.303 Brit dummy "K ѦI F I-45 VII"

[sksvlad]

These were sold to me as Indian .303 dummies, they lack primers but otherwise look normal, with no obvious signs of regular cartridge deactivation. May someone confirm that these are actually dummies?

 

[Jimiles]

I think this is most likely a ball round minus its primer....and presumably its propellant. If this was a legitimate India pattern drill round it should really have two pairs of holes drilled through the case wall, the anvil should be ground down, and the case should be blackened. The faint groove around the primer pocket suggests that a primer was originally fitted and secured by ring crimping.
Jim

 

[gravelbelly]

These were sold to me as Indian .303 dummies, they lack primers but otherwise look normal, with no obvious signs of regular cartridge deactivation. May someone confirm that these are actually dummies?
View attachment 131023View attachment 131024

If they were made by inerting ball rounds then it is a very neat job. Indian dummies commonly had a combined wood bullet core and support rod extending to the bottom of the case. Poking a piece of wire through the flash holes should check this. Also a wood cored bullet is much lighter that a normal Mark VII ball bullet which can be felt by handling the round in comparison with a ball round.

gravelbelly

 

[sksvlad]

I used wire, nothing inside at all. Now I wonder how the rounds can be de-activated without pulling projectiles. Another $10 lost on 2 chargers with ammo minus primers and propellant, at least I have chargers. Thanks everyone for info.

 

[smle2009]

The Dummy Drill .303" India Pattern NoII Mk I originally had an undrilled,unblackened case with the anvil and fireholes present but was ordered to be blackened by 1919.
As Jim and gravelbelly have stated it should have a wood bullet encased by a Mk VII jacket which extended into the case as a distance piece.
Could be an attempt to copy one of these but with a very late dated case....but I wouldn't 'bin them' just yet because I'm wondering,because of the WW2 date,if they could be a WW2 Indian expedient or even a war time 'relaxed' spec versions as often happened with English Dummy Drill rounds during times of war?

Tony