Cordite was a vigorous throat burner, especially in artillery-related applications. In WW1 it was found that small field pices, like the ubiquitous 18-pounder, would be shot out in less than 200 full charge rounds - and they often fired that number in a morning...
The combination of astonishlingly hot burn temperatures, lack of an effective burn-rate retardent and indecently rapid flagration could burn out a .303 rifle barrel in under a thousand shots, using the metallurgy of the day. Not much of a problem with a service rifle, easily replaced, but of some concern to the civilian shooter at the time, well into the 1960's when Cordite-loaded milsurp .303 was still pretty common. Mr Little noted that he had fired WW1-date Cordite ammunition that actually grouped better than modern commercial stuff of a well-known astern European manufacturer. For obvious reasons he does not wish to name names.
tac
The combination of astonishlingly hot burn temperatures, lack of an effective burn-rate retardent and indecently rapid flagration could burn out a .303 rifle barrel in under a thousand shots, using the metallurgy of the day. Not much of a problem with a service rifle, easily replaced, but of some concern to the civilian shooter at the time, well into the 1960's when Cordite-loaded milsurp .303 was still pretty common. Mr Little noted that he had fired WW1-date Cordite ammunition that actually grouped better than modern commercial stuff of a well-known astern European manufacturer. For obvious reasons he does not wish to name names.
tac
