303 mk vi

**4md** · 03-20-2012, 12:59 PM

gday i have owned and shot lee enfields using commercial ammunition but have never had any military ammo
I picked these clips up at the local militaria show on the weekend.
The mk VI is australian made as is most of the mk VII.
Dummy rounds are aussie as well, 1926 dated
any comments or info welcome
regards Paul

**TonyE** · 03-20-2012, 01:39 PM

CAC at Foorscray introduced the Mark VI in 1904 following British adoption and were undated until May 1906, which is actually slightly before the British adopted dated headstamps in 1907. Your undated Mark VI (CAC C VI) may be one of these early rounds or may be from CAC New Zealand who did not date their Mark VI until 1907/8.

CAC Foorscray made dated Mark VI from May 1906 until the changeover to Mark VII in February 1918.

I am sure you know, but for those who might not, the Australian codes on the other rounds are:

MF - Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.1 Footscray
MG - Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.2 Footscray
MH - Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.3 Hendon
MJ - Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.4 Hendon
MQ - Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.5 & 6 Rocklea
MS - Salisbury Explosives Factory
MW - Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.7 Welshpool

The Australian Drill D Mark VI are probably quite common in Australia but are less so here in the UK for obvious reasons.

A nice few rounds.

Regards
TonyE

**4md** · 03-20-2012, 09:27 PM

Cheers Tony, Thanks for the info, I didnt know about the undated CAC. I have a few more ww2 M stamped aussie shells, so i have most of those except the MS
I forgot to say there is two post war 50's rounds in there as well, a R^L (woolwich arsenal) and a FN (belgian i think?)
regards Paul

**TonyE** · 03-21-2012, 09:14 AM

by 4md

Cheers Tony, Thanks for the info, I didnt know about the undated CAC. I have a few more ww2 M stamped aussie shells, so i have most of those except the MS
I forgot to say there is two post war 50's rounds in there as well, a R^L (woolwich arsenal) and a FN (belgian i think?)
regards Paul

Yes, you are correct on the ID of the RL and FN rounds.

The Salisbury (MS) rounds are hard to find, apparently even in Oz. Salisbury was not an SAA factory and only made one batch of .303 Tracer G Mark II.
It failed proof and was ordered destroyed, but some must have escaped.

It took me a long time to find the one in my collection.

Regards
TonyE

**4md** · 03-21-2012, 12:46 PM

I will keep my eyes open for a MS i really want one now, considering its the closest factory to where i live and the rarest

**TonyE** · 03-21-2012, 04:01 PM

In that case I had better give you the details of a couple of others.

When Footscray No.2 first opened in 1940, the original factory briefly used "MF1" and No.2 used "MF2" as headstamps, before reverting to the original "MF" and the new "MG" codes.

These were only used for a couple of months in 1940 and are equally hard to find.

REgards
TonY

**4md** · 03-21-2012, 09:23 PM

i will keep my eyes peeled now, 303's were a very common rifle here.Who knows what the old farmers or shooters have stashed away

**lithgow** · 03-22-2012, 09:28 AM

Any old stuff is getting rare these days-it's been a long time since the end of the Second World War and these days farmers use much more modern weapons in calibres that are cheaper and far more available than decent .303 ammo-reasonable SMLEs are getting hard to find-even the War Stocks were sold off 30 years ago now, most to the US.