Surplus ammo

[bros]

I acquired some surplus 303 ammo and am wondering if it's corrosive or not. On the box it is marked as follows: 32 CARTRIDGES .303 INCH Mk7 C.l.A. (P) P.O.F. The headstamp on the cartridge is as follows: POF 67 7 ok guys thanks for your help.

Information

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[Aussie48]

I know up to 1962 the primers were still corrosive, only way to tell would be to pull a round and find out.

[Alan de Enfield]

Are you aware thet POF means Percentage Of Failures

Failure rate (Failure to fire, Click-Bang, and even click ........................................ bang) varies by batch but generally high enough that many people get frustrated with it and just sell it on or give it away.

Hopefully you havent invested in a large quantity (more than 20 rounds) or paid too much for it.

Actually POF stands for Pakistan Ordnance Factory but the ammo does have an extremely bad reputation.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Treat ALL .303 ammo made in "government arsenals as "corrosive".

NOBODY made "non-corrosive" military ammo (apart from .30 M1 Carbine) in any quantity before the advent of 7.62 NATO.

Non-mercuric is a different matter.

The principal requirement of military ammo is that it must go "bang" EVERY time it is fired, regardless of climate or conditions. Not sure what "went wrong" with POF...........

The Brits and most Comonwealth countries stuck with primers that contained "corrosive" chlorate salts AND "brass eating" mercury 'till the end of production.
If your .303 ammo has a "copper" coloured primer, you can guarantee that it is both mercuric AND corrosive.

Use of corrosive ammo is only a problem if the "operator" is slack and fails to clean the rifle as soon as possible after firing.

The mercury in primers is a hazard to the brass (and the firer, if you like sniffing "gunsmoke" in large doses).

"Corrosive only" ammo is generally reloadable; just a bit more fiddly if the primers are of the Berdan pattern.

Mercuric primed cases are doomed to cracking from the instant of ignition: the liberated mercury "infects" the brass and plays merry hell with its structure: embrittlement, it's called. Like many Australians, I have reloaded thousands of mercuric-primed .303 cases over the years. Some crack at the neck during the sizing or seating operatiions; many develop cracks on the first reload firing, almost none make it past the second reload.

The Germans started using Lead instead of Mercury in their primers well before WW1. Ammo reloading was invented about five minutes after the develpment of the centre-fire cartridge. Sporting ammo makers twigged fairly early that this made their cases "recyclable" and opened up a whole new market and enormous scoope for experimentation.

If your fired brass has a copper-coloured primer, it will be Mercuric, as Mercury-corrupted primers would NOT be a "good thing".

If "brass" coloured, the primer will be Lead-based; don't lick your fingers whilst reloading and you will be OK.

Nowadays some ammo makers are selling "lead-free" ammo: "lead free" primers AND projectiles. This stuff is EXPENSIVE and is typically purchased by "Government Agencies" (with your tax dollars) for use on indoor ranges.. One example I have seen is a .45 Auto case with a "small-pistol" sized primer but a flash-hole twice the diameter of "conventionally primed" brass. DO NOT use your "normal" load data if you are adventurous enough to try reloading this stuff.

[Peter Laidler]

Armourers rule of thumb number 2: Treat ALL ammunition ar both errosive and corrosive

[CINDERS]

Having shot @300 rounds of P.O.F '67 vintage my advice is to;

A) Lay your weapon on the ground.

B) Grab a handful of 2nd grade wheat.

C) Face the target and note the direction of the wind.

D) Throw the handful of 2nd grade wheat at the target and observe the results in about 7 months time in front of where you threw the 2nd grade wheat.

Just give that stuff a miss, or if you want some one to experience a modern black powder weapon then let them shoot it = Click - Bang - Smoke/confetti emitting from the discharge and a hopeful hit!

[WarPig1976]

I'd pull the Mk7s and cordite and reload them in new brass with a new primer. I'll always be on the hunt for POF on the cheap now that I know stuff I learned here about the Enfield Rifles.