The Period March 1939 to the late 1940-early 1941 Period in German Occupied Czechoslovakia ( at least the Bohmen und Mahren/Sudeten regions) was a period of “flux” for the various Czech Military Industries.
The ZB plant(s) were undergoing the “t” transition of SA designation and design Changes, and the Ammunition Factories ( S&B, “Z” ) were supplying, for the most part, Police and “non-Wehrmacht” German Forces, using the old, pre-1939 headstamps, even though the labels were in the German Style, but not yet completely “Military”.
IN this “re-organisation” it would be not abnormal for ammo to be “repacked”, to suit the User, from what was available; even from different Plants; BY the end of 1940, both S&B and the “Z” plants were supplying the Wehrmacht, and using the “P Code” numbers assigned to them, and using typical German Military Packet labelling.
But the “Commercial” production of S&B kept producing Ammo ( esp. 9mm and 7,9mm for both the SS and for specific Exports ( ie, Sweden).
THis would include supplies of 9x17K for mostly Internal Police use and secondary Wehrmacht use ( Czech Pistols were widely distributed in the Wmt.).
Of course, by 1943, the “Z” plant, formerly of Bratislava, by then at Povaska Bystrica,(Slovakia)which had assumed the “dou” code indicator, and was combined with the ZB Small Arms Facility there ( also “dou”), was fully engaged in Wehrmacht production.
I have not seen any “Z” marked SAA of any calibre HS after 1940…not even in shell cases retrieved from Russian Front battlefield digs ( where Waffen SS were known to be located- the SS still sourced its ammo from “non-Wehrmacht HS” sources). BY 1943, under the new Munitions Minister(Speer) the Supply chains were unified, and the SS received exactly the same ammo as the Wehrmacht.
If anyone has an example of a Post-1940 “Z” headstamp or packet, I would aprreciate it being shown on this thread. S&B did continue some small “commercial” supplies up to the end of the war (Romania, etc) with the “S&B” H/s. (Mostly Pistol ammo).
Nice to get away from the usual 9 para and 7,9 packets and HS.
Regards,
Doc AV
A V Ballistics.
