Box of 15 rounds produced by the Germans during the Third Reich.  They are 7.92mm x 57mm, armor piercing, yellow tracer made in 1936.  This ammo is the type that was used by both ground forces and the Luftwaffe. The label gives information about all the components of the rounds.  Powder, casing, bullet components, tracer material and primer.  WASAG, Reinsdorf (Rdf.) is the manufacturer who assembled all the components into a complete cartridge.   There are a lot of collectors of single rounds.  However, once a round is separated from the box, most of the details about the round are lost.  The headstamp gives information about the  cartridge case, only.  Any markings on the bullet will only give some information about the bullet.  Some other basic information is provided by the primer sealant color.  The box label is an absolute requirement to have a complete picture of the ammo it contains. This is a very early date for this type of ammo and is not often seen.  These boxes and labels are in unusually pristene condition and very collectibe.  Anyone who owns a K98k needs several  boxes of ammo for display purposes. $20 per box

With each picture, below, is an interpretation of the label or cartridge information.  It is possible that the label is incorrect, in some cases.

Patr. stands for patronen which means cartridges.   S.m.K. means armor piercing.  Tracer bullets will have a black band at the tip.   L'spur (Leuchtspur) means tracer. (gelb) means yellow. The second line shows that the cartridge components were assembled by WASAG, Reinsdorf.  It was their 3rd delivery lot of 1936. Nz. Gew. Bl. P. means nitro cellulose rifle flaked powder.  (2, 2, 0.45) means the powder particles are 2mm by 2mm by .45 mm.  The powder was made by WASAG, Reinsdorf, delivery lot 30 of 1936. Patrh. means cartridge case.  It was made by Polte (P.),  delivery lot 80 of 1936.  The S.* means the composition of the brass was 72% copper. Gesch. means bullet, made by WASAG, Reinsdorf, delivery lot 78 of 1936. Geschossteile means the armor piercing core.  It was made by Polte (P.).  Delivery lot and date unknown. Bleihemd means the lead sleeve surrounding the bullet core and was made by WASAG, Reinsdorf.  Delivery lot and date unknown. Satz means the yellow tracer composition and was made by WASAG, Reinsdorf, delivery lot 1 of 1936. Zdh. means primer (Zundhutchen), delivery lot 666, 1936.  Maker unknown.

The box maker is stamped on the secondary lid and is Hechler, Darmstadt, 1936.

Black tip means a tracer round.

The  "P" means the cartridge case was made at Polte Armaturen u. Maschinenfabrik A.G.. Magdeburg, Sachen.   36 means it was made in 1936. The S* means the brass used for the cartridge  case is 72 % copper. "80" means delivery lot 80 from Polte in 1936. The red primer sealant means an armor piercing round.