.303 bullets

[peashooter]

Can anyone tell me any websites that have photographs/pictures of .303 bullets "heads", I am trying to find info on the various bullet heads that go with each case. I get a lot of cases and it would be nice to marry up the correct head for my collection

many thanks
Richard.

 

[hicky1300]

My God Peashooter DON`t say heads!!!! You`ll be strung up & quartered by certain members (& rightly so) ;-)
They are bullets or projectiles never ever `heads`.
Just say `the various .303 bullets`.
Afraid (after all that) I cannot help you.
I`m fairly sure though SMLE2009 may be able to. Or certainly someone will point you in the right direction.
Have you tried to Google it?
Good luck

 

[smle2009]

Hi Richard,
Afraid I can't help,found several good ones on 303 headstamps ect,but none on bullet types,one like the 7.62x54R nagant site would be great!
TonyE's book has a section dealing with bullet types that go with Mks and types of rounds,maybe a PM to him re the book may help you out?
Cheers
Tony

 

[SpudGun]

Try here http://www.municion.org

Left hand side click on Fuego Central / CF and then click on 7.65 a 8mm / .32 this will drop down a list which will include .303 British.

 

[TonyE]

.303 bullet types

Thank you Hickey! As I believe Peashooter is new to this game, I think he can be excused punishment for making an honest mistake, and you have now put him on the path to righteousness. It is people who should know better that need hanging, drawing and quartering!

Peashooter - You will have picked up from the foregoing that one of my many foibles (rants?) is the use of the term "Heads" for bullets. It is incorrect, but you were not to know as so many people, including so called knowledgable dealers, use it.

Unfortunately, there is no decent website that shows the various bullet types for the .303 round. The Municion Spanish site is OK, but has many mistakes with regard to .303 headstamps, as do most of the other sites.

My own .303 book, mentioned by smle2009, only includes descriptions of bullet types. The next volume, now about 75% written, will have photographs of every mark of .303 together with all known headstamps (but not every date). An example page for the Drill D Mark VI is attached.

In the meantime, if you post the headstamps you need information about, I will be glad to post pictures of the complete round.

Regards
TonyE

 

[SpudGun]

I really look forward to your next book.

 

[peashooter]

Thank you Hickey! As I believe Peashooter is new to this game, I think he can be excused punishment for making an honest mistake, and you have now put him on the path to righteousness. It is people who should know better that need hanging, drawing and quartering!

Peashooter - You will have picked up from the foregoing that one of my many foibles (rants?) is the use of the term "Heads" for bullets. It is incorrect, but you were not to know as so many people, including so called knowledgable dealers, use it.

Unfortunately, there is no decent website that shows the various bullet types for the .303 round. The Municion Spanish site is OK, but has many mistakes with regard to .303 headstamps, as do most of the other sites.

My own .303 book, mentioned by smle2009, only includes descriptions of bullet types. The next volume, now about 75% written, will have photographs of every mark of .303 together with all known headstamps (but not every date). An example page for the Drill D Mark VI is attached.

In the meantime, if you post the headstamps you need information about, I will be glad to post pictures of the complete round.

Regards
TonyE

Many thanks Tony where can I get your .303 book and is it avaliable as an ebook

Richard.

 

[spotter]

just found this site as well Peashooter http://militarycartridges.nl/uk/startpagina_uk.htm

 

[hicky1300]

Quick question as we are on the subject of .303 I am currently displaying all my assorted one in a canvas .30 Browning belt.
I also have a short length of what I believe is Vickers canvas with steel reinforcing/feed eyes.
Are there any other canvas type belts that used .303?
Methinks Peashooter got off lightly re `heads`!!

 

[TonyE]

Vickers belts

There are a whole series of different belts for the Vickers. I am interested in yours, as you say the spacers are steel not brass. Can you post a picture please?

The canvas belts were the original Maxim type that was used for many years with the Vickers. This had brass strips secured by three brass rivets between each pocket and brass "fingers" every third pocket.

Then there were a number of "stripless" belts developed during WWI, called the No.1, 2 and 3 belt that were lumped together in the 1930s as the Mark I.

The Mark II was a simple plain canvas belt and the Mark III had a raised canvas bead sown about 1/4" from the leading edge.

The Mark IV reverted to a plain belt and is the one most commonly found, as it was used right up to the end of the Vickers in service in the 1960s.

There are also US belts made on contract in WW2 and an India Pattern belt.

Just to round things off, there was the Sangster metallic belt for Land Service in WW1 that was soon withdrawn from service. Admittedly not canvas but it completes the picture. (There were also three marks of metallic disintegrating belt for Air Service)

Picture of Sangster belt attched.

Regards
TonyE

 

[hicky1300]

Cheers for all that Tony
Once I`m back in Blighty - currently in Zagreb - I wiil sort a pic of Vickers belt as I`m sure it has the steel strap & steel eyes but its onlt about 20" long - I think I got it at a car boot & someone had put hooks on it to make it intop a belt!!
Now I want/need some of the Sangster links!!!???
I have some similar which I think are Breda or Besa ones?

 

[TonyE]

Belt

Unfortunately the only Sangster links I have are those in the photograph. I did have a couple of spare links but I traded those for Mark I Air Service links.

The BESA links are fairly distinctive as they only hold the rear end of the cartridge. There are I think three marks of the UK belt.

The links for the 7.7mm Breda are identical to the British Mark III Air Service belt and are shown in the attached pictures. (Mark I, II and III)

How is sunny Zagreb these days? I have not been there since I was a student in the early sixties.

Regards
TonyE