Munitions

76mm Blank M335

Also known as
  • 76 mm Blank M335
  • 76mm BLANK M335
  • M335

The 76mm Blank M335 is a fixed 76 mm blank cartridge from the MECAR/Chemring ammunition line for the Saladin and Scorpion gun family. Nexter's catalog lists the round for training sound effects and saluting rather than live-fire target effects, with compatibility across the L5A1 and L23/L23A1 76 mm guns.

76mm Blank M335, 76 mm fixed blank cartridge, Munitions
Image source: 76mm dummy shell.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Belgium / United Kingdom
Built by
MECARChemring
Type
76 mm fixed blank cartridge
Service note
Cold War-era 76 mm tank ammunition family

Specifications

Calibre
76 mm
Round type
Fixed blank cartridge
Gun compatibility
L5A1 and L23/L23A1
Mission
Training sound effects and saluting
Round mass
1.5 kg
Round length
170 mm
Cartridge case
Brass
Primer
Percussion cap
Propellant
150 g
Packaging
5 rounds per twin container, 35 containers per pallet
Operational temperature
-32 C to +62 C
Firing Weapons

Nexter and Chemring place M335 in the 76 mm ammunition set for the L5A1 and L23/L23A1 gun family.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
76 mm L5A1 gun, 76 mm rifled tank gun, Artillery76 mm L5A1 gun76 mm rifled tank gun

Nexter lists M335 for the Saladin's 76 mm L5A1 gun, and Chemring places the round in the 76 mm ammunition family for L5 weapon systems.

Sources: Nexter 2016 Catalog, Chemring Munitions Catalog

76 mm L23A1 gun, 76 mm low-velocity tank gun, Artillery76 mm L23A1 gun76 mm low-velocity tank gun

Nexter lists M335 for Scorpion L23 and L23A1 guns, while Think Defence describes the L23A1 as a lighter derivative of the L5A1 with preserved fixed-ammunition interchangeability.

Sources: Nexter 2016 Catalog, Think Defence

Carrier Vehicles

The same catalog sources tie the blank cartridge to the armored vehicles that carried the compatible 76 mm gun families.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Alvis Saladin, 6x6 armored reconnaissance car, Armored VehiclesAlvis Saladin6x6 armored reconnaissance car

Nexter lists the M335 blank round for the Saladin's 76 mm L5A1 gun family.

Sources: Nexter 2016 Catalog

FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, TanksFV101 Scorpion light tankTracked light tank

Nexter lists the M335 blank round for the Scorpion's L23 and L23A1 76 mm guns.

Sources: Nexter 2016 Catalog

Blank Cartridge Profile

Nexter's catalog gives the M335 a non-lethal training and ceremonial role inside the Saladin and Scorpion 76 mm ammunition family.

TopicDocumented detail
RoleBlank cartridge for training sound effects and saluting.
Compatible guns76 mm L5A1 on Saladin and L23/L23A1 on Scorpion.
Cartridge layoutFixed brass-cased round using a percussion primer and 150 g propellant charge.
Handling profile1.5 kg round mass, 170 mm overall length, and an operating-temperature band from -32 C to +62 C.
PackagingFive rounds per twin container, with 35 containers per pallet.

Source: Nexter 2016 Catalog.

Timeline

76mm Blank M335 Key Events

  1. Chemring acquires MECAR

    Chemring identifies MECAR as a Belgian medium- and large-calibre ammunition manufacturer acquired in September 2010.

    Sources: Chemring heritage

  2. Nexter catalogs M335 as in service

    Nexter's ammunition catalog lists M335 as an in-service 76 mm blank cartridge for the Saladin and Scorpion gun family.

    Sources: Nexter 2016 Catalog

Media

76mm Blank M335 Images

76mm Blank M335, 76 mm fixed blank cartridge, Munitions - view 1
Source: 76mmShell.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
76mm HEP-T M329, 76 mm fixed HESH-T / HEP-T tank-gun round, MunitionsMunitions76mm HEP-T M32976 mm fixed HESH-T / HEP-T tank-gun roundThe 76mm HEP-T M329 is a MECAR high-explosive squash head service round for the British L5A1 and L23/L23A1 76 mm gun family used on Saladin and Scorpion vehicles. Nexter's 2016 ammunition catalog lists it as an in-service fixed HESH-T round for personnel, bunkers, light armour, structures, and other material targets, with a Composition A3-filled projectile, base-detonating graze fuze, M23 tracer, and 533 m/s nominal muzzle velocity.

Sources

Nexter 2016 CatalogPublisher: Internet Archive / Nexter | Note: Supports the M335 designation, in-service status, training and saluting role, L5A1 and L23/L23A1 compatibility, packaging, operating-temperature range, and technical data table. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Chemring Munitions CatalogPublisher: Yumpu / Chemring Group PLC | Note: Supports Chemring's M335 listing and the broader 76 mm L5/L23 ammunition-family context for Saladin and Scorpion vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Chemring heritagePublisher: Chemring Group PLC | Note: Supports MECAR's Belgian ammunition-maker lineage, Chemring's September 2010 acquisition of MECAR, and the later 2014 sale. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Think DefencePublisher: Think Defence | Note: Supports the L23A1 Scorpion gun context and ammunition interchangeability background with the earlier L5A1 family. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Mil-Spec Industries M335 pagePublisher: Mil-Spec Industries | Note: Supports an independent product listing identifying M335 as 76 mm blank ammunition. | Accessed: 2026-06-2976mm dummy shell.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the representative 76 mm dummy shell photograph used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-2976mmShell.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the second representative 76 mm shell photograph in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-29