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I recently bought several hundred 7.62x51 tracer and would like to identify the source of manufacture. Seller suggested it was South African.
The headstamp has only two elements, '7.62' and 'HE' or could be '3H'. No date. The primer is ring crimped and sealed with green varnish.
None of the lists I have been able to access have either 3H or HE - it could also be H3. I had some South African 7.62x51 ball years ago which has the same green varnish.
I pulled a bullet, which weighs 139 grains. The base has a hollow of about 4mm which is sealed with a brass cup.
The powder is a mix of two different components - a fine grey stick and an even finer black stick - looks like about 4:1 - totalling 40 grains.
The case is brass and Berdan primed.
I have not had a chance to try any yet, but it looks good with no signs of corrosion or other marking - however I would be interested to see where it came from.

Happy New Year to All members of this great forum. Colin

This might be of some help I couldn't see it there
http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

Check out the US Army Technical Manual on Smallarms Ammunition Identification.
Not expensive & answers most headstamp questions

I have shot a ton of that tracer, Chris at C&G suggested it was from Singapore Armories and Simply Firearms also advertise the same however there could be a South African connection as the CMJ projectiles on the non tracer .308 look identical to Frontier manufacture. I suspect it was a relatively small batch so may not be in any books.

That sounds like the stuff John normally has at Senny Colin, shoots fine, just get the odd dud. As above was told it was Singapore Armouries

This any good to you.........


Chartered Industries, Singapore. Now called Singapore Technology Kinetics
20th century codes (CIS, 1967-1970):

FG: 1967 (not used)
FH: 1968 (not used)
FI: 1969 (used from 1967 to 1970)

20th century codes (CIS, 1971-1979):

GA: 1971 (also found in boxes from 1970)
GB: 1972
GC: 1973
GD: 1974
GE: 1975
GF: 1976
GG: 1977
GH: 1978
GI: 1979

20th century codes (CIS, 1980-1989):

H0: 1980
H1: 1981
HB: 1982
HC: 1983
HD: 1984
HE: 1985
HF: 1986
HG: 1987
HH: 1988
HI: ---
HJ: 1989

Codes IA, IB, IC, ID, IE, IF, IG, IH and IJ were not used.

20th century codes (CIS, 1990-1999):

JN: 1990
JA: 1991
JB: 1992
JC: 1993
JD: 1994
JE: 1995
JF: 1996
JG: 1997
JH: 1998
JI: ---
JJ: 1999

21th century codes (ST Kinetics, 2000-2009):

NN: 2000
NA: 2001
NB: 2002
NC: 2003
ND: 2004
NE: 2005
NF: 2006
NG: 2007
NH: 2008
NI: ----
NJ: 2009

What an incredibly amount of knowledge is available here. Thanks everyone for the info supplied. It is always reassuring to know just what you are shooting. Thanks again. Colin