Brass ID 223/5.56X45 Question

Does it have a "Cross in a circle"? at 12 O'clock?

This sounds like Portugese and should be boxer primed, but a picture would help.
 
Of course, with a picture it would be easier. But this should be Portugese anyways, and if I recall OK, the post '68 are all boxer primed and usually is good stuff. If in doubt, shoot one and look inside.
 
Looks like older PPU (Prvi Partizan Uzice, NNY in cyrillic - from Serbia) loaded with Mk8z (last should be a "Z", not a "2"). I don't recall if they are berdan or boxer primed, 'cos Yugoslavia made both, and I dcan't make when they changed, but I suspect it's Berdan, but I may be wrong.

So, what you you have is 1973 PPU-made .303 British loaded with Nitro-cellulose ("Z") with a Mk VIII (175 grains, boat tail) bullet.
The Mk VIII bullet was designed for the Vickers Machine gun.
Loaded with cordite (no "Z") the Mk VIII eroded the bores of rifles and light machine gun too fast (it's stated it was a caused by the chanelling effect of the trunkated cone). It was then reserved to Vickers machinguns and specified "for emergency only" in small arms, and from there the tale that boat tail *Mk VIII* bullets don't shoot right in rifles.
But the one you get is ready to fire, being loaded with modern Nitro-cellulose.
 
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