FSC CLASS
FSC GROUP 40
4010 Wire rope, steel
Rope, cable, chain,
4020 Rope, fibrous
and fittings
4030 Hook, guy
FSC CLASS
FSC GROUP 53
5305 Screws
5306 Bolts
Hardware and
5307 Studs, nuts, and
abrasives
washers
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Figure 2-1.--Examples of FSC groups and classes.
The number of classes in each group varies. Each
(Navy stock account [NSA], appropriation purchase
account [APA], or none) as follows:
class covers a particular area of commodities,
depending on the physical or performance charac-
0 denotes material not carried in a stores account.
teristics of commodities or whether the items in the
Even numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8 denote material
class are usually requisitioned or issued together.
earned in an appropriation purchase account
Examples of how the classes are used to divide types
(APA). (This material is issued without charge to
of material within a stock group are shown in figure
the requisitioner.)
2-1. The stock group and the class together are known
as the federal supply classification (FSC).
National Stock Number
A national stock number (NSN) is a 13-digit
number assigned by the Defense Logistics Service
Center (DLSC) to identify an item of material in the
supply distribution system. It consists of a four-digit
FSC and a nine-digit national item identification
number (NIIN). The NIIN consists of a two-digit
national codification bureau (NCB) code and seven
digits which, when used together, uniquely identify
each NSN item in the Federal Supply Distribution
System (FSDS). See figure 2-2.
Cognizance Symbol
A cognizance (control) symbol is a two-position
alphanumeric code that is prefixed to an NSN to
identify and designate the cognizant inventory
manager who exercises supply management over
specified categories of material. The first character of
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the cognizance symbol identifies the stores account
Figure 2-2.--Elements of an NSN.
2-5
