Interesting Find

[farrokhrt]

Found a box of 303 cartridges at a gun show in Florida a while back I think are pretty cool! It’s a 50 round box of 303 by Kynoch made in November 1952. 174 grains FMJ (solid per box) in 5 round enclips, ‘chargers’. Case heads are marked K52.

 

[Longwalker]

You have a bit of history there! I suggest they are better admired than shot at this stage. They look like they are in good display condition.

 

[farrokhrt]

You have a bit of history there! I suggest they are better admired than shot at this stage. They look like they are in good display condition.

I agree. I don’t intend using any. Don’t even have a rifle in the caliber! Just interesting in collection.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Found a box of 303 cartridges at a gun show in Florida a while back I think are pretty cool! It’s a 50 round box of 303 by Kynoch made in November 1952. 174 grains FMJ (solid per box) in 5 round enclips, ‘chargers’. Case heads are marked K52.
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@farrokhrt
Good find. If it is the only box you have of them they would be a good start to a collection. If not you could always use them for target practice. I have used 303 ammo with the 215 grain copro nickel projectiles manufactured in 1916 and they worked perfectly.
Bob

 

[rookhawk]

@farrokhrt
Good find. If it is the only box you have of them they would be a good start to a collection. If not you could always use them for target practice. I have used 303 ammo with the 215 grain copro nickel projectiles manufactured in 1916 and they worked perfectly.
Bob

yes, you can shoot them for target practice, but why? They are likely still high quality hunting ammo, but even then, why? That full box is worth a fair sum of money.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi farrokhrt,

Nice find! By the way, a friend of mine have me a similar box but of 7mm Mauser...! The box is open, in bad shape and contains 19 cartridges un chargers. "Nitro-Cellulose Powder"!
Perhaps I will shot a few to measure velocity and will take appart one to weight the case, powder and bullet.

Best!

CF

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Sorry, upload some pictures duplicated...!

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

So, 9/39 means were made in September 1939??

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

yes, you can shoot them for target practice, but why? They are likely still high quality hunting ammo, but even then, why? That full box is worth a fair sum of money.

@rookhawk
The best find I ever had in ammo was on a friends aunties property. She told us not to waste hunting ammo on targets as she had some we could have for that.
It was 2x200 litre drums full some with chargers clips and a lot of loose ammo. Various makes and years with some old 215 grainers thrown in.
We had a lot of fun getting thru just one drum of it. That equals one he'll if a lot of shooting.
Bob

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hello,

I weighted the case, powder and bullet of this Kynoch 7mm Mauser K39.

Case, with its Berdan primer: 174 grs
Powder, flake type: 46 grs
Bullet, full metal pointed flat base: 140 grs

I dismantled the worst external corroded one. Inside, the brass is shiny and the powder seems to be in good shape, no odor, dry, and also shiny.

Best!

CF

 

[rookhawk]

Hello,

I weighted the case, powder and bullet of this Kynoch 7mm Mauser K39.

Case, with its Berdan primer: 174 grs
Powder, flake type: 46 grs
Bullet, full metal pointed flat base: 140 grs

I dismantled the worst external corroded one. Inside, the brass is shiny and the powder seems to be in good shape, no odor, dry, and also shiny.

Best!

CF

those cartridges are quite handy for particular African hunting applications. Braining animals like crocs being one good example. 7mm solids of excellent quality are hard to find.

 

[sestoppelman]

I wouldn't shoot that .303 ammo either, collector stuff. Not like .303 shooting ammo is hard to find....

 

[CAustin]

Interesting find sir!

 

[farrokhrt]

So, 9/39 means were made in September 1939??View attachment 370410

Yes

 

[farrokhrt]

I wouldn't shoot that .303 ammo either, collector stuff. Not like .303 shooting ammo is hard to find....

I agree if I needed 303 to shoot I get some new ammo. I’m not a cartridge collector but this was just too cool to pass. I have a few boxes of German WWII vintage 7x57 armor piercing I picked up for same reason - just interesting

 

[mark-hunter]

Here is development of 303 British cartridge, with explanatory text below, if can help to illustrate the thread.

 

[IvW]

Spitzer shaped FMJ ammo is a bad idea for hunting anything, especially crocs in water, a premium grade expanding bullet is a much better option same goes for hippo in the water....

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hello,

For the record...Yesterday, I couldn´t resist my curiosity...! Tried those 140 gr ICI dated 1939 and another old military ammunition, 7mm Mauser Hirtenberger dated 1920 also 140 grs.
Platform: Mauser-Werke 1935 action-S.J.G. 7mm Mauser barrel 60 cm lenght.
Two shots ICI = 1-2698 f/s 2-2713 f/s
Two shots Hirtenberger= 1-2702 f/s 2- 2710 f/s
No delay in the firign, everything like new manufactured ammo...
Same POI, 2" high at 100 m, 1" lower than the load the rifle is sighted in for: 154 Hornady Interlock at 2750 f/s. Good, very good accuracy for this kind, and age, of ammo: less than 2" for the 4 shots!

Best!

CF

 

[bruce moulds]

Spitzer shaped FMJ ammo is a bad idea for hunting anything, especially crocs in water, a premium grade expanding bullet is a much better option same goes for hippo in the water....

and the 303 mkV11 is the worst of all.
the bit of stuff in the nose is designed, as well as to increase b.c., to make the terminal performance of the bullet erratic.
they will sometimes pencil through, sometimes tumble, sometimes veer off course, and sometimes do god knows what.
a sort of full metal jacket version of the nosler partition soft.
they should only be used on smaller species for best results.
bruce.

 

[bruce moulds]

further to the above, i believe the 303 mkV1 was quite a good bullet for penetrating straight, and being round nosed had a little more terminal effect than a spitzer..
any comment from someone who is up on these things?
bruce.