The Ammunition Identification Code (AIC) was a sub-set of the Standard Nomenclature List (SNL). The SNL was an inventory system used from 1928 to 1958 to catalog all the items the Army's Ordnance Corps issued.
The AIC was used by the United States Army Ordnance Corps from January, 1942 to 1958. It listed munitions and explosives (items from SNLs P, R, S, and T), items that were considered priority issue for soldiers in combat. The markings used by the system made it easier for soldiers to quickly identify and procure the right items.
It used a code that had five parts. The first character consisted of the item's SNL Group and was represented by its letter. The second character indicated the sub-group and was represented by its number. The third character represented the weapon or weapons that could use it and was represented by a letter. The fourth character represented the type and model of ammunition (i.e., Training Blank, Ball, Armor-Piercing, Incendiary, Tracer, etc.), which differed from weapon to weapon, and was represented by a letter. The fifth and last character detailed the packing method (Cartons, Bandoleers, or Belts / Links) and container type used (M1917 Rifle Ammunition Packing Box, M23 Ammo Crate, etc.) and was designated by a letter.
The AIC was replaced by the FSN (Federal Stock Number) in 1958, which later became the NSN (National Stock Number) in 1975.
Packing terminology
Cartons Ammunition came packed in single-ply chipboard cartons lined with Manila paper. A label marked with the number of cartridges, caliber and type of ammo, manufacturer, and Lot Code was glued over the top flap, front, and back to seal the carton. Wartime boxes (1942 to 1945) had wide vertical colored stripes, like those used on the packing box, as a background for the text. This allowed the soldier to quickly visually identify the ammo he needed.
.45 ACP .45 ACP ammo for the Colt M1911 semi-automatic pistol and Thompson submachine gun originally came in 20-round boxes. It was later changed to 50-round boxes in 1942 for ease of packing and distribution. They were packed in the small M1911 Pistol Ammunition Packing Boxes.
.45 ACP ammo for the Colt M1917 and Smith & Wesson M1917 revolvers came packed in 3-round Half-Moon clips. They were packed eight clips per carton in two-row (2x12 cell – sideways interlocking "zig-zag" style) or three-row (3x9 cell – inline overlapping "spoons" style) rectangular cartons of 24 rounds. They were packed in the larger M1917 Rifle / Machinegun Ammunition Packing Boxes.
.30 carbine M1 carbine ammo was originally packed in 3-row 45-round boxes to reduce waste, as the carbine had a 15-round magazine. This was later changed in 1942 to 50-round boxes to ship as much ammo as possible. They were packed in a special small Ammunition Packing Box, perhaps so a soldier wouldn't grab the wrong ammunition.
.30 caliber .30 caliber rifle (grade "R") and machine gun (grade "MG") ammo came in 20-round boxes. Early-war cartons for use in bolt-action rifles like the Springfield M1903 came with the ammo already in 5-round stripper clips. They were packed in the large M1917 ammunition packing boxes.
.50 caliber .50 caliber machine gun ammo (grades "AC" and "MG") came bulk-packed in 10-round boxes for loading into belts or links in-theater. They were packed in the large M1917 ammunition packing boxes.
Ammunition packing box A wooden box designed to be reused. The lid was secured by tightening brass wingnuts over threaded metal posts in the walls of the chest. They were meant to be carried by means of handles milled into the ends of the chest; troops assigned to carry ammo found them hard to grasp.Sledge, Eugene. With the Old Breed... Ammunition was shipped in boxes with a hermetically-sealed terneplate lining that had the top soldered on to seal it; this was ripped open using a wire handle built into the top. It came in two standard sizes.
The small M1917 packing box (Dimensions: 16-7/16" Length × 12-11/16" Width × 7-5/8" Height; Volume: 0.92 cubic feet) was secured with 4 threaded posts (one on each side). It was used for pistol and submachine gun ammunition and held 2,000 rounds in cartons (100 x 20-round cartons or 40 x 50-round cartons). It could also be used to hold 960 rounds of Caliber .30 ammo (48 x 20-round cartons) or 240 rounds of Caliber .50 (24 x 10-round cartons) ammo.Another box (Volume: 0.83 cubic feet) was used for carbine ammunition. It held 2,700 (60 x 45-round cartons) or 3,000 (60 x 50-round cartons) cartridges.
The large M1917 packing box (Dimensions: 18-7/16" Length × 9-7/16" Width × 14-13/16" Height; Tare Weight: 9 lbs. Volume: 1.49 cubic feet) was secured with 6 threaded posts (one on each end and two on each side). It was used to store and carry .30- and .50-caliber ammunition in cartons, clips, belts or links.
Pre-war and early-war ammo packing boxes were made of stained wood with black-painted lettering. Mid- to late-war packing boxes were painted Olive Drab brown with white or yellow lettering that used the item's AIC code and a system of symbols to indicate the contents at a glance. The caliber, ammunition type and model (e.g., Caliber .30 Ball M1) were in the upper center field in bold lettering. The number of units (i.e., how many bullets or shells there were per box) and packing information (i.e., whether it was in cartons, bandoleers or belts) were on the two lines below it. The caliber (CAL .45, CAL .30, or CAL .50) was painted in bold lettering in the upper left corner. The gross weight of the box in pounds and its volume in cubic feet was painted in the lower left corner and the Ammunition Lot information (manufacturer code and lot number) was painted in the lower right corner.
Packing box stripes In 1943(?), a system was introduced that painted color-coded stripes painted across the long sides and lid to indicate the contents.A straight stripe indicated Pistol, Carbine, Rifle and Medium Machine gun ammunition; it was vertical on the long sides and top and horizontal on the ends. Triple straight stripes were painted horizontally with the first stripe on top or to the left and the third stripe on the bottom or to the right.A diagonal stripe (lower left corner to upper right corner) indicated Heavy Machine gun ammunition. Triple diagonal stripes were painted with the first stripe on the left-side and the third stripe on the right side. If packed in cartons, the colored stripe was duplicated on the carton's label vertically.
Red = Ball. Brown = Gallery practice. (.22 Long Rifle and .30 Gallery M1919) Orange = Guard. (.30 Guard M1) Orange with wide Green stripe = Dim Tracer (1600 yards range) or Subdued Tracer (50 to 140 yards before ignition / 1,000 yards range). Yellow = High Pressure Test Yellow with wide Red stripe = Incendiary. Yellow with wide Red stripe inset with narrow Green stripe = Incendiary Tracer. Yellow with wide Green stripe = Bright Tracer (3,000 yards range). Yellow with wide Blue stripe = Armor-Piercing. Yellow with wide Blue stripe inset with narrow Red stripe = Armor-Piercing Incendiary. Yellow with wide Blue stripe inset with narrow Green stripe = Armor-Piercing Tracer. Green = Dummy. Blue = Blank. Blue with wide White stripe = Rifle Grenade Blank. Triple Red, Yellow, and Green Stripe = Linked Ball & Tracer. Triple Yellow, Red, and Green Stripe = Belted Ball & Tracer. Triple Yellow, Blue, and Red Stripe = Belted Armor-Piercing & Incendiary. Triple Yellow, Blue, and Green Stripe = Belted Armor-Piercing & Tracer. Triple Blue, Yellow, and Red Stripe = Linked Armor-Piercing & Incendiary. Triple Blue, Yellow, and Green Stripe = Linked Armor-Piercing & Tracer.
Commercial shotgun shell packing box A wooden or fiberboard box with a waterproof tarpaper lining designed to transport and carry shotgun shells. It held 20 × 25-shell cartons (500 total shells) of 12 gauge ammunition and weighed around 65 lbs (Dimensions: 15" Length × 10.375" Width × 9.75" Height; Volume: 0.88 Cubic Feet).Guard shells had either a brass base (base only) with a full paper hull or partial brass case (1" long) and a long paper hull.Combat shells had either a partial brass case (1" long) with a long paper hull or a full (2.75" long) brass case and no paper hull. Sporting shells (used for trap shooting or hunting) either had a brass base with a full paper hull or a partial brass case (1/2" long) and a long paper hull.
Ammunition crate A metal-strapped wooden packing crate designed to be thrown away that replaced the Ammunition Packing Box. They were made of plain, unpainted wood and had its lettering, AIC code, and symbols stamped on in black ink. They were carried by a horizontal rectangular wooden bar fastened to the pair of vertical wooden reinforcing struts on each end. Some crate contractors looped a semi-circular piece of thick rope through a hole in each reinforcing strut for use as a flexible handle. Other contractors used a folding two-strut metal handle fastened between the reinforcing struts for heavier loads.
The cartons of ammunition inside were originally grouped and packed in corrugated cardboard boxes. The boxes were then coated and sealed in a waterproof wax coating to keep the ammunition inside from being affected by the environment. There were 2 boxes per crate and they were loaded in the crate sideways so the bullets would fly off to the sides rather than through the top or bottom. The weatherproofing was found to be ineffective, so the cardboard boxes were replaced by hermetically-sealed ammunition cans ("spam cans") in the autumn of 1943.
Ammunition can A vacuum-sealed metal canister with wire handles on its sides. They were first produced at the Evansville, Indiana Chrysler-Sunbeam plant in 1943 to pack .45 ACP ammunition in M5 cans. It was opened using a metal can key (like a can of sardines) that was soldered to the top. It could be reclosed afterwards using a small roll of duct tape that came packed in the can. They were painted Olive Drab and had yellow lettering on them. The caliber of ammunition – .45 (.45 pistol or submachinegun - cartons), .30C (.30 Carbine – cartons), .30R (.30 Rifle – clips or cartons), .30M (.30 Machinegun – belted or linked ammo), or .50 (Machinegun - linked or cartons) – was embossed in raised letters and numbers on the metal lid so they could be identified by touch under low-light conditions.
The "spam can" designs were created by American Can Company in New York City, New York. It was patented in 1950 (patent number 2,495,715). However, the application was filed on November 28, 1944, not much time after the first cartridges were repacked at the Evansville Chrysler plant.
The model of can (M5, M6, M8, M10, M13, etc.) was embossed on the bottom. The M5 cans were for packing .45 ACP ammo and weighed about 29 lbs. The M6 cans were for packing .30 Carbine ammo and weighed about 25 lbs. The M8 cans were for packing .30 Rifle & Machine gun ammo and weighed about 16 lbs. The M10 cans were originally for packing .50 Machinegun ammo but later on were also used to pack shotgun shells or a variety of other ammunition in cartons.