.303 British, Modern Bulk Production?

[Travis Bickle]

How in the name of hell is there not one single manufacturer that specializes in bulk low-ish quality ammo (MFS, Wolf etc) pumping out .303 British?
Is it really that far out of demand? I suppose down in the US the cartridge was never really popular aside from a few curio rifles floating around down there in the caliber. So I'm assuming that's why we don't see any US bulk .303
But between Canada and all the common wealth countries, how is there noone pumping out bulk plinking ammo?
MFS hammers out cheap FMJ .223 and 7.62 all day long as does Wolf etc

And yes I know its a "reloaders cartridge" yadda yadda.... Is there any manufacturer who is producing bulk .303 British these days? With the amount of Enfields floating around in this country it makes me wonder.

 

[inthehizzy]

We can only dream...

 

[lister]

I think the Greek stuff may have been the last surplus. Hope I'm wrong.
Haven't heard of any cheap 'bulk'.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

I agree that .303BR is a very popular cartridge in Canada - by numbers of owned firearms.

Of registered guns in postal code K1x ### when the long gun registry was shut down, .303 was the top rifle use cartridge behind 12ga for shotguns and .22LR for rifles and handguns.

.22 LR x 6690
12 GA x 6764
303 BR x 1663
30-30 WIN x 1380
30-06 SPRINGFIELD x 1206

 

[mrbeil]

Maybe someone could approach a munitions maker like wolf or tulammo etc about mass producing 303 for the canadian market?

 

[bobdbldr]

What price were you all thinking you would get it for? Wally World usually has Winchester for $23 give or take a buck!

 

[Shawn H]

The cheapest I have found was Wal-Mart here in Ssaskatchewan. It is $28 and change a box (Federal), if and when they have it. Local Canadian Tire is $36 and change and Local Gun Store is $40. I wish there was someone who could help us out. They would make plenty of friends and cash!! The gunshow in Yorkton I was at was selling them for a buck a round. They were reloads. Unsure of quality.

-Shawn

 

[Raton57]

Not really good business to make ammo for a gun that hasn't been made for 60 or 70 years at least.

 

[bobdbldr]

The cheapest I have found was Wal-Mart here in Ssaskatchewan. It is $28 and change a box (Federal), if and when they have it. Local Canadian Tire is $36 and change and Local Gun Store is $40. I wish there was someone who could help us out. They would make plenty of friends and cash!! The gunshow in Yorkton I was at was selling them for a buck a round. They were reloads. Unsure of quality.

-Shawn

Yea federal blue box is more here too, better stuff though!

 

[Jericho]

All the more reason to reload.

 

[bobdbldr]

Not really good business to make ammo for a gun that hasn't been made for 60 or 70 years at least.

It is/was still used by our rangers I believe and is still active in some countries!

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

It is/was still used by our rangers I believe and is still active in some countries!

IVI has been making ammo for the Rangers all along, but they have ZERO intentions of getting into the commercial ammo business.

 

[bobdbldr]

IVI has been making ammo for the Rangers all along, but they have ZERO intentions of getting into the commercial ammo business.

I guess those government contracts are pretty cushy, the don't want to make money in the real world!?

 

[Suther]

Didn't x-reload just announce they are getting into the ammo biz? Or was it the targets one? Damn companies need more original names.... Maybe they can jump on this, people around here seem to ask about cheap 303 at least once a month...

 

[Trotter]

I hear ya. I have some old 1942 to 1960 ish ammo. SAIL sells the cheapest for $24 ish.

 

[tootall]

Considering that that the bullet dia is roughly the same as the x39 and x54R rounds, a Russian manufacturer should make a run of cheap, steel cased blasting ammo.
If it was Russian (not Chinese), it could be sold into the huge US market too.
At one time, the 303 round was an oddball down there. But recently, tons of surplus LE have been sold there too.

 

[POPS]

My first,and second AND third rifles/center fires / were a #1 and then two #4s. never really thought of them as plinkers . I believe the SKS with its ''cheaper than dirt'' has become the center fire ''plinker'' of today......
with the cost of .303 brit at local CABELAS,WHOLESALE SPORTS and even WALMART, reloading is the only way to go if you shoot more than ,say, 40-60 rounds a year.....
yes I still have a SAVAGE/ENFIELD #4 mk.I* and yes I reload with Varget...

 

[mrbeil]

Considering that that the bullet dia is roughly the same as the x39 and x54R rounds, a Russian manufacturer should make a run of cheap, steel cased blasting ammo.
If it was Russian (not Chinese), it could be sold into the huge US market too.
At one time, the 303 round was an oddball down there. But recently, tons of surplus LE have been sold there too.

How would one pitch that idea?

 

[angrysoldier]

canada is going to "burn"all remaining 303 ball ammo this year in base gagetown. It has been deemed to expensive to store. I heard its well over 1 million rounds.

 

[bearhunter]

POF or Pakistan Ordnance Factory produces million of round of 303British per year. I believe a few factories in India do the same.

It depends on what you call "bulk." A thousand round crate could hardly be considered a "bulk" order.

Contact one of the banner vendors at the top of the page and ask how much they would charge you for 5 to 10 thousand rounds. Likely they could give you a very good price. Consider though that when they order ammo they do it in lots of a quarter million rounds each.

Not a lot of surplus ammo out there anymore. Way to many different conflicts going on in to many hot spots around the world that will pay more for it than Canadians will or at least purchase it in quantities that will make it profitable to bring in.