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If you don't know some terms used here or if they are used in unusual way, please refer to the Definitions of the Soviet ammunition.
Each Soviet projectile has its unique designation. This designation looks like:
AA-XXXBB
where:
the AA is the Initial Literal Index (ILI) it defines the type of the projectile;
the XXX is the Main Digital Index (MDI), it defines the calibre of the projectile;
the BB is the Optional Literal Index (OLI), it shows additional capabilities/features of the projectile.
Table 1. Indexes of the Soviet projectiles
| Index |
The Russian term |
The English equivalent |
| Initial Literal Index (ILI) |
| F |
fugasniy |
high explosive |
| G |
betonoboiniy |
concrete-piercing |
| O |
oskolochniy |
fragmentation |
| OF |
oskolochno-fugasniy |
high explosive fragmentation |
| OH |
oskolochno-khimicheskiy |
chemical fragmentation |
| B |
broneboiniy |
armor-piercing |
| BR |
broneboiniy |
armor-piercing |
| BP |
broneboiniy prozhigaushiy (WWII term) |
shaped-charge or HEAT |
| BK |
broneboiniy kumulyativniy (later term) |
shaped-charge or HEAT |
| Sh |
shrapnel' |
shrapnel |
| She |
kartech' |
canister |
| Z |
zazhigatelniy |
incendiary |
| D |
dymovoy |
smoke |
| S |
osvetitelniy |
illumination |
| Optional Literal Index (OLI) |
| P |
podkaliberniy |
sub-caliber |
| SP |
sploshnoy |
solid |
| M |
modernizirovaniy |
modernised |
All other OLIs aren't common for all types of projectiles and used to describe features of a certain projectile.
Normally, Soviet armor-piersing rounds are APHE, i.e. with some explosive charge to increase penetration power. If there is no explosive charge, such round is always desingnated "solid" SP. Therefore, the BR-350 means 76-mm armor-piercing high explosive round, BR-350SP means 76-mm armor-piercing solid round, OF-350 means high explosive fragmentation round.
According to the Soviet nomenclature, each tandem calibre+bore_length has its unique MDI. For example, 350, 353 and 354 are refer to the 76-mm calibre. The table below is my attempt to systematize these figures:
Table 2. Indexes of the Soviet projectiles
| Calibre |
The projectile's MDI |
The shell's MDI |
| 20 mm |
111 |
111 |
| 25 mm |
240 |
240 |
| 37 mm |
167 |
167 |
| 45 mm |
240, 241, 242 |
240, 241, 243 |
| 57 mm |
271 |
271 |
| 76.2 mm |
350, 354, 355, 361, 363 |
353, 354, 355, 361, 363 |
| 85 mm |
365, 367 |
365, 367 |
| 100 mm |
412 |
412 |
| 106.7 mm |
420, 422 |
- |
| 121.92 mm |
462, 471 |
- |
| 127 mm |
4891 |
- |
| 152.4 mm |
501, 521, 530, 531, 533, 540, 542, 550, 551 |
- |
| 180 mm |
620, 621, 625 |
- |
| 210 mm |
643 |
- |
| 280 mm |
674 |
- |
| 305 mm |
724 |
- |
To describe a cartridge-loading (single loading) shell, the "U" letter used before the ILI. It means "unitarniy" (cartridge-loading ammo). For example: UBR-354P refers to the 76-mm cartridge-loading shell with the BR-350P armor piercing sub-caliber projectile. The same is for separate loading ammo but the "V" letter using instead: VBR-471. The "V" letter means "vystrel" (shot).
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