303 ammo question

[p246]

My memory has failed me. I located 300 Rds of British 303 surplus that I'm working on buying. It's dated from 1931 to 1955. I'm trying to remember what year the Brits went away from corrosive primers. Most of it is Kynoche manufactured. There is some U marked South African but not much.

[Vern Humphrey]

It doesn't cost a penny to treat it all as corrosive -- just wash out the barrel with hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly.

[bonnie]

As above or mix a small bottle 1/2 water and 1/2 ammonia. Run a couple of wet patches through when done firing then a couple more at home. Dry bore then oil. Known others who used Windex with ammonia to do the same.

[Vern Humphrey]

Back when I was a young recruit, some army ammo was still corrosive. The rule was, "Clean on the day of firing and for three days thereafter." In other words, clean it four times.

[PhillipM]

As above or mix a small bottle 1/2 water and 1/2 ammonia. Run a couple of wet patches through when done firing then a couple more at home. Dry bore then oil. Known others who used Windex with ammonia to do the same.

I've seen data from a chemist. Water is what's doing the work, ammonia does practically nothing other than maybe enhance surface wetting. Hot water is best, I boil it in my tea kettle and pour it immediately.

[Vern Humphrey]

I've seen data from a chemist. Water is what's doing the work, ammonia does practically nothing other than maybe enhance surface wetting. Hot water is best, I boil it in my tea kettle and pour it immediately.
The advantage to using boiling water -- particularly if you pour it into a bucket and suck it up through the bore by pumping a patch up and down, is that it heats the steel to the point that when you set the rifle aside, it dries thoroughly. No worry about water in nooks and crannies.

[p246]

Thanks for the reply's, If its corrosive I pull the bullets if its not I don't. I know I can shoot it and clean it accordingly I just choose to not too in my No 1 mark IIIs and III*s. Mainly because no one is making new barrels. I plan to live another 40 years so I'm thinking long term which means I'll get hit by a car tomorrow.

[Art]

My understanding is that all U.K. manufactured .303 British, with the possible exception of some late Mk VIIz is corrosive. I'd be more concerned about the age of some of that ammo than whether the primers are corrosive. I personally consider all European military ammo manufactured before the 1980s corrosive unless specifically advertised otherwise and even then I'm cautious. Clean properly and you'll have no problem. I've shot a lot of corrosive ammo in 7.92x57IS, .303 British, and 7.62x54r Russian. All were cleaned properly and promptly and all have sparkling bright and shiny bores.

[p246]

My understanding is that all U.K. manufactured .303 British, with the possible exception of some late Mk VIIz is corrosive. I'd be more concerned about the age of some of that ammo than whether the primers are corrosive. I personally consider all European military ammo manufactured before the 1980s corrosive unless specifically advertised otherwise and even then I'm cautious. Clean properly and you'll have no problem. I've shot a lot of corrosive ammo in 7.92x57IS, .303 British, and 7.62x54r Russian. All were cleaned properly and promptly and all have sparkling bright and shiny bores.

Thanks Art. Most of this was not stored properly which I probably should have added. I figure a lot of it will be click bang stuff which is annoying when your shooting long range. Anyway some of it is still in the original box in stripper clips and wax paper (1937 dated). That I'll keep as a collector item if I get it bought. The rest I'll probably pull when I get what I have loaded shot up. Some of it depends on head stamps. I did see two rounds of old 215 grain round nose with head stamp of "ELEY LONDON". Those will go to my 303 ammo collection. I haven't researched the head stamp yet but am familiar with the ELEY Brothers and the fact that they made 303 ammo. I think off the top of my head the ELEY LONDON head stamp is commercial.

[Art]

Thanks Art. Most of this was not stored properly which I probably should have added. I figure a lot of it will be click bang stuff which is annoying when your shooting long range. Anyway some of it is still in the original box in stripper clips and wax paper (1937 dated). That I'll keep as a collector item if I get it bought. The rest I'll probably pull when I get what I have loaded shot up. Some of it depends on head stamps. I did see two rounds of old 215 grain round nose with head stamp of "ELEY LONDON". Those will go to my 303 ammo collection. I haven't researched the head stamp yet but am familiar with the ELEY Brothers and the fact that they made 303 ammo. I think off the top of my head the ELEY LONDON head stamp is commercial.

With .303 British stripper clips going for around a buck a pop they alone may make it worth while. I've found .303 British MkVII pulled bullets to be excellent when hand loaded with modern components. In my rifles they seem to work at least as well as BTHP match.

Ely made a lot of commercial ball ammo for the Brit civilian market "back in the day."

[Sunray]

When in doubt treat it as corrosive. However, you only need hot water. No soap or ammonia is necessary.
Kynoch made and still makes commercial hunting ammo too. They still load a 215 grain SP.
1931 dated ammo will be Mk VII(Accepted in 1910) loaded with smokeless powder using either a Boxer or Berdan primer. A 215 RN(Accepted in 1904) military ball cartridge is a Mk VI and is Berdan primed with smokeless.
Arms Corporation of the Philippines currently uses the 'ELEY' head stamp too. 'ELEY London' is a pretty safe bet that it's not from the PI though. snicker. Especially as ELEY merged with Kynoch in 1926.