e.g. "6.5x55"
 

Thanks to Bertil Olsson for corrections and additional information.

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