Help with .303's wood heads no headstamp ?

[butterfly]

I picked this clip of .303's up from a car boot today, not sure if original or not as the cases have wooden heads and no headstamps, but for 1 I thought it worth the chance. All the cases have an odd fluting down them and unfortunately a couple of them have damage to the neck of the brass cases (maybe due to the wood inserted heads?) Does anyone know what I have, good or bad?

Also, I have another single round, not in the best condition by any means, but I believe it to be an inspectors round? am I correct?

Apologies for what may seem dumb questions, but I know next to nothing about these.

any help appreciated.

regards Kev

 

[smle2009]

Hi Kev,
the ones with wood bullets(not heads) are drill rounds(Mk 8),you are correct about the inspectors round (Mk 5)

Cheers
Tony

 

[butterfly]

Thanks Tony for that, thats great, I hesitated as there were no headstamp present. When were these drill rounds introduced and how long were they used?

regards Kev

 

[smle2009]

Hi Kev,
the Mk 8 drill round was approved for service use on 2nd October 1941,they also could be found with four small holes in the case instead of the long tapering flutes,the Mk 9 was introduced in November 1943,which could also be found with flutes or holes but had the wood bullet part covered with a metal jacket....most likely the Mk 8 stayed in use until replaced or damaged long after the Mk 9 was introduced.

Atb
Tony

 

[butterfly]

Hi Kev,
the Mk 8 drill round was approved for service use on 2nd October 1941,they also could be found with four small holes in the case instead of the long tapering flutes,the Mk 9 was introduced in November 1943,which could also be found with flutes or holes but had the wood bullet part covered with a metal jacket....most likely the Mk 8 stayed in use until replaced or damaged long after the Mk 9 was introduced.

Atb
Tony

Thanks Tony your help has been much appreciated, the great thing about this hobby is you never stop learning!!

regards Kev

 

[TonyE]

This really repeated the story of what happened in WWI.

When the Ball Mark VII was introduced in 1911 the pointed Mark IV drill round was introduced to match it. The pointed wood bullet (not head, please) proved too fragile and production reverted to the round nosed Mark III drill.

When a more robust drill round was needed in WWI the Drill Mark V with a metal envelope was introduced.

The same thing happened in WW2 as t'other Tony has explained. The Mark VIII can be found with flutes, holes or both, whilst the Mark IX are similar and are sometimes chromed.

The Drill Mark VI and IX continued in service post WW2 until the introduction of the D Mark 10 in about 1949.

Regards
TonyE

 

[butterfly]

This really repeated the story of what happened in WWI.

When the Ball Mark VII was introduced in 1911 the pointed Mark IV drill round was introduced to match it. The pointed wood bullet (not head, please) proved too fragile and production reverted to the round nosed Mark III drill.

When a more robust drill round was needed in WWI the Drill Mark V with a metal envelope was introduced.

The same thing happened in WW2 as t'other Tony has explained. The Mark VIII can be found with flutes, holes or both, whilst the Mark IX are similar and are sometimes chromed.

The Drill Mark VI and IX continued in service post WW2 until the introduction of the D Mark 10 in about 1949.

Regards
TonyE

Thankyou TonyE, and thanks for the correction on terminology ( head/bullet - will remember that for the future )

I've not come across these before, are they a very common round to find?

regards Kev

 

[TonyE]

Unfortunately, yes, they are very common as millions were produced. However, they and the Mark IX make quite an interesting collection field on their own.

Regards
TonyE

 

[702td]

I am a new member and I was reading the post about 303 drill rounds, posted by butterfly, I too also found some at a boot fair, there are 5 rounds, not photo'd, brass case ? with 3 flutes painted red, there are primmer holes, but no drilled holes drilled inside, head stamps R/l\ L, then D.VI, thinking ww2, ? one other odd one 20mm round all milled from one metal rod ?, dated 50. maker JES . and a few 30.06 rounds dated pre war, wooden bullets, 3 holes drilled into the case. home guard ? training. how can I sell these ?. along with some blank rounds, I was doing living history in the 80s with real guns, ..Springfield 03, and a M1 Garand, a Browning Auto Rifle, nice, but no more. gun laws changed.

 

[tiffy]

Hi Kev
The inspectors/armourers round has no primer in its pocket so the armourer can fill it with beeswax so when the round is chambered in the weapon and the trigger squeezed the fireing pin leaves an impression of the fireing pin and tis protrusion. Thw wooden bulleted rounds also come as live, they used to fire them from Bren guns with special barrels which shredded the wood when fired. As the weapon was gas operated the resulting back pressure made the gun function in repition of full automatic. This was used to enable auto blank fireing but there was a real risk of serious splinters if you where too close in front of the weapon. Subsequencly the blank fireing attachment was developed for the 7.62mm L4 "Bren" guns.
Regards Tiffy

 

[raymeketa]

Another live Cal .30 (30-06) wood-bulleted round that you might encounter is the V.B. Grenade practice cartridge. Designed for practice with the French Viven-Bessieres type grenade launcher, it will usually be found with 1920s dated headstamps. They are far less common than the dummy, drill, or blank firing cartridges.

Ray

 

[bdgreen]

702td,

Take a look at the web site British Military Small Arms Ammo developed by the late Tony Edwards: https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/home. Arguably the BEST primer on British SAA and the various types of cartridges developed under each caliber!