British colour codes.
The colour codes on the British 7mm series are a little confusing I will grant you. Some of the colours are duplicated in different typed of 7mm, particularly red. Also colour codes are listed in official documents that do not seem to have been used, especially some of the double colours like white over blue for inert tracer.
However, here are a few examples which I hope will go some small way to clarifying things.
First blue: The Type A 130 grn lead cored ball is listed with a blue tip. This is a mid Royal Blue but unfortunately this is one round I do not have (anyone got a spare?) so cannot show a picture. The AP is a much lighter blue and is listed as "Eggshall blue". See first picture.
Yellow: There is a marked diference in the yellow used by Kynoch and Radway Green on the Type B 140 grn mild steel cored bullets. Picture 2 shows the colours. However, when the .280/30 was adopted as the 7mm Mark 1z with the Belgian 140 grn lead cored S12 bullet, some of these were also made with a yellow tip as shown in Picture 3.
Red: The observation round has a red tip, and this can be either a long or short tip, dipped or sprayed. Picture 4 shows a .280 Observation. However, when the 7mm 1z was adopted the proof round used the Belgian S12 bullet with a short red tip! Picture 5 shows a 7mm Proof on the left and a 280/30 Observation on the right. Just to confuse matters even more, when the 7mm 2nd Optimum/ High Velocity/ Compromise rounds appeared, red was used for tracer as well.
I hope that is all as clear as mud Jonny!
Regards
TonyE
