what is the cut off year for corrosive .303?,i recently acquired a couple of cases of .303,mixed head stampes,year and manufacture. is there a list somewhere? help me,help me!
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what is the cut off year for corrosive .303?,i recently acquired a couple of cases of .303,mixed head stampes,year and manufacture. is there a list somewhere? help me,help me!
ALL .303 ammo that uses the large (.250") copper-cupped primer is CORROSIVE and mercuric.
I treat ALL other "mil-spec" ammo with caution, be it WW2 US or Canadian made or from any other source. Remember that NOBODY was making "non-corrosive Mil-spec" ammo for ANYTHING apart from M-1 Carbine, until after WW2
If you find a stash of ".303"" ammo with no headstamp and three "stab"-crimps around the primer, it is probably WW2 Japanese production for (generally) IJN light and medium MGs. Not only is it old and fairly scarce, the primers are corrosive, but not mercuric.
Even today, "Government Issue" ammo in 7.62 x 39 (and 7.62 x 54R) is almost ALL corrosive, but definitely non-mercuric. Chrome-lining of barrels and hard-chroming of working parts was / is done for a good reason. The components that do cop a flogging from corrosion are the springs; especially "hidden" ones like extractor springs. Every time the action opens after firing, "fumes" containing minute traces of nasty stuff wash all over the working parts. You cannot "hard-chrome" springs; it just makes them brittle, and anyway, the flexing of the spring cracks the "protective" chrome coating.
In "public" or private use, there is no excuse for not cleaning firearms properly.
thank you oz,some of this stuff is ww2. head stamps like [GB 50 7,RG 50 7,DA ^ IN C 44,W.R.A.4?,] AND OTHERS.all seem to have copper primers. I came across a#1mk3* and was curious how these funny looking rifles shoot. so I found some ammo on the cheap.real nice canvas bandos and chargers with a bunch of different manufactures of ammo[u,wra,gb,rg,da,hxp,]. im curious how it stacks up against a springfield 03.are there any more things to possibly attach to the barrel of an enfield?
+1, this pretty much nails it.
At the risk of starting a panic, I would mention that I BELIEVE it would be a good idea to wash out cases (fired with corrosive primers) before reloading.
I'm not sure how much residue is still inside the case, but better to be paranoid than find a rusted bore.