280/30 id

[raymeketa]

Speaking of 280/30 cartridges - I'd like to get a confirmation of one in my meager collection.

Headstamp is RG 50 280\30
Color tip is yellow
Bullet is magnetic all over (GMCS ?)

Labbett & Mead describe two bullets with yellow tip:

Type 'B' with lead core.
Type 'B' with GMCS jacket, lead core with paper tip filler.

Are those one and the same? Is that what I have?

Attached is photo. Cartridge in question on right. Hard to see the yellow but the persistent Arizona sun makes outdoor photography impossible.:tinysmile_twink_t:

Thanks

Ray

 

[TonyE]

Yellow tip

As far as I know, they are one and the same Ray.

The other yellow tip is the early version of the 7mm Mark Iz with the Belgian S12 bullet.That has a CNCS envelope so is instantly recognisable, as in the attached picture.

Regards
TonyE

 

[raymeketa]

Thanks Tony.

I also have one of the coal-dust filled dummies. I'm still trying to learn the various British experimentals. I have many of them and have depended on L&M and your articles to ID them. As if the US 7.62 and 5.56 experimentals is not enough.:tinysmile_hmm_t:

Ray

 

[EODGUY]

OK, let me add my 280/30's to this string and Tony, if you are out there, can you comment on my identifications. Peter had a copy of his 280/30 writings set aside for me, but unfotunately passed away before I could get them from him so I am going by several other references. I never have been confident in my identifications.

Photo 1

Type A, 130 grain mild steel core ball. Aluminum case with red dot on the base, RG 49 280/30
Type AA 140 grain mild steel core ball. RG 50 280/30.
7mm Mk IZ ball. Yellow tipped CNball. Headstamp RG 51 280/30.
Type B 140 grain lead core ball. Yellow tipped GMCS ball. Headstamped RG 51 280/30.
Type B 140 grain lead core ball. Yellow tipped GMCS ball. Headstamped RG 50 280/30.
Type B 140 grain mild steel core. GM jacket with green tip. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.
Type C 140 grain mild steel core. GM jacket with a pink tip. Headstampo K49 280/30.
Type C 140 grain mild steel core. GM with a pink tip. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.

Photo 2

Blank. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.
Armor Piercing. GM with a light blue tip. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.
Armor piercnig incendiary. GM with a black tip. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.
Tracer. GMCS with a white tip. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.
Tracer??? GMCS with a red tip. Headstamp R 49 80/30.
Dummy. No primer. GM with a green tip. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.
Dummy. No primer. GM plain. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.

Photo 3

These I have not pinned down yet.

Plain CN. Headstamp RG 50 280/30.
Plain CN. Headstamp FN 51 280/30.
Plain GM. Headstamp RG 49 280/30.

I have six of the 280 series I also have doubts on but I will stick to these. Tell me I'm wrong Tony!! Bob

 

[TonyE]

.280/30

The only identification that I would query is the red tipped "RG 49 .280/30", which should be a 130 grain Observation round. The others all seem OK. The green tipped drill round should be coal dust filled.

Of your unidentified ones, the first is the RG loaded with the FN made S12 140 grain bullet, usually called the "Continental Mauser" bullet in the UK. This would becme the 7mm Mark 1z in 1951.

The second is just an FN loaded .280/30 for their trials with the .280 FAL as well as tested by the UK, and the third untipped RG could be one of several steel cored bullets. D6/L/613, D6/L/795 and D6/L/846 were all 130 grains and D6/L/857 was 140 grains, so by comparative weighing you should be able to tell which weight bullet it is.

First picture shows the difference in red tips. left is the proof round for the Mark 1z and right is the observation round.

The remainder are some of my .280/30s, the last one being FN ones. I can post the .280s later.

Regards
TonyE

 

[EODGUY]

Thanks Tony, as always you are a fountain of great knowledge!

 

[raymeketa]

A couple more questions -

1) I have a K49 280\30 empty primed case that has a single small hole drilled about 11mm (.425") from the base. Is this some type of drill or dummy case, or simply an inert job done by a collector?

2) Is there any significance to the headstamps that are 280\30 as compared to those that are 280/30 ?

Ray

 

[TonyE]

280\30

Ray -

1) I don't think there is any significance which way the slash goes, I think it just depended on who made the bunter.

2) The only thing I can think of was that it was a case made for a pressure test. Is there any sign of an indexing slot on the rim? Other than that I suspect has been done by someone to inert a round.

Regards
TonyE

 

[raymeketa]

Thanks again Tony. I'm fairly certain the empty case is simply one that has been inerted.

I think that I now know everything there is about the 280/30 cartridges.:tinysmile_twink_t2:

Ray