WW1 German K Bullets

[Gildwiller1918]

During WW1 the German forces needed a round that could penetrate armor, so the K Bullet or armor piercing round was developed and put into service in 1917. These bullets were first used to penetrate infantry shields and sniper emplacements, however the K bullet could penetrate early tanks and armored vehicles. As the war progressed the allies thickened the armor, making this round less effective. The Tank Gewehr eventually replaced the K round in the anti armor role. The K bullet was fired from the standard rifle or more commonly, the MG08 machine gun.

I have a Spitzgeschoss mit Kern which was a standard armor piercing bullet dated July of 1918 from Polte. S67 marking means the casing was 67% copper. The second round is also a K bullet but the more rare tracer version or Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Leuchtspur. It is marked the same as the previous bullet. K rounds have a red colored area around the primer in the base of the cartridge, the 4 segmented areas on the base of the cartridge indicate it can be used for MG use as well as rifles. WW1 ammunition is getting harder to find, especially specialized ammunition. 

[Fritz]

I used to have a few clips of normal Mauser ammunition dating from WW1, they were still in the original cartridge pouch. They had been unfired and still had the detonators, someone had wisely opened them and removed the charge some time before. I parted with them about twenty years ago. It is now illegal to own any ammunition, spent or not, even the empty cases are now prohibited.
I also found on the Somme in the early 1980s, a quantity of unused French Lebel ammunition, it was simply lying on the surface. These had been from 1915, before the British moved into that sector. I also parted with these in good time.

[Gildwiller1918]

I also remember finding quite a few spent cartridge cases and bullets in the Ypres area a few years ago. Amazing how much is still there. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Since it is somewhat related, here is another one of these bullets, but from WW2. It is a Phosphor mit Kern, verbessert - Tropen or bullet with steel armor piercing core, incendiary, improved-Tropical. The S* stamp on the base means it is made with 72% copper, the 2 stands for lot number, 41 for the year produced. The aux stood for Polte Armaturen und Maschinenfabrik A.G., Werk Magdeburg, Sachsen.