5.56...?

[timeout]

Hi I have a headstamp with SMI at 12 oclock 86 at 5 oclock and 01 at 7 oclock the primer is silver in colour the case is brass. is it made by a italian company for nato troops? thanks for your help....paul.

 

[Jimiles]

Does it have a red p.a. and three stabs around the primer? It sounds like an Austrian headstamp....Sudsteirische Metallindustrie. Widely exported and also used by the UK during the 1980's.

 

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Yes there is red around the primer, and it does have 3 Stabs, which is the year 86 or 01, so if one is the year what is the other ?....paul

 

[EOD]

If I recall it right the Austrian SMI never made brass cases.

 

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I think I will take a photo of it if that helps.....paul.

 

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hope this helps.......paul.

 

[hasag]

It may be
Societ Metallurgica Italiana, Campo Tizzoro, Italy

 

[Jimiles]

Paul, the 01 is the lot number and the 06 is the year of manufacture, i.e. 2006. I am still convinced that this is Austrian and not Italian......

 

[EOD]

I see an "86".

Also the Austrian SMI was taken over by Dynamit Nobel Graz in 1993 and should be DNG then.

SMI was known before for it's plastic blanks of the Assmann design.

 

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I have looked again and it is 86....paul

 

[Jimiles]

Paul, firstly I put '06' in error....I looked at the pic and thought I saw a 06 but it is of course 1986. Sorry for the confusion.
I have a copy of David R. Hughes excellent book "The History & Development of the M16 Rifle and its Cartridge" and on page 184 he details the history of this particular headstamp along with other headstamps also produced by Sudsteirische Metallindustrie GmbH, of Leibnitz, Austria. Hughes says that SMI began to produce test-quantities of brass cased 5.56mm using Thun's facilities in 1978. They then produced a variety of coded headstamps (examples given are 'A IV 78', 'A II 79' and 'IIIB 84 01') until 1984 when they adopted the format as in your photograph - the first headstamp being 'SMI 01 84'. He also says that the '01' is the month of manufacture rather than the lot number.
Jim

 

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When I started collecting I thought that I would a little research and have an answer, then move on to the next one. How wrong I was!!!! I have put 3 rounds up for ID and all three could be something else. so still have to go on looking. Thank you for your input I will now try to get the book......paul.

 

[Jimiles]

Paul, its a very good book but I'm afraid copies are few & far between.....and very expensive! I've just checked Amazon and they have just one copy available at a staggering 587. If there is any interest I'll happily write out verbatim Hughes' extract on SMI's production of this calibre. The other superb reference is Ron Fuchs' 5.56mm 'book'. Its not really a book, its a free emailable listing of the many thousands of rounds he has encountered and includes headstamp pictures & box labels.
Jim