Cordite????

[sliverflinger]

I tried this question on a US milsurp site and didn't get a lot of info.When did they stop using cordite for smallarms ammo? The reason I'm asking is that it really bothers me to have an author who was born since WWII talk about the "smell of cordite" after his hero shoots a Ruger 44 Mag. It's a small thing, but at my age I need something to feel superior about.

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[TonyE]

"Cordite" is being used as a generic term in the case you quote, much in the same way that "Hoover" is often used as a generic for a vacuum cleaner here in the UK.

True "Cordite" was only ever used by British and Commonwealth countries. The last use of cordite for loading British military rounds was for the last of the Mark 7 ball in 1957. Any military .303 made after that was Mark 7z loaded with nitro-cellulose powders. The last Kynoch order I can find was in 1963. Kynoch may have offered some commercial ammo loaded with ordite after that but it would have been from stock made earlier.

Regards
TonyE