This article is a part of Arma 3 Asset Guides.
Battle Quotes
“The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country.”
— General George S. Patton Jr.
To provide a condensed, quick-reference guide for all common small arms munitions and ordnance. Ammunition is our most precious resource. This document enables commanders and fighters to identify and employ the correct ordnance to maximize lethality and conserve assets. Make every shot count.
| Designator | Description | Tactical Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Subsonic | Travels below the speed of sound, eliminating supersonic “crack.” | Requires a suppressor for stealth. Use for covert sentry removal. Reduced range/penetration. |
| Tracer | Pyrotechnic base leaves a visible light trail. | Excellent for directing fire but immediately reveals your position. Use sparingly (e.g., 4:1 mix). |
| IR-DIM | Infrared tracer visible only with NVGs. | A decisive night-fighting advantage. Allows fire direction without revealing position to the naked eye. |
NOTE: Magazine Standards: STANAG vs. PMAG
“STANAG” refers to the NATO standardization agreement, not a specific magazine. Polymer magazines (PMAG, etc.) are built to this standard and are functionally interchangeable with standard metal magazines.
| Caliber | Designation | Type | Tactical Assessment & Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| .50 / 12.7mm | M33 Ball | Anti-Materiel | Primary tool for destroying light vehicles & static weapons. Devastating vs. personnel and cover. |
| 5.45x39mm | 7N6 / 7N6M | Standard Ball | General purpose. Effective vs. unarmored targets. Use freely. |
| 7N10 | Enhanced Pen. | Workhorse armor-defeating round. Use for assaults on military positions. | |
| 7N22 | Armor Piercing | Highest penetration. Reserve for confirmed heavy infantry threats. | |
| 7T3M | Tracer | Load in RPK-74 magazines for support gunners. | |
| 7U1 | Subsonic | Suppressed AKS-74U only. For covert, close-range work. | |
| 5.56x45mm | M193 | Standard Ball | Excellent vs. unarmored targets (police). Less effective vs. armor or from short barrels. |
| M855A1 (EPR) | Enhanced Pen. | PRIMARY COMBAT ROUND. Excellent all-around performance against armor and cover. | |
| M856A1 | Tracer | Tracer counterpart to M855A1. For support gunners. | |
| Mk262 Mod 1 | Sniper Grade | SNIPERS/DMRs ONLY. Exceptional accuracy and terminal performance. Do not waste. | |
| Mk318 Mod 0 | Barrier-Blind | URBAN COMBAT & VEHICLE AMBUSH. Defeats glass/car doors effectively. | |
| SBLR | Short Barrel | Optimized for carbines with barrels <14.5“. Provides better lethality in SBRs. | |
| 7.62x39mm | 57-N-231 | Standard Ball | Good vs. light cover and unarmored targets. Poor vs. modern armor. |
| 57-N-231S | Tracer | Load in RPK magazines for support gunners. | |
| 7.62x51mm | 7N1 / 7N14 | Sniper Grade | SNIPERS ONLY. Strategic asset for long-range engagements. Use is restricted. |
| Category | Designation | Type / Mechanism | Tactical Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Tank | RKG-3EM | Hand Grenade, Shaped Charge | Close-range ambush of light armor (top armor). High risk to user. |
| Concussion | Fakel / M84 | Stun / “Flashbang” | Room clearing. Disorients targets for several seconds. Enter on detonation. |
| Fragmentation | M67 / RGD-5 | Timed Frag (3-5s) | Standard offensive/defensive grenade. Effective for clearing rooms and trenches. |
| RGN / RGO | Impact/Timed Frag | Highly effective. Impact fuze gives targets no time to react. RGO has larger defensive radius. | |
| VOG (“Khattabka”) | Improvised Frag | Field-modified VOG round. Unreliable and dangerous, but potent. Use as a last resort. | |
| Incendiary | M14 TH3 | Thermite | Equipment destruction. Burns hot enough to destroy radios, weapons, or engine blocks. |
| M15 WP | White Phosphorus | Area denial & smoke. Ignites on contact with air, creates smoke, causes severe burns. | |
| Smoke | RDG-2 / NSP-N | Smoke Screen | Essential for maneuver. Use to screen movement, blind enemy positions, or mark locations. |
Logistics win wars. A commander who cannot account for their ammunition and ensure it is used to its maximum potential is a commander who has already failed. Know your rounds. Use them with discipline. Make every shot count.
Battle Quotes
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
— Sun Tzu