Hello,

Looking at the images of the SA-4 Ganef / 2K11 Krug, I noticed a large variety of colours on the equipped missiles. Some seem to be a very light grey, others aluminium then again the engine area seems to be a tad darker, steel colour but not on all of them. The tip is also red or the same as the body. I'm guessing that these might be practice or operational missiles and that there might be difference between operating countries.

Can someone please shed some light on the differences?

Many-many thanks in advance for your time and help!
Cristian

Hello!
There is a page where you may find many interesting data for you. The differences are due to the year of manufacture and to the fact that they are exercising weight, working weight / model / sharp rocket.
http://www.rwd-mb3.de/technik3/3m8_tafel.jpg
http://www.rwd-mb3.de/pages/3m105.htm
http://www.rwd-mb3.de/pages/3m8.htm

The sharp rockets are made of aluminum alloy and the gear section is made of stainless steel. This is different in practice rockets, so they rust here. The practicing missile can be similar in color to the sharp / natural alu / but to see large red inscriptions on it / student-uchevnaja /. Except for the crisp and practicing missiles, the cover of the spark plugs is sharp, and this is a metal discarded backwards, and this is rough plastic on the practitioners. Practicing missiles are usually painted in gray, gray-white colors, but for example, the Polish modernized sharp version has also been painted.
A similar coating is the same as the mig-21 teflon gray.

Exactly the kind of information I was looking for! Thank you so much, Gábor!