U.S. Military Ammunition Markings
by Ryan Crierie

Base Document: MIL-STD-709C (6 May 1976)
Revisions: 7 February 1980 and 28 September 1984

Color

Federal Standard

HTML Code

Remarks

Olive Drab Green

FS 34087

#6d6a3a

No Significance at all; just camouflage.

Yellow

FS 33538
Orange Yellow

#edb402

Identifies High Explosive (HE) ammunition or indicates the presence of a high explosive.

Brown

FS 30117
or
FS 30140

#78553f
or
#735440

Identifies low explosive items or components or indicates the presence of a low explosive.

Gray

FS 36231
Dark Gull Gray

#71787e

Identifies chemical ammunition containing a toxic chemical, incapacitating or riot control agent.

Light Red

FS 31158

#b94546

Identifies incendiary ammunition or indicates the presence of highly flammable material (liquids, jellies, solids), designed to produce damage by fire.

Dark Red

FS 31136
Insignia Red

#8f1700

Identifies a riot control agent filler.

Light Green

FS 34558
or
FS 34449

#b6cfa8
or
#9db895

Identifies screening or marking smoke ammunition.

Dark Green

FS 34108
Medium Green

#28553e

Identifies a toxic chemical agent filler.

Violet

FS 17100
Purple

#652f63

Identifies an incapacitating agent filler.

Black

FS 37038
Black

#232227

Identifies an armor defeating ammunition or indicates an armor defeating capability.

Silver/Aluminum

FS 17178

#b4bcbe

Identifies countermeasure ammunition (e.g. radar echo, leaflets).

White

FS 37875
Insignia White

#eff5e7

Identifies illuminating ammunition or ammunition designed to produce a colored light.

Light Blue

FS 35109
Dark Blue

#365873

Identifies practice ammunition.

Orange

FS 32246

#da3b01

May be used to identify ammunition used for tracking and recovery in tests or in training operations (e.g. underwater mines and torpedoes.)

Bronze/Gold/Brass

FS 17043

#a69d52

Identifies completely inert ammunition designed for use in activities such as assembly, testing, handling, drills, etc., and not designed to be delivered in a delivery system.

NOTES:

The following colors when applied as stated below have no color coding significance:

1.) Colors GRAY, BLACK, GREEN or WHITE on underwater ammunition.
2.) Color WHITE on guided missiles, dispensers and rocket launchers.
3.) Colors BLACK or WHITE when used for lettering or special marking.
4.) Colors specifically applied to identify the color produced by smoke ammunition or pyrotechnics.
5.) Unpainted or natural color ammunition.
6.) Color GRAY on air-launched missiles (added 7 February 1980 revision).

Special Band Markings

Marking

Color

Remarks

Diamonds

White

Flechette Ammunition

Diamonds

Yellow

Improved Conventional Munitions (ICM)

Triangles

Yellow

Mass Scatterable Mines (FASCAM)

Interrupted Band

Yellow

Explosive Binary Munitions
(Band is 0.5 inch segments separated by 0.5 inch gaps)

Interrupted Band

Dark Green

Toxic Binary Chemical Agent
(Band is 0.5 inch segments separated by 0.5 inch gaps)

Double Band

Yellow

Thermally-Insulated Bombs

Color Combinations:

Picture

Base Color

Band

Markings
(Text)

Remarks

Light Green

Yellow

Light Red

Smoke shell with high explosive burster and some incendiary effects

Olive Drab Green

Black

Yellow

High Explosive Plastic (HEP)

Black

None

Yellow

High Explosive, Anti-Tank (HEAT)
or
Armor Piercing, With Burster Charge

Black

None

White

Armor Piercing, Without Burster Charge

Grey

Dark Red

Dark Red

Chemical, Riot Control Agents