.303 ammo question

[buffdog]

.
.
This is an interesting box of ammunition that I picked up at a Gun Show on Saturday. It appears to be Military Ammunition that had the bullets pulled and replaced with sporting bullets in Finland, for sale by Interarmco. Of the 15 cartridges, one is Radway Green (RG-53), two are Kynoch (K-51-7), one is BPD 39 and eleven are BPD 40. It appears that this ammunition was loaded in the late 1950s or during the 1960s.

BPD is Bombrini, Parodi et Delfino, of Rome, Italy. Apparently they made .303 Ammunition for the Egyptians. What is a bit puzzling is the number code on the headstamp with BPD 39 and BPD 40.

Would this be a Lot Code rather than a Year Code? As the British were in Egypt it seems unlikely that the Italians would be making ammunition that might be used against them. Anyone have any ideas or information?
.
.

.

.

.

.

 

[wheaty]

This ammo was sold by the Army and Navy Dept Stores of Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver and New Westminster BC in the late 50's and early 60's. The headstamps were a mixed bag and this did cause a few eye brows to raise when the boxes were opened but at $1.37 a box it was cheaper than Dominion and better than cutting the nose off a Mk.VII or Mk. VIII ball for hunting.

 

[green]

Yes BPD is the hs of Bombrini Parodi Delfino a large Italian ctg maker.These were made in 1939 and 40 for the Italian air force. The standard MG ctg for the IAF was .303" calibre. Later in 1952 this same company made .303" for Egypt with a sanitised AOC 1340 hs due to the arms embargo on the middle east.

 

[smellie]

GREEN and WHEATY have it, bang-on.

BUFFDOG, you got the start for a whole collection of .303s, all in the same box!

Same situation happened about 20 years ago when a huge lot of mixed-up, grody old .303 was bundled into boxes and sold here as "Grade 2" ammo. My brother gave me 5 boxes as a Christmas present and I got nearly 40 headstamps from it, including some really rare ones.

Just wish this would KEEP happening!

According to Peter Labbett, my collection is still 3400 short of being complete.
.

 

[wheaty]

Still have a p*sspot full of that "Grade 2" ammo and there is everything from Canadian 1916 made to 50's RG stuff that does not go bang, but looks nice....... :-(##

 

[TCBF]

Still have a p*sspot full of that "Grade 2" ammo and there is everything from Canadian 1916 made to 50's RG stuff that does not go bang, but looks nice....... :-(##

- By the looks of the casings of some of my old RG stuff, it should be called "Really Green".

 

[mkrainc]

OP, are those primers 1/4 inch in diameter?

 

[buffdog]

OP, are those primers 1/4 inch in diameter?

Large Berdan primers. If you want a measurement, send a PM to SMELLIE. I gave the box to him this afternoon when I dropped in for coffee.
.

 

[CanAm]

Good old Sam.

 

[mkrainc]

Large Berdan primers. If you want a measurement, send a PM to SMELLIE. I gave the box to him this afternoon when I dropped in for coffee.
.

Thanks. I was only curious.

 

[Shooting Bastard]

That explains the box of oddly marked cartridges that I found!! Thought they were supposed to be all 303, but was confused by the stamps...

 

[enefgee]

Good old Sam.

From a single handgun to an armoured division, Sam was the man.