NATO Reference Cartridges System
In this system, the ammunition manufacturers, in close cooperation with NATO, have set aside a batch (also termed "lot") of ammunition they consider to be of very good quality and representative of ammunition that should be delivered to the armies in the next following years. This batch is maintained at approved NATO test centres and distributed to the manufacturers involved. When a new batch (lot) is delivered, a set of 20 reference cartridges are fired to see how they behave with the local equipment and with the current atmospheric conditions. Results are then compared to the reference values as maintained by the NATO and correctors (delta values) are computed. Then, the current batch (lot) of ammunition is fired and the correctors are applied on the measured value giving a result "comparable" to the reference itself.
This test is performed under normal conditions but also by simulating extreme polar or desert conditions using special cooling equipment and ovens to cool or heat the ammunition under test to the appropriate levels of humidity and temperatures required.
Read more about this topic: NATO EPVAT Testing
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