Three different types of explosive and incendiary small-arms ammunition have been captured from the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific area. Because of the unusual characteristics of this ammunition, serious injuries sometimes have resulted when soldiers have tampered with it out of ignorance or curiosity.

Apparently first manufactured for use in Japanese aircraft or antiaircraft weapons, some of this ammunition has been found loaded in five round clips, presumably for use in infantry weapons. This ammunition—7.7-mm or 7.92-mm—may easily be recognized by color markings at the junction of the bullet with the cartridge or around the primer cap. It should not be handled carelessly.

The three different types of ammunition are the 7.7-mm rimmed Navy round, the 7.7-mm semi-rimmed Army round, and the 7.92-mm rimless Army round.

Explosive and incendiary rounds may be recognized by the color marking as indicated in the following table:

Class of

Ammunition Type of

Projectile Position of

Color Mark Color Shape of

Nose 7.7-mm Navy rimmed Explosive Incendiary Primer cap Dull red ? 7.7-mm Navy rimmed Incendiary Primer cap Green Pointed 7.7-mm Army semi-rimmed Explosive Junction of case & proj. Purple Flat on tip 7.7-mm Army semi-rimmed Incendiary Junction of case & proj. Wine red Pointed 7.92-mm Army rimless Explosive Junction of case & proj. White Flat on tip 7.92-mm Army rimless Incendiary Junction of case & proj. Red Pointed

The 7.7-mm rimmed Navy round is of two kinds—one is a combination high-explosive and incendiary, the other only incendiary. Both types of the Army ammunition—the semi-rimmed and the rimless—are loaded either with an incendiary bullet or with a strictly explosive bullet (see illustration on page 32).