SMLE 303 Rounds

[Panzer 3]

Hi, guys,
thanks for all the advice in deac rounds, some may learn from it.
I have already deact these today i have done many in the past
including Rons way of popping the caps. We have to deac rounds ron as if you dont have a part one firearms cert you could face jail for even having ammo, this is a very strict country I am glad i gave my F.A.C, up i would not use it now anyway.

Dave.

[packin9]

Strict is an understatement Dave. Good luck with your collection. Ron

[John Brandon]

Nice rounds.

You may already know this, but GB is for Greenwood and Batley, made in Leeds 36 is the date code K is for Kynoch & Co, and again the number denotes the year of manufacture.I have no records of a KI? Could you confirm what is stamped on the base.

These are the only known "K" codes so far

K Kynoch & Co., Witton, Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM

K Indian Government Ammunition Factory Kirkee, near Poona, INDIA

K2 Imperial Chemical Industries Kynoch Factory at Standish UNITED KINGDOM

K4 Imperial Chemical Industries Kynoch Factory at Yeading UNITED KINGDOM

K5 Imperial Chemical Industries Kynoch Factory at Kidderminster UNITED KINGDOM

KF Indian Government Ammunition Factory Kirkee, near Poona, INDIA

KH Indian Government Ordinance Factory, Khamaria, INDIA

KN Kings Norton Metal Co., Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM

KYNOCH Kynoch & Co., Witton, Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM ( now located in Mildenhall, Suffolk)

The annulas colour plays an important part in identifying what type of round you have. Purple is usually Ball, or practice round, and Green is Armour Piercing. sometimes, not always there may be an extra letter on the base denoting that it is in fact AP, other times the annulas was the only clue, It may be in idea just to check this before you start to de-act them. This type of round is covered under section 5 of the firearms act, and is a definate "no no" if caught.

[Steve T]

Panzer3

Nice finds

I agree with John. I don't know of a K1 or KI headstamp.

The VII and W1 indicate that they are standard ball rounds, although again, I agree with John that the green annulas usually denote AP rounds.

I have a slightly different method of de-acting such rounds which is rather more noticable than your methods, (which I shall be trying very soon !!). But then again, the rounds I de-act have been in the ground 60-70 years and I find they are very brittle around the collar. I destroyed many a cartridge trying to extract the bullet !!! So I switched to the other end....

I usually drill a hole near the base of the round and extract the cordite with tweezers, (British 'charge' was long lengths of cordite neatly packed in the round so you can't just empty cordite pellets out like you can the American rounds). Once extracted I then soak the primer in WD40 by simply giving it a quick squirt in the hole I've made.

Whilst this method does put a hole in the cartridge, everything else is as it always was AND my de-acts have the advantage of being readily identifiable as such !!!

Cheers

Steve T

[John Brandon]

Cheers Steve.

I too have dug up rounds from WW1 and they are in remarkable condition. But I have a section one FAC, with part section 5 for AP incendiary, and explosive incendiary so I don't have to de-act, although I can't display them.

However, a small hole drilled near the base, to get the guts out of it, them put a dab of engine oil inside to "kill" the primer

I have over 2000 rounds of "collectable" .303. All different headstamps, and some very rare prototypes. One is the Pomeroy, with nitro glycerine ( that had to be de-acted)

[Steve T]

I have over 2000 rounds of "collectable" .303. All different headstamps, and some very rare prototypes. One is the Pomeroy, with nitro glycerine ( that had to be de-acted)

Nitro glycerine Pomeroy....nice !

I have over 2000 303's now although the majority are spent rounds from the gunnery range I go to. If you're missing any headstamps just give me a PM....I might have ones you're looking for

Cheers

Steve T

PS I presume it is damned hard to get the appropriate authority to keep these relic rounds live ? Wouldn't mind having a chat with you about it one day.

[John Brandon]

I'm now after Mark 5's and 6's................wish full thinking

[Stormtrooper]

I really enjoy De-activating 303 rouns! Why? Because I get to use one of the 3 Enfield "Ammo De-activaters" That I own. I wish I had a Million rounds that needed de-activating! Butch