The S.m.E. ammunition was developed to replace the s.S. ammunition to save on lead and other metals that became scarce in Germany during World War II. The projectile core was covered by a relatively thin layer of lead. Muzzle velocity was and the operating pressure was . For recognition the primer annulus or whole primers were colored blue. S.m.E. bullets were long, boat-tailed, and weighed . The mild steel core weights varied between the four production sub-executions from . From 1942 onwards S.m.E. ammunition practically replaced the s.S. ammunition.