Cleaning up Somme ground-dug 303 Great War SAA.

[Mk VII]

The History of the Ministry of Munitions remarks that a large quantity of ammunition was sent back for salvage, and it was clear that once the packaging had been opened and the contents observed to be of American origin, it had been discarded without any attempt made to use it.

[Daan Kemp]

Might be because the Americans hadn't the experience of the Brits of many years manufacture for these adverse conditions. I think the Brits pretty much knew precisely what cartridge 'components' worked in continued large scale battle.

[Alan de Enfield]

I thought it was because some ammo wasn't so close to spec? Tolerance...

Certainly in WW2 Winchester ammunition was banned from use in aircraft due to their inability to manufacture to the specified dimensions resulting in jams - not easy to clear when you are in the cockpit and the guns out on the wing.


Regulations For Army Ordnance Services
Part 7, Pamphlet No. 11
Small Arms Ammunition
(The War Office 24th February 1945)

7) .303-in. Winchester
No Winchester .303-in. ammunition is considered suitable for use in aircraft although Red Label ammunition from Lot 45 of 1941 onwards may be used in emergency. Packages containing this ammunition should bear the restrictive marking “NOT FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT”, though it is known that some has come forward without this marking. The ammunition is fit for normal ground use unless it bears an additional restrictive marking.
Lots of Winchester .303-in manufactured before Lot 45 of 1941 should be stencilled “FOR PRACTICE IN RIFLES ONLY”.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Dunno, I believe its pretty uncommon

I beg to differ. I believe there is more combined common sense on this forum than all that possessed by all the "enlightened ones" who seek to control us.

[Alan de Enfield]

I beg to differ. I believe there is more combined common sense on this forum than all that possessed by all the "enlightened ones" who seek to control us.

Agreed.
But we are just 'a couple of thousand' out of the 7,800,000,000 population

[Micheal Doyne]

The brass of US contract ammo is particularly prone to neck splits.

Sounds like S&B has been continuing a cultural heritage....

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Agreed.
But we are just 'a couple of thousand' out of the 7,800,000,000 population

Salt and light.

[Patt14 No2]

Here are a couple of scans relating to WW1 .303 ammunition production published by the War Office - I hope they are of interest to some members - I have lot's more!

[Flying10uk]

I should sort out this electrolysis myself...

Once you have tried it a few times you realise that the electrolysis process is much more simple and straightforward than it seemed before you tried it.

I always leave the bucket containing the object being de-rusted outside because of the gases given off during the process. If one removes the steel electrode periodically from the liquid and scrapes it clean, the process will continue at a reasonable pace.

[Surpmil]

I thought it was because some ammo wasn't so close to spec? Tolerance...

Probably both: if the alloy and tempering/annealing was right, but the dimensions were sufficiently oversize, jams would be inevitable. If the dimensions were right, but the brass was soft and would not "spring back" ("elastic deformation") to close to original dimensions jams would also occur. In the worst cases apparently the micro-bonding, aka "adhesion" of the case to the chamber wall would not be separated or "broken" and that would be one for the armourer to pound out with a rod.

The Ross of course was more vulnerable to this due to the reduced leverage in its primary extraction compared to the Lee Enfield, though the Enfield reportedly had many of the same problems at times, probably with even worse ammo than jammed the Ross.

At least with the Ross you could resolve the problem by oiling your chamber or ammo, and get away with it. With the SMLE that would be a risky venture I suspect.

Once you have tried it a few times you realise that the electrolysis process is much more simple and straightforward than it seemed before you tried it.

I always leave the bucket containing the object being de-rusted outside because of the gases given off during the process. If one removes the steel electrode periodically from the liquid and scrapes it clean, the process will continue at a reasonable pace.

If one uses a carbon rod or blank as the anode, the "rubbish" falls off and the process can continue until the anode is completely eroded. I had some old lighthouse carbon arc lamp rods and that was what happened with them, though this was de-rusting iron.

IIRC the gas given off is hydrogen so ventilation is advisable.