Todays question. I have a bunch of hardball ammo for the ol 303. Headstamp has the following..303MK8Z and opposite it reads PP-73. Should a fella consider it corrosive? Oh and around the primers it has what I figure is a red lacquer paint.
303 ammo question
- Thread starter icehunter121
- Start date
bIGmACpHEE
New member
- Location
- Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
1973 Yugoslav, PPU. Corrosive. 193 grain.
Cottage Hill Bill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Pensacola, FL USA
8Z would be nitrocellulose, boat tail bullets. Machine gun ammo.
Interesting,Thanks guys. Machine gun ammo eh?? Now where did I leave my bren gun?? I have 60 rounds or so of this stuff kicking around,Cant remember where I got it from. Would be good for a collection with a belt or links maybe?
From = https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-303-inch/-303-inch-cordite-ball-mark-vi-to-viiiz
"Cartridge S.A. Ball .303 inch Mark VIIIz" was approved in January 1938 to design DD/L?8877 and shown inn LoC Paragraph B.2623 dated July 1939. A modified bullet was made from 1942 to design DD/L/14049.
The Ball Mark VIIIz bullet weighed 175 grains and had a lead/antimony core with either a cupro-nickel or gilding metal envelope, although the former was little used. The bullet was boattailed with one cannelure. Originally the boattail was "stepped" down from the diamete of the body but after 1942 the design was changed to one where the boattail was smoothly continued from the main diameter.
Although the .303 inch Ball Mark VIIIz was designed for long range fire in Vickers guns, it could also be used in rifles and Bren guns in emergencies or special circumstances, contrary to what is often claimed about it being "hot" machine gun ammunition.
According to the bullet diagram it was labeled, " based on Streamlined Bullet Based on Swiss Type ".
ALSO = https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=39693
"Cartridge S.A. Ball .303 inch Mark VIIIz" was approved in January 1938 to design DD/L?8877 and shown inn LoC Paragraph B.2623 dated July 1939. A modified bullet was made from 1942 to design DD/L/14049.
The Ball Mark VIIIz bullet weighed 175 grains and had a lead/antimony core with either a cupro-nickel or gilding metal envelope, although the former was little used. The bullet was boattailed with one cannelure. Originally the boattail was "stepped" down from the diamete of the body but after 1942 the design was changed to one where the boattail was smoothly continued from the main diameter.
Although the .303 inch Ball Mark VIIIz was designed for long range fire in Vickers guns, it could also be used in rifles and Bren guns in emergencies or special circumstances, contrary to what is often claimed about it being "hot" machine gun ammunition.
According to the bullet diagram it was labeled, " based on Streamlined Bullet Based on Swiss Type ".
ALSO = https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=39693
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Regardless of the British specifications, the Yugoslav load is actually 190-something grains. I'll accept the 193gr mentioned above for this headstamp, as the ones I measured years ago at a little over 190gr (precision lost in memory) may have been pulled from the earlier military-style-packaged ones headstamped "PP 60 / VIII", but both headstamps performed identically. FWIW, they work well for making "Mexican match" hunting ammo, substituting Sierra or Speer 180gr soft points for the FMJ.
The .303 British Service Cartridge, by Roy Tebbutt
KNOWN MANUFACTURERS OF .303 BRITISH CARTRIDGES, HEADSTAMP CODE – MANUFACTURER
Includes colour codes and letter codes.
From; https://harringtonmuseum.org.uk/the-303-british-service-cartridge/
PPU or nny – Prvi Partizan, Titovo Uzice, YUGOSLAVIA. This factory is known to have produced .303 cartridges in: Ball, Mk 7, 7Z , 8 and 8Z
A link to The Vickers Machine Gun web site.
https://vickersmg.blog/
KNOWN MANUFACTURERS OF .303 BRITISH CARTRIDGES, HEADSTAMP CODE – MANUFACTURER
Includes colour codes and letter codes.
From; https://harringtonmuseum.org.uk/the-303-british-service-cartridge/
PPU or nny – Prvi Partizan, Titovo Uzice, YUGOSLAVIA. This factory is known to have produced .303 cartridges in: Ball, Mk 7, 7Z , 8 and 8Z
A link to The Vickers Machine Gun web site.
https://vickersmg.blog/
