NATO Cross
Definition
A circle with cross symbol stamped on military cartridge headstamps confirming the round meets the relevant NATO STANAG specification; found on production from multiple member-state manufacturers including LC, WCC, RG, and S+B.
- Also called
- Circle-cross NATO STANAG mark
- Found on
- Military cartridge headstamps
- Confirms
- Compliance with NATO STANAG specification
- Example makers
- LC, WCC, RG, S+B
Common questions
Why does the NATO cross matter to a firearms examiner reading a headstamp?+
It tells the examiner the round was produced to a shared military specification rather than a purely commercial one, which narrows the pool of likely sources and helps distinguish standard NATO-spec ammunition from commercial or non-NATO military production sharing the same calibre.
Does the presence of a NATO cross identify the country of manufacture?+
Not on its own. The cross confirms the specification, while the headstamp letters or codes, such as LC for Lake City or RG for Radford, identify the specific manufacturer, so both elements are read together to place the round's origin.
Related terms
- CIP
- Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes a Feu Portatives; the European proof body that standardises chamber and cartridge specifications for European...
- GRC Database
- General Rifling Characteristics database maintained by the FBI Laboratory's Firearms and Toolmarks Unit; includes an ammunition component section that references headstamp codes...
- Imperial Calibre Notation
- Calibre designation using decimal fractions of an inch, often with a name suffix indicating the designer or intended firearm (e.g. .45 ACP,...
- IOF
- Indian Ordnance Factory headstamp code (produced at Khadki / Kirkee, Pune); the primary Indian government producer of 9x19mm, .38 Special, and 7.62x51mm...
- LC
- Lake City Army Ammunition Plant headstamp code; the primary US military ammunition producer for small-arms calibres including 5.56x45mm, 7.62x51mm, and .50 BMG.
- Metric Calibre Notation
- Calibre designation using bullet diameter in millimetres multiplied by case length in millimetres (e.g. 9x19mm, 7.62x39mm, 5.56x45mm); standard in NATO and European...
- NABIS
- National Ballistics Intelligence Service; the UK police intelligence service that maintains a national headstamp and firearm reference collection and coordinates ballistic intelligence...
- Primer Sealant
- Coloured lacquer applied at the primer-to-case-head junction on military cartridges to prevent moisture ingress; colour varies by manufacturer and is not a...
- RG
- Radway Green headstamp code (UK); BAE Systems' Royal Ordnance Factories facility and primary UK military small-arms ammunition producer.
- S+B
- Sellier and Bellot headstamp code (Czech Republic, now part of CBC Group); a major European commercial and military-contract producer exported globally including...
- SAAMI
- Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute; the US voluntary standards body that publishes chamber and cartridge drawings and maximum average pressure (MAP)...