Greek .303 Surplus

[aqbill]

Dear Enfield Enthusiasts,

As an early Christmas present, I'm looking forward to a shipment of 450 on stripper clips. It says on the Cheaper than Dirt website that it's non-corrosive and boxer primed which leads me to believe that I do not have to go to any unusual lengths to clean up the barrel after shooting. Is this correct?

Will have to take out all five of my Enfields - one No.I Mk.III* (Heavy barrel with Central No. 4 target sight), three No.4 Mk.I (two of them Ts), and one No.5 Mk.I - and have a shoot off with real military ammo. Should provide plenty of good brass, too.

Feeling very fortunate!

[Peter Laidler]

Aqbill.................. Listen carefully. Don't believe anything you've read about NOT having to clean a rifle soon after shooting it. It is a load of bolloc..........., er........., what's the word I'm looking for here chaps? Ah, yes..... horse manure

You need to go to the length of cleaning ANY weapon after shooting it, regardless of the primer mix and/or the propellant or what anyone else has told you. Best bit of advice ever given out by old and experienced Armourers to up and coming learner Armourers is this. TREAT ALL AMMUNITION AS BOTH ERROSIVE AND CORROSIVE. If you do, then you just can't go wrong

[ssj]

Depends on what your normal lengths are.

So for me/us 303 shooters if its known corrosive ammo its a flush with hot water down a funnel after shooting ie within 1 hour and spray some preserving oil or an oiled patch down the barrel and chamber right away. I then take it home and clean it that evening (if I dont clean it on the club veranda over a soft drink afterwards). If it isnt corrosive ammo I throw an oiled patch down it while still on the range or club and take it home and clean it that evening or sometimes the next morning. Cleaning consists of a patch wetted with a carbon only cleaning fluid then a clean, dry patch and repeat 2 or 3 times til it looks reasonably clean (I am not anal about it) and then an oiled patch, inspection and put it away. Oil would be Baristol, engine upper cylinder oil (hint it says it removes carbon) or even diesel.

[aqbill]

Thank you Peter for that sagacious advice. My usual cleaning for centerfires starts with Balistol, brush, Kroil, brush, and Eezox then patch to clean. I use good nylon brushes on good rods. On occasion - after all this is done - I'll follow up with a good copper cleaner as well and then redo with Eezox. I also like to wipe down all metal with Eezox before sending back to the safe.

[Morning Wood]

I'm thinking this stuff is not MK7z. I just pulled a bullet and it just lead core ball ammo with no aluminum tip.

[Damian]

Thats Mk7z. No cordite either. My box came and all good. No rusty, no concerns. All 76 stamped.

[bigchunk1]

I want this Greek ammunition. Maybe I will order it with a Mosin Nagant Spam Can. How long do you think the supplies will last?

[RobD]

Bigchunk, there is no HXP left in the UK, except for personal stocks. None to buy; hasn't been for years. In the UK, we all have to reload, or use Prvi or similar at over $1 per round. It is astonishing for us in the UK to see that a quantity of HXP has turned up in the US, and at a cheap price.
If I were you I would buy as much as I can afford, and soon.

[bigduke6]

Rob, There was a mix bag of .303 at the last Scotarms auction some HXP IIRC and Ex UK surplus some in not the best condition , one auction lot that did stand out was a box of bullets all flat base, don't know what they went for but would say there was a few thousand plus to sift through.

Slightly off the subject but I did contact Lee to see if they would do a small run of dies to convert boat tails to flat base (it was in a thread not so long ago were a forum member had made a die) , but they said no.... I,ve had a few attempts and all went well apart from the reamer, decided to get a reamer made in the long run....this should be on the way shortly, as i,m ordering a few other reamers I need so I,ve put this on the back burner for now, too many priorities at present.

[vintage hunter]

I'm thinking this stuff is not MK7z

It's not. At least none of the one I got is anyway. Ordered two 480 round cases and separated into lots according to date of mfg., 69,72,73,75 and 76 and none of the bullets I pulled were Mk.7z. It's L1A1 Ball, bullet weight is the same but it has no nose filler so bullet AOL comes out about 1/8'' shorter that a Mk.7. I'm a bit disappointed that it's not Mk.7z as described but it is good quality clean ammo with reloadable brass so that makes up for it somewhat.