need help identifying some 303 Br rounds

Hi Everyone

Have some 303 rounds I would like to identify. Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Is the ammo collectable? Should I shoot it?

1st

Brass case, copper bullet, magnet does not stick.
Headstamp: "1942" or "1943" at 12 o'clock, "DI" at 7, "Z" at 5.
Red tip. Tracer?

2nd

Brass case, silver bullet, magnet sticks to bullet. Horizontal crimps half ay down neck
Headstamp: "SMI" at 12 o'clock, "936" at 7, "L" at 5.
Red tip. Tracer?


3rd

Brass case, silver bullet, magnet does not stick.
Headstamp: "1941" at 12 o'clock, "DC" at 9, "G" at 6, "IV" at 5, "Z" at 3.
White tip.

4th

Brass case, copper bullet, magnet does not stick.
Headstamp: "1944" at 12 o'clock, "DI" at 7, "Z" at 5.
White tip.

5th

Brass case, silver bullet, magnet does not stick.
Headstamp: "1941" at 12 o'clock, "DC" at 8, "G" at 6, "iv" at 5, "Z" at 4.
White tip.

6th

Brass case, silver bullet, magnet does not stick.
Headstamp: "1942" at 12 o'clock, "DI" at 9, "VII" at 6, "Z" at 3.
This has been polished cleaned. Looks like there may have been a colour on the bullet tip at one time.

A few more to come later.

1) DI - Defense Industries Verdun Canada 1943 DOM Ball round Mk7 (Z = Nitrocellulose propellant)
2) SMI - Societa Francaise des Munitions 1936 DOM! As for the L it may mean drill round as thats all I could find on it.
3) DC - Defense Industries Quebec Canada 1941 DOM G = Tracer IV = Mk 4 Z = Nitrocellulose propellant (White tip! could only find Red, Blue, Black)
4) DI - As (1) 1944 DOM Mk 7Z Ball round
5) DC - As (3)
6) DI - As (1 & 4) Standard Ball round.
DOM = Date of Manufacture
The silvery coloured projectiles are just nickle as copper was in short supply for obvious reasons.

Best to take pic of the bases much easier for us less typing I'm pretty sure I've got them right others may come in.

Note * They will all be mecuric primed if you shoot them (Which I would'nt) you'll need to have warm soapy water down the barrel from the chamber end then clean as per usual method for fouling, as the salts from the primer will start rusting your barrel pretty much straight away as for the rounds put up on a shelf as a display dont clean them leave the patina om them.

The DI Z ammunition will be Boxer primed, non-corrosive.

Thanks everyone. Although I am confused about the red tipped ones. Are they only ball? I would assume that they would by tracer or...?

---------- Post added at 11:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 AM ----------

Also is this some kind of home made hack job where someone tried to make some kind of HP/SP round????

https://i.imgur.com/rpq9Fcl.jpg?1

SMI Societa Italiano Metallurgica, Italian
Red tip and L in hs on Italian .303" IDs tracer

I will try for pics in the next day or 2. For the above and a few others.

Thank you

Go here. It's just about where the ammo was made.
Cartridge Headstamps
Defense Industries Verdun used 'DIV'. 'DI' and 'DIL' is Defence Industries Montreal, Quebec.
"...They will all be mercuric primed..." No, they won't. The best .303 Ball I've ever fired was 1944 vintage DA(Dominion Arsenal). Non-corrosive.
"...Should I shoot it?..." It'll be collectable if it's in the original box. Most ranges will not let you shoot trace of any kind. They think it starts fires. Does if the range is really, really dry.
"...tried to make some kind of HP/SP..." After both Wars, hunting ammo was both scarce and expensive. Ball, as in FMJ, ammo has never been allowed for hunting. Some hunters tried to turn cheap milsurp Ball ammo into hunting legal ammo by cutting off the points of an FMJ. It doesn't work as the jacket is thicker and isn't designed to expand.

As promised, but as usual took me some time!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sI9gjpg1-1.jpg

Here you go!!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../aVH8hz2-1.jpg

I just looked behind me and realized I have the 4 B.A Temple books on the 303 cartridge not 10' from me must be getting old or just lazy and using notes I have in my pigeon hole above the comp next time I'll drag my sorry butt from the chair and do some proper research.

That second link BAR is a pearla saved both I already have the first printed and laminated but the 2nd one is very good thanks for the share.:thup:

Yep, white tip is also tracer, originally used to distinguish between hot tracer(red flame) or observation(Smoke)

If anyone wants to have a look and make some comments.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...FRrajpg1-1.jpg


https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../W5zAq7O-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../rGdbAIv-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../0Llilxc-1.jpg

Would you have any qualms about shooting it? I would sell the tracer and the WW1 aged packs in paper though.

Pity I'd take the paper packets off your hands but thats not going to happen now thanks to the ar*eholes of the world

The 1909 packets are worth far too much as what they are to shoot.

I wouldn't shoot the 1917 two either, nor the 1934. The '34 would also be interesting to examine to see what DAC was doing between the wars.

BTW, the match ammo they produced every year for the DCRA was given different patterns and colours of lacquer bands each year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Surpmil

The 1909 packets are worth far too much as what they are to shoot.

I wouldn't shoot the 1917 two either, nor the 1934. The '34 would also be interesting to examine to see what DAC was doing between the wars.

BTW, the match ammo they produced every year for the DCRA was given different patterns and colours of lacquer bands each year.

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What value would you put on those packets?

Value of is subjective on three things that come to mind, availibility, the buyers desire and how deep their wallet is its hard to value stuff; example a single Kynoch .33 BSA round retails for @$80/Ea if you can get them as they were only produced for 2 years (1923 - 1925), I have a pristine unopened yellow packet of 10 rounds 165Gn Solid and no one is going to pay $800 for that packet as its the only one I have seen unopened or at all in many years of cartridge collecting think guys like RCS, Green & Surpmil would agree on this.

Just dial in cartidges for sale on google you will usually get some dealers who sell collections etc and get an idea from that @15 years ago I paid $20 for an unopened paper packet of 10 - 1912 Cordite 215 RN's

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Light Infantry

What value would you put on those packets?

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Not less than $75 CAD each, and that may be quite low. Not sure what the market is like these days.