.303. What have I been given?

[Barryeye]

My good fortune with the .303 ammunition continues. My friend has just given me an ice cream container full of slightly dirty shells. A slightly damp cloth has cleaned up 3 samples that now feel clean to the touch but still have a very slight matt patina. I have enclosed pictures of what appear to be the 3 most common head stamps and some before and after the damp cloth pictures. Questions. Would you shoot this ammo? Is the damp cloth the best method of cleaning? What do I have and who made them? Most projectiles are nickel “plated”?

[Tuna]

It's all WW2 vintage from what I can see and if it cleans up with a damp cloth then keep at it. To me it's all shooting ammo and being WW2 it's all corrosive primed so as before CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN after shooting and enjoy.

[Barryeye]

Many thanks Tuna. That is the answer I wanted. Guess I'll find out at my next trip to the range but is it a safe bet that it is all berdan primed?

[JimF]

Yup . . . Berdan primed it is! . . . . (It's also a larger diameter primer than our normal large rifle primer) Jim

[Jeremy]

The pic of the three headstamps....the round on the left is Iraqi made .303 with a date I think of 1959.

[John R.]

All Canadian. 303" ammo be it ball, tracer or AP is CORROSIVE PRIMED if it has BERDAN primers and has a DA headstamp.

However ALL AMMUNITION MADE BY DEFENCE INDUSTRIES ( D I headstamp ) with BOXER Primers is NON-CORROSIVE be it 9mm Para, .303 ", .30 M2 cal or 7.92/8mm.They did NOT use Berdan primers at all and your's are Boxer primers.The DCRA issued. 303 " Ball ammo for target shooting up until the A$$hole Lieberal Government decided that Service Rifle Shooting was "WARLIKE" or some such libturd BS back in the mid 1990's so we issued out every round of. 303" and 7.62 Ball we had and never voted Lieberal ever since.

The tracer element does NOT ignite until some metres from the muzzle so is NOT a factor.

Cheers,

JR

[emmagee1917]

And what sort of magicial spell twas cast to make these bullets light some meters from the muzzle ????
Nay , tis not a magical spell , but a type of fuse . And what lights the fuse ? Tis the burning powder from the cartrige. And where does this occur ? In the bore . Will the ash from the bullets fuse coat the bore , get into the gas system , and is it corrosive ?
I cannot say , but I treat my guns as if the answers are yes , yes , yes.
Chris