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How to identify Bullet found on Western Front

Y

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Member
Hi, I recently travelled to France and did a tour of some old WW1 battlefields of The Somme.
Whilst wandering some recently ploughed fields I found a complete bullet.
My tour guide said to get it back home I would need to remove the proectile and burn off the powder, which I did.
I am trying to determine now what type of bullet this is, and if it came from the First World War or if it is of more modern origins.
Can someone please tell me how to determine what calibre it is? Do I measure the diameter of the base of the projectile portion?
If so then by my measuring it would appear to be 7mm in diameter.
Thanks in advance.
 
Hello. A photo of the complete round would be very helpful. Can you describe the case? Does it have any markings on the base that you can make out. What length is the case and what length is the projectile?
Thanks
Rob
 
Measure the length of the cartridge case.

If it is 56mm long and has a rim it is a .303 British,
57mm and rimless it is a 7.92 German,
50mm with a rim and sharply tapered it is a French 8mm Lebel.

All should have a bullet diameter of about 8mm, but measuring the bullet above the case neck will show less than this.

That is a pretty rude method of determining calibre but probably enough for you to discover what you have. Of course, as advised a photograph would answer the question!

Regards
TonyE
 
Thanks for the responses.
I've tried to attach a couple of photo's but the images are too large, and I have not been able to reduce the size enough to upload. I'll try and take another shot later at a much lower res and hopefully I can upload them.

The casing looks about 53mm in length -maybe a bit has come off when the guide we were with seperated the projectile.
the projectile 33mm.

Also it looks as if some other metal object has over time fused to the side of the casing, near the bottom. Hopefully when I can upl;oad the photo's it will explain.

Thanks again for the responses.
 
It seems to me that whom ever told you to dismantle a live round and burn off the powder was very irresponsible to me, I have seen peoples fingers blown off my doing such things. Any live ordnance should be left where it is. WF
 
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot said:
Thanks for the responses.
I've tried to attach a couple of photo's but the images are too large, and I have not been able to reduce the size enough to upload. I'll try and take another shot later at a much lower res and hopefully I can upload them.

The casing looks about 53mm in length -maybe a bit has come off when the guide we were with seperated the projectile.
the projectile 33mm.

Also it looks as if some other metal object has over time fused to the side of the casing, near the bottom. Hopefully when I can upl;oad the photo's it will explain.

Thanks again for the responses.
Click to expand...

I usually put my high res images onto a powerpoint slideshow and crop them, then re save the images. Powerpoint reduces the pic resolutions automaticaly, enough to load onto this site with ease.
 
It is a British .303 Ball Mark VII, the standard British infantry cartridge of both world wars and beyond. The case has lost some of the neck due to corrosion and should be 56mm long.

Regards
TonyE
 
A charger is a metal(mostly) clip that enables a rifle to have the magazine loaded(charged) while still in the rifle by putting a loaded charger in to the weapons charger guide and pushing down on the rounds

Photo of Mk III charger for the .303" smle(Short,Magazine Lee-Enfield) and charger & rounds in a charger guide of a MkIII S.M.L.E

TonyP6140035.jpgP6140036.jpg
 
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