unusual 303 identification please

[eodda]

Tony

I bow to your superior knowledge - I was sceptical, but can now see that I was mistaken! well done!

eodda

 

[TonyE]

Thanks

I don't know about superior knowledge, we all deserve to get something rigght occassionally!

Regards
TonyE

 

[MissingSomething]

Kudos to you TonyE. I was sceptical about the extruded core until it was explained to me better.

I was putting together that the core was extruding while it was still in the case. Obviously with the heat the round detonated and then the core baked out of its jacket. Very interesting that a bullet would do that.

<bows to TonyE>

Thank-you my master :cheer:



Thanks eodda for providing the sample and creating this educational opportunity.

 

[staples57]

First apologies ,this round is from eodda.s post i deleted it by accident when posting the picture .Eodda please can you add your info again
Anyway this was found whilst clearing a wrecked aircraft,A 303 round with a lead spigot does anyone have any ideas what it is

Hello,

I realize that this round was found in a the wreckage of an aircraft, but could be a .303 drill / practice round?

Some British & Canadian made .303 drill / practice rounds use a wood core (dyed red) as a spacer (possibly to represent the cordite charge?) inside the brass casing. Small holes were then drilled in the brass casing to indicate that it was a drill round, also to expose the red wooden insert.

I've been told that one of the main reasons for the wood insert was to avoid inserting the projectile too far in the brass casing.
Could this be a variation on the same?

/Brad

 

[TonyE]

.303 Drill

Sorry, but no. The wood spacer was to prevent the bullet being pushed back into the case with constant use, continually being loaded and fed into weapons during training.

There were ten marks of .303 drill round in British service (and Commonwealth countries generally followed British practise), plus five marks of Inspector's Dummy and two Marks of Armourer's MG dummy, but none of these had a lead spacer.

The proof of the pudding as they say is in the X-ray and weight. There is no lead core left in the envelope and the weight is 174 grains, EXACTLTY the specification weight of a Mark VII ball round.

Regards
TonyE

 

[phil337]

could be a tool of some sort, for armourers?

 

[poltewerke]

First apologies ,this round is from eodda.s post i deleted it by accident when posting the picture .Eodda please can you add your info again
Anyway this was found whilst clearing a wrecked aircraft,A 303 round with a lead spigot does anyone have any ideas what it is

Judging by the length of core extrusion - another mm. or two and it would have exited the bullet completely. Guess the expanding gases from bullet tip fiber material had exhausted them self at this point. Cheers, Ron.

 

[TonyE]

could be a tool of some sort, for armourers?

Sorry Phil337, but it is what it is. A .303 bullet that has had the core extruded out by gas pressure from a burning fibre wad. As I said earlier, there is no lead left in the bullet and the whole weighs 174 grns - exactly what it should!

I wonder why everyone is so reluctant to accept this explanation?

Anyway, welcome to the Forum Phil.

Regards
TonyE

 

[poltewerke]

Sorry Phil337, but it is what it is. A .303 bullet that has had the core extruded out by gas pressure from a burning fibre wad. As I said earlier, there is no lead left in the bullet and the whole weighs 174 grns - exactly what it should!

I wonder why everyone is so reluctant to accept this explanation?

Anyway, welcome to the Forum Phil.

Regards
TonyE

l think they are trying to ''Wind you up'' old mate. As ever, Ron.

 

[falcon5nz]

Thats damned cool! I want one now. Just got go find an A/C crash site. My mates old man found an Airspeed Oxford once. First person to see it since it had last taken off 20 years before. That would have been cool. Very sobering though