This statement is from a Boatswains Mate, with EOD.  Please let me know what you think of his statement.

 "I could identify those as being specifically designed for NATO forces because they are color coded on the tips. I have publications that allow me to identify positively what an item is."

"The rounds are stamped U.S. along with the caliber and millimeters and the lot number. You would be able to trace by the lotnumber which NATO country they are assigned to. A private person cannot purchase these types of rounds. The rounds that I first discovered were incendiary and tracer rounds which are manufactured only for the government"


 Now after 6yrs, in the Marines, I know Red tip is tracer=5.56, Orange tip is on the 7.62  tracers, and Black is the armor-piercing, I believe.

 Isn't the incendiary .50 cal only?

 And I also know you can buy tracer rounds, but is there any difference between government and civilian use ?

                        Thanks for the help,   SEMPER FI

most of the tracers i have seen are seconds or thirds or reloads. usually they pop them open and change out the powder anyways from what i understand.

Anyone else can help ?

Don't exactly know what your looking for, but some of the info smells funny. For starters, the Circle cross on the head-stamp signifies NATO Spec ammo, but that alone does not indicate country of origin. Most ammo head-stamps have a 2 Letter Identifier as to the location of the plant that made it and a year code (e.g. L C 03) for Lake City 2003.
Tracers are orange/Red tipped and not that uncommon to see in the civilian world,

Black signifies Armor Piercing(.30) and Black /Silver is AP/ Incendiary(.50 caliber)

Lot numbers are only on the packaging and the Ammo cans. if that's not around, the Ammo itself does not have lot info (How much Info does one think you can stamp on the back of a cartridge)

As to the "Manufactured only for the Govt" line.....[Rolleyes}  like I said Tracers and incendiary are not that uncommon in civilian hands and not Illegal to own. A lot or ranges just have a no tracer rule as they do not like you starting a fire which is almost inevitable on a dry hot day with tracers.......

My fading memory tells me this:

1.  The lot number will only tell you what plant/company manufactured the item.  LC is Lake City, TW is Twin Cities (long since closed) , TZ is somewhere in Israel, etc.    All you're going to see on 5.56 or 7.62 is the manufacturer code and date, never a lot number.  

2.  The second two digits of the NSN are a country code, and I "think" it means the country that designed the item.   Small arms begin with 1305, and the 00 or 01 that follow indicate a US-designed item.   An 02 or above is another country.  

3.  Larger rounds such as 20 or 30mm could have the entire lot number painted on the case or the cartridge, but probably not stamped into the headstamp.        

4.  The best source of info on a particular lot is the ammo data card (ADC), which is the "birth certificate" for the lot.   That will tell you where and when it was made as well as lot numbers of components (primer, powder, etc).  However, end users are not likely to see the ADC, only the ammo storage people (461s in the AF, 55X in the Army).    

Disclaimer:  I said it was a FADING memory.