Cartridge containers of the Russian (Soviet) army. I’m sitting counting the cartridges, I’m not bothering anyone, you’re showing up here, I have to count all the “zincs” again. How many cartridges are there in zinc?
Zinc - rolled tin box, approx. long. 35 cm and width approx. 15 cm, painted with protective paint. The sizes of zinc for many cartridges are the same, only the number of cartridges in zinc changes. For example, 7.62 mm rifle-machine guns, 7.62 and 5.45 machine guns, 5.45 PSM and 9 PM are placed in “zincs” of the same size. But if there are 660 7.62 machine guns, then 5.45 machine guns are 1080 pieces, 2160 in a box. The weight of the wooden box itself is 3 kg. 7.62x39 automatic - in a box there are 2 zinc pieces of 660 each, a total of 1320, the weight of the box is about 25 kg. Cartridge weight - 16.3 g; cartridge length - 56.0 mm; average weight bullets - 7.9 g; the average weight of a powder charge is 1.6 g or 1.56 g. 7.62x39 hunting - 440 pieces in zinc 7.62x39 are also available not in zinc, but in plastic bags, 120 pcs. in a package 5.45x39 automatic - in zinc 36 packs of 30 pcs. Zinc in each - about 12 kg. Wooden box (two zinc) - about 30 kg. 7.62x51A Soviet - 220 rounds in zinc, 440 in a box 7.62x54R Cartridge weight - 22 g; bullet weight - 9.6 g; charge weight - about 3.2 g; cartridge length - 77.16 mm; bullet length - 28.6 mm; sleeve length - 54.8 mm. The cartridges are packed in cardboard packs of 20 pieces, packs of 22 pieces are packed in galvanized metal boxes. Two metal boxes are placed in a wooden cartridge box. The box contains 880 rounds. The estimated weight of the box is 25 kg. 5.45x18 - PSM 2016 pcs. in zinc SP-5 - 580 pcs. in zinc 9x18 PM Cartridge weight 9.2-10.4 g. Cartridge length 24.48-25.0 mm. Bullet weight 5.75-6.15 g. Number of cartridges in zinc - 1280 pcs. The number of cartridges in a wooden box is 2560 pcs. The estimated weight of the box is 28 kg. 9x19 7Н21 - 1088 pcs. in zinc Cartridge weight 9.6-9.8 g. Estimated zinc weight 11 kg. 9x19 Para - 50 rounds per pack, 16 packs in zinc, total 800. 800x12 grams = 10 kg, if you take into account the weight of zinc. 308 Win - 20 rounds per pack, 25 packs in zinc, total 500. 500x24 grams = 12 kg. + weight of zinc.223 Rem - 20 rounds in a pack, 25 packs in zinc, total 500. 500x11 grams = 5.5 kg. + zinc weight 7.62x33 - (cartridges for M1 Carbine; not to be confused with cartridges for M1 Garand .30-06 Springfield (7.62x63 mm)) were packaged in cardboard packs of 50 pieces, and those, in turn, in a wooden box of 69 pcs, a total of 3450 cartridges in the box; box dimensions 41.5x32x12 cm, weight 51.3 kg, on the front side there is a diagonal red stripe. 11.43v23 - (.45 ACP) were packaged as follows: 100 packs of 20 rounds, 2000 in total, in an iron box, and that in a wooden box measuring 41.5x32x12, weighing 48 kg; cartridges with steel sleeve 12 packs of 50 cartridges per cardboard box, 600 in total, two boxes in a wooden box, 1200 in total, box size 40.5x25x18; another option - 10 packs of 20 or 4 of 50 in a wooden box, dimensions and weight are not indicated. 9x39 SP5 cartridge weight - 32.2 g, cartridge length - 56 mm, cartridge bullet length - 36 mm. Distinctive coloring SP5 cartridges do not have bullets. Only on the corking cardboard boxes of 10 rounds was the inscription “Sniper” applied. SP6 cartridge length - 56 mm, cartridge weight - 32.0 g, bullet length 41 mm, bullet weight - 15.6 g, core weight - 10.4 g. The tip of the SP6 cartridge bullet was painted black. The sealed cardboard boxes for these cartridges were marked with a distinctive black stripe. Later, after the advent of 9-mm machine gun cartridges with the 7N12 armor-piercing bullet, the bullet tip of the SP6 cartridge began to turn blue.
5.45x39 cartridges are packed in paper wrappers of 30 pieces, which is equal to the number of cartridges in a machine gun magazine. Packs are placed in a steel box of 36 packs with a total quantity of 1080 pieces. Two boxes are placed in a wooden box with a total of 2160 cartridges. with a knife for opening steel boxes. On the lid of the stamped box and the box there are basic designations of the ammunition contained in them: their caliber, bullet type, case material, brand of gunpowder, production date and factory code.
Explanation of the symbols on the stamped-rolled box:
5.45 - cartridge caliber.
PS - type of bullet (with a steel core).
GS - sleeve material (steel sleeve).
SF033fl - brand of gunpowder (spherical phlegmatized; 0.33 - diameter of the powder grain).
601/84B - series/year of gunpowder production.
O27 - ammunition production series.
84 - year (1984) of ammunition production.
270 - manufacturer's plant code.
1080 pcs. - the total number of cartridges in the box.
Until 1982, at some factories the indication of the type of ammunition differed from the accepted one symbol, which was expressed in the form of application after the caliber of the type of case (gs - steel case) and, only then, the type of bullet. Most likely, an error was made in the stencil used to apply paint to the steel box.
On the steel boxes that were packed with cartridges with special bullets (T, US, armor-piercing), the type of bullet used and the corresponding marking in the form of a distinctive stripe on the lid were indicated. Cartridges with tracer bullets were marked with a standard green stripe.
As a result of long-term storage of such ammunition, decay products of the tracer composition are released in the form of gases, which gradually accumulate in the free space of the box. For the free release of gases, a hole is made in the upper right corner, closed with a rubber seal (plug). When opening such steel boxes, the cork is first pulled out, releasing the gases, and then the box with cartridges itself is opened with a knife.
Stamp-rolled boxes for 5.45x39 cartridges produced since 1975. different cartridge factories.
1,2,3 - Plant No. 3 (Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant), 1975 - 1977.
4 - Plant No. 60 (named after Frunze), 1979
5 - Plant No. 17 (Barnaul cartridge), 1980.
6 - Plant No. 3 (Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant), 1984.
7 - Plant No. 60 (named after Frunze), 1989.
8 - Plant No. 270 (Lugansk cartridge plant), 1977.
Foxtrot 07-02-2003 06:09
Servicemen, remember how much can fit into army zinc 7.62x39.
JRGN 07-02-2003 08:11
If my memory serves me correctly, then 660.
Vintorez 07-02-2003 08:40
Lmd 07-02-2003 11:57
And HZ, I don’t remember, or rather, I don’t know. In the army I used 7.62x54 zinc, and we had very little x39... It was a rare caliber in KTurkVO....
Vitiaz 08-02-2003 12:58
1080
3x10x30 pcs.
6x30 pcs.
Thus, 360 rounds of ammunition per person are easily issued. 2 packs of 30 pcs. and a package of 10 packs of 30 pcs.
Foxtrot 08-02-2003 01:02
quote: Originally posted by Lmd:
And HZ, I don’t remember, or rather, I don’t know. In the army I used 7.62x54 zinc, and we had very little x39... It was a rare caliber in KTurkVO....
Where did you serve? As I understand it, in Turkmenistan? I am also there KSAPO, urban settlement. Serakhs.
Dr. Watson 08-02-2003 01:52
Strange. I take zinc. x54 - 240 pcs., x39 - 700 pcs., packs of 20 (twenty) rounds. Or “I have the wrong type of grenades”?
Vitiaz 08-02-2003 02:38
Are the cartridges military or hunting?
And if the army, then where else do they use AKM? As far as I understand, in units where the amount of fire per barrel is minimal (military technical schools, for example).
And if the cartridges are hunting, then they can be packaged in any way they like.
kiowa 11-02-2003 11:28
Two options. 660 - with clips and 700 - without clips. I haven’t even seen zincs at 1080. Maybe they package it this way for export?
Vitiaz 12-02-2003 12:17
So are the cartridges combat (full jacket, hardened steel core) or hunting?
And the clips are 10 pcs. - for SCS, right?
The number of rounds in zinc must be a multiple of 30, if it is for a machine gun, otherwise the foreman will go crazy.
As far as I understand, production of 7.62x39 military ammunition has been discontinued, and the army is finishing off its stockpile. Over the past 15 years, I have seen weapons of this caliber only in non-combat units where they shoot at the KMB and again throughout my entire service. Where combat training and work in progress very intensively, weapons are completely changed every two to three years. 7.62 remained only on the machine gun and SVD, and everything else was -5.45.
Now I’m also wondering if I’m right.
5.45 - exactly, 1080 pcs.
7.62 - I don’t remember, I think it’s also 1080, or maybe 700? I'm confused...
Dr. Watson 12-02-2003 12:26
quote: Originally posted by Vitiaz:
So the cartridges are live (full shell, hardened steel core)
The cartridges are "correct". But because of the varnish deposits, I won’t take them anymore, I’ll make do with the so-called. hunting hollow point in green varnish, because The nickel sheds a lot and can get into the barrel.
Vitiaz 14-02-2003 12:32
Today I asked the OLD ones.
They scratched their heads for a long time, then they said: “It seems like 700... Either exactly, or with something...”
If we proceed from the old norms of 1 BC = 8 magazines, there should be 720 pieces (1 zinc for three).
The current standards are basically the same, only 1 BC = 12 magazines (360 rounds of ammunition).
Tomorrow I’ll just meet with those who KNOW - I’ll find out for sure.
Designations on the covers of stamped-rolled iron boxes of the so-called “zinc”
7.62x39 cartridges are packed in packs of 20 pcs., packs are packed in zinc of 33 packs or in stamped boxes of 35 packs. The total number of cartridges in zinc is 660pcs, and in a stamped metal box - 700pcs. Two zincs are placed in a wooden box along with a knife for opening zinc/stamped boxes. In 1960, it was decided to switch from a galvanized steel box to a welded-rolled steel box, as a result of which the dimensions of the box itself and its capacity changed. Cartridges in an iron brass sleeve of early releases were packaged in packs, which had a designation of the type of cartridge, caliber and number of pieces in the pack. On the zinc cover it was indicated: 7.62 PS gzh (cartridge with a steel core, iron sleeve). Later they decided not to put any markings on the packs at all. In 1952, the production of bimetallic sleeves was launched to replace iron brass sleeves, and starting from the 1960s. - varnished steel. The cartridges in a varnished steel case were designated 7.62 PS gs. 
From left to right:
- Cartridge with brass-plated iron sleeve.
- Cartridge with an iron bimetallic sleeve.
- A cartridge with an iron bimetallic sleeve and a varnish coating on the bullet joint and on the capsule.
- Cartridge with an experienced aluminum sleeve.
- Cartridge with varnished steel sleeve.
Markings on the lid of a box with tracer cartridges (T-45)
Following the created cartridge with a bullet with a steel core, a cartridge with a tracer bullet was designed. Thus, in the period from 1949 to 1951, cartridges designated T-45 were first produced in brass-plated steel sleeves, and then there was a transition to production in bimetallic varnished steel sleeves. In 1973, employees of TsNIITOCHMASH, under the leadership of designer Sabelnikov, modernized the existing cartridge with a tracer bullet. 
Dug zinc cartridges 7.62 x 39
In the Soviet armed forces, the packaging of cartridges is carried out according to the standard system: box-zinc-pack. The main element of the closure is a hermetically sealed metal box (in common parlance - “cartridge zinc”). In ancient times, boxes made of galvanized iron (sealed) were indeed used, but in the 1960s they were abandoned in favor of welded iron ones, painted with protective enamel (index 57-Я-004 and 57-Я-004Ш, used until mid-1970 's), and then solidly stamped. Modern cartridge zinc (index 57-Я-0461) - stamped from low-carbon steel and enameled. Dimensions: 357x156x103 mm, weight 0.9 kg. This type of box is the same for all calibers small arms, and the number of cartridges held is different. Americans call such cartridge boxes "spam cans" ("tin cans").
Opened box, zinc and a pack of 7.62 mm cartridges. 1943 with PS bullets produced by the Klimovsky Stamping Plant
Wooden boxes act as transport and storage (external) containers. Each box holds two zincs. Cartridge boxes are made from lumber coniferous species, except for the bottom and lid, which are made of fiberboard. The lid of the box is hinged and attached to its body using metal fittings. In addition, the box has two wooden handles for carrying. Until 1979, cartridge boxes were made entirely, including the bottom and lid, of wood with the lid attached to the body of the box with screws.
The dimensions of a standard cartridge box (index 57-Ya-005) are 488x350x163 mm, the weight of an empty box varies between 3.6-4.0 kg. The difference between the gross and net weight of the box (the total weight of the cartridges contained) is approximately 7 kg. In addition to the metal boxes with cartridges themselves, a special knife is also placed in the box for opening them. In boxes with a lid made of fiberboard, the knife is placed in a slot on the inside of the end wall of the box, and with a lid made of wood - in the corresponding slot on the inside of the lid. The sealed cartridge box is tightly covered (tied) with steel packing tape. The ends of the tape are connected mechanically with sealing or welding. 
1 - boxes of 7.62 mm cartridges. 1943 with PS bullets, old version with a plank cover;
2 - a box of 7.62 mm rifle cartridges with LPS bullets, old, used before 1990, variant marking on the lid (gross weight and transport sign - number “2” in a triangle);
3 - box of cartridges 5.45 PS (7N6);
4 - box of cartridges 7.62 PS (7N1), export markings on the lid.
Internal containers are cardboard boxes or paper bags with cartridges (in the text of the article they will also be called “packs”, not to be confused with a “pack”, that is, a “clip for pack loading” for a Garand rifle), placed in a metal box. For ease of removal from zinc, a fabric tape is placed under one of the packs of each row, the ends of which are brought to the surface. Marking of cartridge containers consists of inscriptions, signs and colored distinctive stripes; applied by stenciling, stamping, printing or a special marking machine.
Now specifically about calibers. Military ammunition 7.62x54 mm R is packaged in packs with a capacity of 20 rounds. For a long time Unpainted cardboard was used as the material for the packs. Later, waxed paper rolls, stapled at the sides, were also used. Zinc holds 22 packs, for a total of 440 rounds. 
Opening zinc with cartridges using the supplied knife
Packs of cartridges 7.62 PS (7N1), cardboard (left) and paper
High-precision cartridges 7.62 PS (7N1) have the distinctive inscription “Sniper” on the packaging, and cartridges 7.62 SNB (7N14) have the inscription “Sniper” and a black stripe. Until 1977, 7.62 LPS (57-N-223S) cartridges were marked with a white stripe on the cartridge container, also in White color the bullet nose was painted, but later this color marking was no longer used.
For ammunition for weapons of 7.62x39 mm caliber, designated in the Soviet army as the “7.62 mm cartridge of the 1943 model”, the manuals for small arms indicate two standard closure options: for the Kalashnikov assault rifle - in cardboard boxes of 20 pieces, 33 boxes in zinc, a total of 660 rounds; and for the SKS carbine - in clips of 10 rounds, two loaded clips are placed in a flat oblong cardboard box, in zinc there are 23 boxes, a total of 460 rounds.
Old galvanized cartridge box for 7.62 mm cartridges mod. 1943 with BZ bullets. Above - close-up marking on the box lid
Metal boxes with 7.62x39 mm cartridges:
1 - armor-piercing 7.62 BP; 2 - with a subsonic bullet 7.62 US;
3, 4 - commercial with a jacketed bullet with a lead core.
However, the actual zinc capacity of this caliber ammunition varies. The most common figures: 700 shell 7.62 PS gzh, 720 armor-piercing 7.62 BP and 640 commercial sporting and hunting cartridges. The explanation seems to be that the zinc capacity (660 rounds) given in the NSD for the Kalashnikov assault rifle is correct for the old galvanized box (57-Ya-002) and the corresponding cardboard pack from the 1950s, while the dimensions of modern containers are steel somewhat different. Distinctive markings armor-piercing cartridges 7.62 BP (7N23) - a black stripe on the packaging, and cartridges 7.62 US with a subsonic bullet (57-N-231U) - a black and green stripe. The abbreviation "L.C.B." on export zincs with sporting and hunting cartridges it stands for “lead core bullet” (bullet with a lead core), since bullets with a steel core are prohibited for hunting in some jurisdictions, and in some even for use by civilians.
Packaging of 7.62 mm cartridges, model 1943in clips for the SKS carbine
Cardboard packs for 20 cartridges 7.62x39 mm different years release. Left - 1950s (for 660-round galvanized metal box), center and right - 1960s and 1970/80s (for 700-round stamped metal boxes)
The packaging capacity of 5.45x39 mm cartridges was immediately made a multiple of the capacity of a standard machine gun magazine - 30 cartridges. Initially, cartridges were packaged in cardboard boxes, but in the mid-1970s they switched to simplified paper wrapping, secured with staples. A metal box contains 36 packs with a total of 1080 rounds. Unusual feature is the deviation from this caliber that took place before 1982 standard scheme markings small arms ammunition: on all types of cartridge containers, the designation of the type of cartridge case was applied before the designation of the type of bullet, and not after. For example, for cartridges 5.45 PS (7N6) - “5.45 gs PS”; starting from 1982, the markings began to be written in the standard order “5.45 PS gs”.
1 - box of live ammunition of 9x18 mm PM caliber;
2 - boxes of commercial cartridges of the same caliber;
3 - a box of commercial 9x18 mm PM cartridges with an expansive bullet produced by the Novosibirsk Cartridge Plant;
4 - box of live ammunition 9x19 mm PS (7N21).
Cartridges for the 9x18 mm Makarov pistol are packaged in cardboard boxes of 16 rounds each, which corresponds to the capacity of two pistol magazines. The zinc holds 80 of these boxes, for a total of 1260 rounds. The box of 9x19 mm PS (7N21) cartridges intended for the Yarygin pistol has a rather unusual oblong shape. It holds 34 cartridges, 32 such boxes fit into the zinc.
Summary data on the capacity of cartridge containers of various calibers are given in Table 1:
Table 1
Notes:
1. Data is valid for cartridge containers of the 1950s.
2. Each zinc with 7.62 US cartridges contains three spare seals for the silencer.
3. Modern closure of cartridges 7.62x39 mm PS.
4. In the game, due to the lack of photographs of such a pack, a 20-round box of 7.62x39 mm BP cartridges is implemented.
5. LCB - sporting and hunting cartridge with a bullet with a lead core.
Markings on packaging with cartridges are applied: on a wooden box - on the lid and on one side wall; on a metal box - on the lid; on a moisture-proof bag on the longitudinal sides of the bag; on a cardboard box or paper bag - on one of the sides of the box or bag. Example of markings on a zinc cap (7.62 LPS cartridges):
7.62 LPS gzh (7.62 - cartridge caliber, LPS - light bullet with a steel core, GZh - bimetallic sleeve), L54-77-188 (L54 - batch number, 77 - year of batch production, 188 - plant number (Novosibirsk low-voltage equipment plant)), VT92/77S (VT - grade of gunpowder (rifle powder for a heavy bullet); 92 - batch of gunpowder, 77 - year of manufacture of gunpowder, S - manufacturer of gunpowder), 440 pcs. - number of cartridges in zinc.
The markings on the side of the box contain similar elements. The lid indicates the gross weight, the conventional number of the dangerous cargo in an equilateral triangle (for most types of cartridges these are the numbers “450”, for cartridges with an MDZ bullet - “263”, for blanks - “471”) and the classification code for the transport danger of the cargo “1.4 S” " (code "1.4" according to GOST 19433-88 means "Explosive materials that do not pose a significant danger"). A danger sign on a paper label typical for foreign cartridge containers orange color applies only to 12.7- and 14.5-mm cartridges with an MDZ bullet. Until 1990, the stencil on the box lid had a slightly different appearance - the gross weight and a transport sign indicating the category of cargo were indicated (the number “2” in a triangle).
Marking on the cover of the cartridge box
For grenade launcher shots to the under-barrel grenade launcher, packaging elements that are similar, but differ in design and size, are used. Three welded metal boxes containing 28 VOG-25 rounds each are placed in a wooden box. In boxes, the shots are placed in cylindrical paper cartridges in horizontal position with alternating directions. The density of the shots is ensured by cardboard spacers. There are a total of 84 shots in the box. The same box holds 35 VOG-25P grenade launcher rounds with the rounds arranged vertically, lined with cardboard; accordingly, a total of 105 shots are obtained in the box. One of the three boxes is tied with twine for easy removal from the box. Inside each box there are inserts to ensure the safety of the shots during transportation and opening the boxes with a knife. A box opener wrapped in paper is placed in a box. The box lid is attached to the body on two hinges and secured with two locks.
For machine gun cartridges of 7.62x39 mm and 5.45x39 mm calibers with varnished steel sleeves, along with metal boxes, there is an alternative packaging method - in special moisture-proof bags, 120 pieces each. These bags are made of waterproof paper, coated on the outside with polyethylene terephthalate (lavsan) film, and with inside facing the cartridges, coated with a paraffin-polyisobutylene mixture. Inside the moisture-proof bag, cartridge packs are placed in one or two rows, lined with wrapping paper around the perimeter of the bag. The waterproof bag is sealed by welding the seams and bending the valves. In this case, the same wooden box is used as a transport and storage container, the internal surfaces of which are lined with waterproof paper coated on both sides or one side with a paraffin-polyisobutylene mixture.
Waterproof packs of 120 rounds of 5.45x39mm ammunition
And for the AK-74, in order to facilitate and speed up the process of loading a magazine, steel clips (so-called “combs”) for 15 rounds with an attached adapter - a loading accelerator (“spoon”) were introduced. The solution was “sniffed out” by the Americans, who have been using similar loading accelerators for the M14 and M16 for many years. Later, similar kits appeared for weapons of other calibers, including for the VSS silent rifle complex - 10 rounds of 9x39 mm caliber in a clip.
Kit for quickly loading AK-74 assault rifle magazines and packs of 5.45x39 mm cartridges
9x39 mm ammunition:
1 - loaded magazine and clip of armor-piercing cartridges with an adapter - loading accelerator;
2 - boxes with SP-5 cartridges;
3 - boxes with SP-5 (far left), SP-6 and PAB-9 cartridges.
A few words about expiration dates. According to the regulations former USSR The shelf life of small arms ammunition in central warehouses - in zinc and sealed - is 20 years, after which they are distributed among departments for destruction (shot). Law enforcement agencies store them for 10 years, after which the cartridges must be replaced with new ones, and these are shot. Unpacked cartridges are stored for 4 years, after which they are subject to destruction (shot). I don’t presume to judge whether and how strictly these standards have always been observed and how things stand now, but I think that even with an optimistic approach, the period within which the cartridge, although no longer fully consistent in its parameters with the new product, is, with some reservations, suitable for use must not exceed 40 years. However, on weapons forums there are stories about shooting from a TT pistol with cartridges produced in 1938 and about the amazing accuracy of rifle cartridges produced in 1963, which cannot be compared with modern commercial products. Alexey Potapov in the book “The Art of the Sniper” calls real time Galvanized rifle cartridges can be stored for 70-80 years without losing their combat qualities. On the other hand, there are many cases of injuries to shooters and damage to weapons due to the use of expired ammunition... Regarding hunting cartridges rifled weapons GOST 23128-78 establishes a shelf life (within which the cartridges retain all the parameters established by GOST and the probability of failure-free operation is at least 99.7%) in sealed packaging - 10 years, in non-sealed packaging - 2 years.
