Markings and inscriptions on projectiles

BL&P or BL&P. – (Blind Loaded & Plugged) shell without explosive content; BL&T or BL&T. – (English Blind Loaded Shell With a Tracer) tracer shell for practical firing;

BOF – (French Boulet Ogival en Fonte) French abbreviation for training shells;

CCF – (Course Correcting Fuze) intelligent fuze that uses flight correction together with the GPS system to control a ballistic high-explosive shell;

CHEM – (Chemical) British abbreviation for a chemical shell;

CLGP – (Cannon–Launched, Guided Projectile) guided long-range shell with laser guidance;

CNF – (Common Nose Fuze) British abbreviation for a high-explosive shell with a nose fuze;

Common – High-explosive shell. This term was used by the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy to denote any armor-piercing shell;

CP or Common Point – British abbreviation for shells with a cast steel body, loaded with a bursting charge;

CPBC – (Common Pointed Ballistic Cap) British abbreviation for shells with a cast steel body, loaded with a bursting charge, and equipped with a ballistic tip;

CPC or Common Topped Capped – British abbreviation for armor-piercing shells designed for defeating lightly armored targets. Equipped with a soft steel cap and has low armor-piercing power, similar to a large HE shell;

DPICM – (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) improved U.S. Navy dual-purpose munitions with both fragmentation and armor-piercing properties;

Dunnite or Explosive D – American explosive, ammonium picrate;

ERGM – (Extended Range Guided Munition) guided extended-range shell;

ERFB – shell with an extended range;

EXE or Extra Experimental – British experimental explosive.

Explosive D or Dunnite – American explosive, ammonium picrate;

FAP – (Frangible Armor Piercing) armor-piercing shell with a tungsten tip, designed for penetrating brittle armor and combines armor penetration, explosive effect, and incendiary action;

FAPDS – (Fragmented Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot) sub-caliber fragmented shell with a discarding sabot;

Gargousse – French abbreviation for bag charges;

GAU – (Airborne Guns And Gun Systems) American designation for airborne, naval, and artillery systems;

GB2 – Chemical agent for incapacitating personnel;

Granate or Gr. – German designation for a shell;

HBX – Binary explosive composed of a mixture of RDX, TNT, powdered aluminum, wax, and calcium chloride;

HC – (High Capacity) American designation for high-explosive fragmentation shells for defeating lightly armored targets;

HC – Hexachloroethane/zinc mixture in smoke shells;

HCHE – (High Capacity High Explosive) variant of the HET shell, using special-grade steel, capable of penetrating steel plates up to 20 mm thick before the fuze activates;

HE – (High Explosive) high-explosive fragmentation shell for defeating lightly armored targets;

HE–CVT – (High Explosive with a Controlled Variable Time) high-explosive fragmentation shell with a proximity variable time fuze;

HE–I – (High Explosive Include an Incendiary) high-explosive incendiary shell;

HE–IR – (High Explosive with an Infrared Fuze) high-explosive shell with an infrared fuze;

HE–I–SD – (Self–Destructing Incendiary High Explosive Projectile) high-explosive incendiary shell with a time-delay self-destruct mechanism;

HE–MOM – (High Explosive Multirole OTO Munitions) universal high-explosive fragmentation shell with a proximity fuze and tungsten splinters produced by OTO Melara;

HE–PD – (High Explosive with a Point Detonating contact fuze) high-explosive shell with a point-detonating fuze;

HE–PF–OM – (High Explosive Pre–Fragmented OTO Munition) high-explosive shell with tungsten splinters produced by OTO Melara;

HET or HE–T – (High Explosive shell with a Tracer) high-explosive tracer shell;

HE–T/SD – (Self–Destructing High Explosive with a Tracer) self-destructing high-explosive tracer shell;

HE/SD – (Self–Destructing High Explosive) self-destructing high-explosive shell;

HEAT – (High Explosive Anti–Tank) high-explosive shell with a shaped charge effect.

HEAT–FS – (High Explosive Anti–Tank Fuse Sensitivity) fin-stabilized shaped charge shell;

HEDP – (High Explosive Dual–Purpose) high-explosive shaped charge shell;

HE ER FB-BB (OFd M3-DV) – (High Explosive Extended Range Full Bore projectile with Base Bleed) extended-range high-explosive shell with improved aerodynamics, equipped with a base bleed unit;

HE ER FB-BT (OFd M3) – (High Explosive Extended Range Full Bore projectile with Boat Tail) extended-range high-explosive shell with improved aerodynamics;

HENT – (High Explosive shell with TNT burster) British abbreviation for a high-explosive shell with TNT;

HESH – (High Explosive Squash Head) high-explosive armor-piercing shell;

HETF – (High Explosive Projectile with Time Fuze) British abbreviation for a high-explosive shell with a time fuze;

HE–VT – (High Explosive with a Variable Time fuze) high-explosive shell with a proximity variable time fuze;

HMX – (Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine) white crystalline powder used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants and explosives;

H/HD – chemical agent for contaminating areas;

IR – infrared illuminating shell;

ILLUM or Illuminating – illuminating shell, usually filled with magnesium and equipped with a parachute to slow its descent;

ILLUM–MT – (Illuminating with Mechanical Time fuze) illuminating shell with a mechanical time fuze;

K Device – shell containing a small amount of dye, used to mark the impact point during adjustment firing;

Kz – (German Kopfzünder) German designation for a shell’s nose fuze;

Leucht geschoss or Lg. – German designation for an illuminating or blinding shell;

Leuchtspur – German designation for a tracer shell;

LG – (Large Grain) British term for large-grained explosive;

LRBA – (Long Range Bombardment Ammunition) non-guided extended-range sub-caliber shells;

LRLAP – (Long Range Land Attack Projectiles) prospective type of extended-range shells;

mh or mhb or m.Hb – (German mit Haube) German designation for shells with a ballistic tip;

MCS – modular charge system;

MACS – modular charge system;

Mle – (Modèle) French abbreviation for a model, usually followed by the year of design. Used in designations for shells, guns, and artillery installations;

MNLF/2P/M08 – (Nitroguanidine, Nitroglycerin and Nitrocellulose) modern designation for a British explosive used in propellant charges;

MPT – (Multi–Purpose Tracer) tracer high-explosive shell with an incendiary charge instead of a fuze;

NACO – (Navy Cool single–base propellant) designation for cool-burning explosives used by the U.S. Navy;

Nb.gr. – (Nebelgranate) German designation for a smoke shell;

OEA – (Obus Explosif en Acier) French abbreviation for high-explosive shells;

OEcl – (Obus Eclairant) French abbreviation for shrapnel shells;

OI – (Obus Incendiaire) French abbreviation for incendiary shells;

OPf or OPF RC – (French Obus de Perforation) or (French Obus de Perforation de Rupture Coiffé) French abbreviation for armor-piercing shells with a ballistic tip;

OPfK – (Obus de Perforation dispositif “K”) French abbreviation for armor-piercing shells with a ballistic tip filled with dye to mark the impact point;

IM – insensitive munitions, resistant to potential impacts;

Pdr. – (Pound) British designation for shells in pounds. 1 pound = 0.453 kg;

Pfeilgeschoss – German designation for a fragmenting shell with stabilizers.

PFHE – (Proximity Fuzed High Explosive) high-explosive shell with a proximity fuze;

PPHE – point-detonation shell with pre-formed fragments;

Psgr. – (Panzersprenggranate) German designation for an armor-piercing shell;

RA – rocket-assisted projectile;

RAP – (Rocket Assisted Projectile) rocket-assisted projectile;

RDX – RDX or cyclonite, high-performance explosive;

RDX/BWK–91/9 – British explosive consisting of 91% RDX and 9% beeswax;

PGK – (Precision Guidance Kit) precision guidance kit;

RFG – (Reactive Fuel Grain) fine-grained explosive used in fragmenting and illuminating shells;

SAP – (Semi–Armor Piercing) semi-armor-piercing shell;

SAL – semi-active laser guided;

SAPBC or CapCPBC – (Semi–Armour Piercing Ballistic) British abbreviation for semi-armor-piercing shells made of cast steel with an explosive charge and ballistic cap;

SAPER – (Semi–Armor Piercing Extended Range) semi-armor-piercing extended-range shell;

SAPHE – (Semi–armor piercing high–explosive) semi-armor-piercing high-explosive shell;

SAPHEI – (Semi–Armor Piercing High–Explosive Incendiary) semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary shell;

SAPHEI–T – (Semi–Armor Piercing High–Explosive Incendiary with a Tracer) semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary tracer shell;

SAPOM – (Semi–Armor Piercing OTO Munition) semi-armor-piercing shell manufactured by OTO Melara;

SMK – (Smoke) British abbreviation for smoke shell;

SMK BE – (Smoke Bottom End) British abbreviation for smoke shell with an ejection bottom;

SP – for self-propelled systems;

SPDB – (Smokeless Powder with Blend of Diphenylamine) American designation for explosive mixtures stabilized with diphenylamine. A numerical development number may be added to the designation;

Spgr. Bdz. or Spr.gr. Bdz. – (Sprenggranate mit Bodenzünder) German designation for high-explosive shells with a base fuze;

Spgr. Kz. or Spr.gr. Kz – (Sprenggranate mit Kopfzünder.) German designation for high-explosive shells with a nose fuze;

Spgr. Bdz u. Kz or Spr.gr. Bdz u. Kz – (Sprenggranate mit Bodenzünder und Kopfzünder.) German designation for high-explosive shells with both a nose and base fuze;

Sprengladung – German designation for explosive charge;

SS – (Shrapnel Shell) British abbreviation for shrapnel shells;

TNF – (Trinitrophenol) trinitrophenol, picric acid, explosive substance known in various countries as melinite, lydite, pertyl, picrite, ecrasite, or shimoza;

TNT – (Trinitrotoluene) trinitrotoluene or TNT, a brisant explosive;

TP–T – (Surface) practice or target tracer shell;

VL – (Visible Light Illumination) illuminating shell;

WP – (White Phosphorous) smoke shells filled with white phosphorus, used to create small smoke screens.