Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual Change 2 TM 9-1300-200 for Ammunition, General, March 1977
Item Overview
This official U.S. Army Change 2 publication updates TM 9-1300-200, Ammunition, General. Headquarters, Department of the Army, issued the change on March 4, 1977, for the original manual dated October 3, 1969. This listing includes the Change 2 update only. It is not the complete base manual and should be used with the original TM 9-1300-200 and any earlier pages that were not replaced. No ammunition, explosives, weapons, tools, or other equipment are included.
Publication Details
This change packet supplied replacement and added pages that allowed Army personnel to bring an existing copy of TM 9-1300-200 up to its March 1977 standard.
- Manual number: TM 9-1300-200
- Official title: Ammunition, General
- Publication type: Change 2 update
- Change date: March 4, 1977
- Base manual date: October 3, 1969
- Issuing authority: Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Country of origin: United States
- Required publication: Original TM 9-1300-200 base manual
- Item included: Change 2 pages only
Purpose of Change 2
Change 2 instructed users to remove listed old pages and insert the revised pages in their place. New or changed text was marked by vertical bars in the page margins, while added or revised illustrations were marked beside their figure numbers. The change sheet was then filed at the front of the manual for future reference. This system kept military publications current without requiring the Army to print an entirely new manual after every revision.
Material Updated by Change 2
The March 1977 update revised parts of the front matter, general ammunition information, artillery-ammunition chapter, appendix, and index. It also added pages on newer cargo-type munitions and expanded the manual’s coverage of scatterable mines. These additions show how Army ammunition technology changed between the late 1960s and the late 1970s.
- Revised introductory and general-information pages
- Updated artillery-ammunition illustrations and descriptions
- 155mm M483A1 high-explosive projectile information
- M251 warhead and cluster-bomb-unit illustrations
- Dual-purpose munition information
- Expanded chapter covering scatterable mines
- M56 aircraft mine-dispersing subsystem coverage
- M132 practice and M133 training subsystem information
- Revised appendix and index pages
About TM 9-1300-200
TM 9-1300-200 served as a general reference for the identification, classification, and physical features of conventional military ammunition. The complete manual addressed many ammunition families instead of one firearm or weapon. Its subjects included small-arms cartridges, artillery ammunition, rockets, grenades, mines, demolition materials, pyrotechnics, bombs, and guided-missile components. Specialized manuals supplied more detailed instructions for individual ammunition types and weapon systems.
Weapons-System History
The original 1969 manual appeared while the U.S. Army was using a mix of established ammunition and newer Cold War designs. By 1977, cargo projectiles, dual-purpose submunitions, and rapidly placed minefields had become more important. Change 2 added material connected with the M483A1 155mm projectile and the M56 mine-dispersing subsystem used with the UH-1H helicopter. These examples reflect the Army’s effort to give artillery and aviation units wider area coverage while supporting new tactical methods.
Historical Background
The October 1969 edition replaced older general ammunition guidance that traced back to TM 9-1900 and its 1956 Air Force counterpart. It was published during the Vietnam War, when the military managed a large and varied supply of conventional munitions. Change 2 followed in 1977 and brought the manual closer to the ammunition inventory and identification practices of the later Cold War. The update is a useful record of how printed Army references were revised as new equipment entered service.
History of Use
TM 9-1300-200 was distributed to organizations with conventional munitions missions. Ammunition handlers, inspectors, ordnance personnel, storage specialists, and maintenance units used its information to identify military ammunition and understand its general features. Personnel receiving Change 2 removed the superseded pages, inserted the new pages, and kept the change notice at the front of the publication. A complete updated manual could therefore contain pages printed years apart.
Collector and Research Value
Change packets were often separated from their base manuals or discarded after later revisions, making surviving examples useful to military-publication collectors. This March 1977 update can help complete or restore a period copy of TM 9-1300-200. It is also a valuable research source for studying Cold War ammunition development, Army publication systems, artillery submunitions, and scatterable-mine programs.
Condition
This vintage military publication may show cover wear, edge wear, folds, yellowing, stains, writing, stamps, punched holes, loose pages, or other signs of age and storage. The number and condition of the change pages may vary between available copies. Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item.
Ideal For
This Change 2 publication is well suited for collections, research projects, historical displays, and the completion of an existing TM 9-1300-200 manual.
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- Cold War and Vietnam-era ammunition research
- Military ordnance reference collections
- TM 9-1300-200 manual restoration
- 155mm artillery-ammunition research
- Scatterable-mine system research
- Museum and archival collections
Approx length 8", Approx width 11", Approx height .2", Approx weight .2lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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