A quick reference to .303 Headstamps

[m3bobby]

Tony, I've seen your name on a number of forums, have you ever put pen to paper, or should I say finger to key pad and written a article on the .303? I know there is enough to write a book on but I'm sure we would all appreciate a slightly in depth look at the cartridge as thats the part of the gun usually over looked.

[zwerge]

Tony, I've seen your name on a number of forums, have you ever put pen to paper, or should I say finger to key pad and written a article on the .303? I know there is enough to write a book on but I'm sure we would all appreciate a slightly in depth look at the cartridge as thats the part of the gun usually over looked.

Hi m3booby,look here..........Amazon.com: A. O. Edwards: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

[TonyE]

Thanks Zwerge, but that is a very incomplete list on Amazon. For a start, the .303 book they show is over 25 years old! It was a first attempt and has long been replaced.

My books currently available are:

"Headstamps and Markings on British .303 inch Service Ammunition". This enables the reader to identify a given round of .303 amo by type, manufacturer, date etc.

"Headstamp Guide. .303 inch British Service Ammunition". This shows all known headstamp styles (excluding different dates) on all known loads of Britsh and Commonwealth .303 inch ammo. It is as complete as I could make it but I always want to hear of anything I have missed.

"British Secondary Small Arms, 1914-1919". This covers all the non standar weapons taken into service by the British during WWI. It is in four parts,
Part 1 - The Arisaka in British Service
Part 2 - RFC and RNAS Small Arms
Part 3 - Land Service Small Arms
Part 4 - Royal Navy Small Arms

Although the above books concentrate on the weapons there is also a great deal of info about the ammunition.

All the above are available direct from me so if you would like further info send me a PM.

There wil be further headstamp guides for other calibres of British ammo but first I need to finish my Ph.D thesis!

Regards
TonyE
There will

[m3bobby]

Thanks Tony, I dare say after the christmas madness has died down I'll be contacting you for a few of your books.

[sirrah]

Thanks TonyE,
I'm not very computer savy, so it took awhile to take and upload pictures. I hope they are actually attached. I had to go back and make sure that it was a pi. It sounds like other than it actually being a pi, you have the markings pegged... Since you seem very schooled on this period/type of ammo, when did the Brits go to pointy bullets??? I very seldom see ammo older than the 1930's so I probably don't really know half of what I think I know about older ammo... Do, you have any enlightening generalties on when most armies went to spitzer bullets? Thanks Again, ---sirrah

[TonyE]

You have exactly what I suggested, an RL manufactured Cordite Ball Mark II made from cases suplied by unknown contractor "6". I have rotated your picture to the normal orientation to make it more obvious.

Britain adopted the Cordite Mark VII Ball round in 1910 with a 160 grain spitzer bullet. Problems with accuracy in the first batches manufactured led to a hurried recall and re-design to the well known 174 grain bullet which was adopted in November 1910.

Other nations adopted spitzer bullets a little earlier, the US in 1906, France in 1898 and Germany in 1905.

RTegards
TonyE

[nunoc13]

Thanks for the info