List of the United States Army weapons by supply catalog designation
This is a historic (index) list of United States Army weapons and materiel, by their Standard Nomenclature List (SNL) group and individual designations — an alpha-numeric nomenclature system used in the United States Army Ordnance Corps Supply Catalogues used from about 1930 to about 1958. The July 1943 Ordnance Publications For Supply Index – OPSI – (page2) explains that the "Index of Standard Nomenclature Lists (...) covers – by groups, and subdivisions of groups – all classes of equipment and supplies, assigned to the Ordnance Department for procurement, storage, issue, and maintenance." The designations in this Wikipedia list represent so-called "major items". For each of the major items, there were separate, designated "Standard Nomenclature Lists" — extensive parts catalogs for supply and repair purposes.
In essence, the index was a list of lists. There could be numerous volumes, changes, and updates under each single item designation.
According to the Corps' Ordnance Publications for Supply Index of July 1943:
Groups 'A' through 'N' covered "General Ordnance Supplies"; including
E57 Organizational equipment, spare parts, tools, accessories, and supplies for controlled submarine mine materiel.
E58 Gun, 16-inch, MK. II M1. on Barbette Carriages M4, and M5
E59 Gun, 6-inch T2. on Barbette Carriages M3, and M4 6-inch gun M1
E60
E61 Power plant, M1 (for 16-inch gun batteries)
E62 Power plant, M2 (for 12-inch gun batteries)
E63 Power plant, M3 (for 8-inch gun batteries)
E64 power plant, M4 (for 6-inch gun batteries)
E65
E66 Combined list of all parts and organizational, and base maintenance spare parts and equipment for release buoy M2, (controlled submarine mine material)
J22 special tools for sighting and fire control material, used with small?
J23 special cannon bore inspection equipment
J24 special tools for large caliber free flight rocket material. (group D)
J25 tool set special, organizational maintenance, missile repair, Corporal XSSM-A-17.
J26
J27
J28 Special Tool Sets, for special weapons,(group D)
J29 Special Tool Sets, for guided missiles (group Y)
S1. Special Tool Sets, for Corporal guided missile materiel
S2. Special Tool Sets, for Nike guided missile materiel
J30
J31
J32 Special Tool Sets for Sighting & Fire Control Materiel Used with Small Arms, Automatic Guns, Mortars, & Field Artillery
J33 Tool Set, Field, Special, Ordnance Ballistic & Technical Service Team & Cannon Bore Inspection Equipment
J34 Special Tool Sets for Large Caliber Free Flight Rocket Materiel
(NOTE- after J-34 tools are listed individually, and number into the 700's)
Group "K" material
Fluids, Gases, expendables
K1 Cleaning, preserving, and lubricating materials, recoil fluids, special oils, and similar items of issue. (Paint included).
K2 Soldering, brazing and welding materials, gases, and related items.
K3 Lubricating equipment, accessories and related dispensers.
K4 Oil filter elements
Group "L" material
Target material
L1 Targets, and Target equipment. small arms.
L2 Major items of Group L.
L3 Targets and target material, fixed armament, parts and equipment.
L4 M3 field artillery trainer, (fires 1-inch steel balls. via compressed air).
L5 Skeet and trap shooting equipment
L6 discharger, smoke puff, parts and equipment
L7
L8
L9 Target, fast moving ground, M2, parts and equipment.
L10 projector target, rocket, M1
L11
L12 Board terrain, M1
L13 Kit Training, Gunnery, M36.
L14 target seacoast, M18
L15 Target tow, Mk.22 A6B, and A7
Group "M" material
Electrical apparatus and Miscellaneous[12]
M1 Electrical apparatus units and parts
M2 Unassigned (1944 ORD2)
M3 Miscellaneous accessory units and parts
M4 Unassigned (1944 ORD2)
M5 Component parts common to two or more groups.
M6 Unassigned (1944 ORD2)
M7 Unassigned (1944 ORD2)
M8 Miscellaneous Chests, Kits, Racks, and tool rolls, cleaning materials, and small stores. (without contents)
M9 Miscellaneous ordnance motor vehicle units and parts.
M10 Unassigned (1944 ORD2)
Group "N" material
Tool sets
N1 Maneuvering material and supplies.
N2
N3
N4
N5
N6
N7 Ordnance medium tank company.
N8 Tools and supplies for ordnance light maintenance company.
N9 Measuring, impression, testing, and reconditioning outfits.
N10 Surveillance, demolition, testing, equipment.
N11 General tools and supplies, ordnance depot company
N12 General tools and supplies, ordnance ammunition company
N13
N14
N16
N17 General tools, and supplies, for ordnance ammunition company.
N18 Tool set, armorers, tank destroyer battalion.
N19 Tool sets, motor transport Basic.
N20 Tool set Armorers, field artillery Battalion.
N21 Ordnance maintenance sets.
N22
N23 Tool-set, unit equipment, special for posts camps, and stations.
N24
N25
N30 Tool-sets, for ordnance service command automotive shops.
Group "O" material
Unknown or unused[11]
Group "P" material
Ammunition for heavy artillery
P1 Projectiles, separate loading, 6-inch to 240 mm inclusive
P2 Charges, propelling, separate loading, 6-inch to 240 mm inclusive for harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery.
P3 Projectiles, separate loading, 10-inch to 16-inch inclusive, for harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery. including complete round data.
P4 Charges, propelling, separate loading, 10-inch to 16-inch inclusive, for harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery.
P5 Ammunition for antiaircraft artillery
P6 Ammunition, fixed, including subcaliber ammunition, for harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery
P7 Fuzes, Primers, Blank ammunition, and miscellaneous items for antiaircraft, harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery
P8 Ammunition instruction material, for antiaircraft, harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery
P9 Ammunition, obsolete and nonstandard for harbor defense, heavy field and railway artillery.
P10 Packing materials used by field service for antiaircraft, harbor defense, heavy field, and railway artillery service ammunition
P11 Special Ammunition Surveillance, Testing, Inspection, and Renovation: Tools and Supplies
Group "Q" material
Special weapons material
Q1 Major items and major combinations of
Group "R" material
Ammunition for pack, light, and medium field artillery
R1 Ammunition, fixed and semifixed, all types, including subcaliber for pack, light, and medium field artillery including complete round
R2 Projectiles, and propelling charges, separate loading, for medium field artillery including complete round data.
R3 Service fuzes and primers for pack, light, and medium field artillery
R4 Ammunition, trench mortar, including fuzes, propelling charges and other components
R5 Ammunition, blank, for Pack, Light, and Medium field artillery
R6 Ammunition instruction material for pack, light, and medium field artillery
R7 Land Mines and Fuzes, Demolition Material, and Ammunition for Simulated Artillery and Grenade Fire
R8 Ammunition complete and nonstandard
R9
R10 Packing materials used by field service
Group "S" material
Bombs, grenades, pyrotechnics
S1 Bombs, aircraft, all types
S2 Fuzes and miscellaneous explosive components for aircraft bombs
S3 Fin assemblies, and miscellaneous inert components for aircraft bombs
S4 Grenades, hand and rifle, and fuzing components
S5 Pyrotechnics, military, all types
S6 Ammunition instruction material for grenades, pyrotechnics, and aircraft bombs
S7 Guided missile complete rounds, all types
S8 Guided missile explosive components, all types
S9 Rockets, all types, and components
S10 Obsolete and nonstandard bombs, grenades, pyrotechnics, and rockets.
S11 Materials for renovating and packaging of Group S ammunition and miscellaneous items
Group "T" material
Small arms ammunition
T1 Ammunition for Rifle, Carbine, and Automatic gun.
T2 Ammunition for revolver, automatic pistol, and submachine gun.
T3 Shells for shotgun
T4 Miscellaneous service components of small arms ammunition, and instruction material for field service account.
T5 Shipping and packaging containers and materials, including such items as Bandoleers, Belts, Clips, Links, and odds and ends for small arms ammunition.
T6 Ammunition, small arms, obsolete and nonstandard.
Y17 Servicer, acid M2, and fuel M3, guided missile
Y18 test set launching area, portable electrical equipment, XM20
Y19 test set, electrical equipment, guided missile, XM22
Y20 tester missile hydraulic, XM14
Y21 Draining kit, oxidizer, guided missile, M53
Y22 Cable system fire control, M26, and launching M27
Y23
Y24
Y25
Y26 Tracking Station Group OS-1595/MPA-5;Missile Tracking Antenna-Receiver-Transmitter Group OA-1485/MPA; and Target Tracking Antenna-Receiver-Transmitter Group OA-1488/MPA: Addition of Waveguide Switch and Dummy Load (Nike Hercules Antiaircraft Guided Missile System) (U)
Y27
Y28 Director-Computer Group OA-1479/MSA-19: Burst Time Change (Nike Hercules Anti-Aircraft Guided Missile System) (U)
Y29
Y30
Y31
Y32 Target aerial, OQ-19B, and OQ-19D (Quail)[8]
Y33 Launcher, rotary, aerial target, A-2
Y34 Catapult, aerial target, rocket powered, A-7
Y35 Starter, external electric, J-5
Y36 Cart universal starter, model RPES-3A
Y37 Test box equipment, aerial target
Y38 stand universal, model HS-2, and cradle target handling
Y39 Tracking Station Group OA-1595/MPA-5: Bore-sight Drift Reduction, Gain Control Increase, and System Reliability Improvement (Nike-Hercules Antiaircraft Guided Missile System)
Y40
Y41
Y42
Y43
Y44
Y45
Y46
Y47
Y48
Y49 Draining kit, fuel, guided missile, M54
Y50 Radar set group, semitrailer mounted, OA-652/MPO-25. (Corporal II)
Y71 Semitrailer, van, tracking station, M323. (Corporal II)
Y72
Y73
Y74
Y75
Y76
Y77
Y78
Y79
Y80
Y92 Group Y Field and Depot Maintenance Allowance for Radar Course Directing Central Common Items List Consisting of: Antenna and Mast Group; Antenna-Receiver-Transmitter Group, Acquisition; Antenna-Receiver-Transmitter Group, Missile Tracking; Antenna-Receiver-Transmitter Group, Target Tracking; Director-Computer Group; Electronic Shop, Trailer Mounted, M304; Tracking Station Group; Test Set, Radar TS-847A/MSW-1 (Nike-Hercules Antiaircraft Guided Missile System)
Y100 Field change kits for surface-to-surface guided missile systems
Y101 Field change kits for surface-to-air guided missile systems
Group "Z" material
Captured Foreign material
Z1 Major items and major combinations of German material
Z2 Major items and major combinations of Japanese material
^ a bUS Army Technical Manual TM 9-280 Caliber .22 Rifles, All Types; 16 March 1944 edition; pg.4
^Ground Signal Projector Is Hand Held Mortar, November 1942, Popular Science
^ a bWhen codes combine letters and numerals, the letters I, O, and Z are sometimes avoided, because they can be confused with numerals 1, 0, and 2, respectively – especially, when hand-written, see Avoiding Confusion With Alphanumeric Characters – National Institutes of Health.Gov
^Ordnance Publications For Supply Index, July 1943, p. 134.
References, general
Ordnance Publications For Supply Index (OPSI) (pdf). Washington: War Department, Ordnance Office. 1 July 1943. Introduction to The Ordnance Catalog, Index of Standard Nomenclature Lists, Ordnance Provision System Regulations, Schedules of Stores Reports, Ordnance Storage and Shipment Charts, and Alphabetical Listing of Major Items[permanent dead link]
ORD 1, (dated Feb. 1955)
ORD 12 SNL OGS 1 Obsolete Major Items of Group A (17 Jul 1945)
TM 9-1900 Ammunition general dated 1945
mm-Aircraft-Guns-1943 TM 9-2200 small arms, Mortars, antiaircraft guns.
TM 9-2300 Standard Artillery and Fire Control Material. dated 1944
TM 9-2300 Artillery Materiel and Associated Equipment. dated May 1949
Army Vehicle Identification Numbers by Dennis Spence, ISBN 0-938242-10-5
The Ordnance Department : procurement and supply"
Monthly catalog of United States Government publications #582, July 1943, 1705 pages (listed under War Department)
Nike Missiles Manuals Collection, 1951-1987 (archived) (in Group Y – GOGA 35286, Golden Gate National Recreation Area)
External links
Army Ordnance Association, October 6th 1922
U.S. Army Artillery Museum Archived 2019-07-21 at the Wayback Machine