Corrosive .303 British milsurp?
- Thread starter Otto V
- Start date
kohr varik
Regular
- Location
- Laval, Quebec
DI Z 1943 , almost 100% sure that it is.
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Standard cleaning procedure with corrosive ammunition is to run TWO pints of boiling water through the barrel, followed by normal cleaning.
There was a special funnel for this, with a flat on one side. You can make one out of a steel funnel about 5-6 inches in diameter, that you flatten a bit on one side to let it get a bit closer to the breech. Solder a short 1/4 inch diameter copper flexible line on it, about 6 inches long, and make a flattened "S" in the line so that you can insert the end of the tube into the chamber.
Point the muzzle downwards, insert the funnel into the chamber, and pour the water throught the barrel. It will flush out the corrosive salts, and heat the barrel which will allow it to dry out faster. Clean the barrel as normal, and lightly oil the bore.
CAUTION -- When holding the rifle muzzle downwards and pouring in the boiling water, make sure that the end of the barrel does not point against your leg or is over the top of your rubber boots. I have seen both of these happen, (thankfully not to me,) and the results were highly amusing.
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Standard cleaning procedure with corrosive ammunition is to run TWO pints of boiling water through the barrel, followed by normal cleaning.
There was a special funnel for this, with a flat on one side. You can make one out of a steel funnel about 5-6 inches in diameter, that you flatten a bit on one side to let it get a bit closer to the breech. Solder a short 1/4 inch diameter copper flexible line on it, about 6 inches long, and make a flattened "S" in the line so that you can insert the end of the tube into the chamber.
Point the muzzle downwards, insert the funnel into the chamber, and pour the water throught the barrel. It will flush out the corrosive salts, and heat the barrel which will allow it to dry out faster. Clean the barrel as normal, and lightly oil the bore.
CAUTION -- When holding the rifle muzzle downwards and pouring in the boiling water, make sure that the end of the barrel does not point against your leg or is over the top of your rubber boots. I have seen both of these happen, (thankfully not to me,) and the results were highly amusing.
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You should assume that any MILSURP .303 is corrosive primed, altho there are exceptions like the 1980s vintage Belgique ball, the Greek HXP stuff dated 1970s/80s and the South African ammo which was produced in the 1980s.
The other thing you can do besides the funnel trick is to put a patch on a rod, insert the muzzle in hot, soapy water, and then use the rod like a piston to work the water back and forth in the bore being careful not to draw the water up into the action. Alternatively, just do the muzzle loader clean up trick by using successive water soaked patches followed by a dry one. It's a good isdea to repeat the process on the following day before drying and oiling the bore.
The other thing you can do besides the funnel trick is to put a patch on a rod, insert the muzzle in hot, soapy water, and then use the rod like a piston to work the water back and forth in the bore being careful not to draw the water up into the action. Alternatively, just do the muzzle loader clean up trick by using successive water soaked patches followed by a dry one. It's a good isdea to repeat the process on the following day before drying and oiling the bore.
The DI hs .303" was made by Defence Industries under the supervision of CIL. It used the regular CIL, Dominion brand, commercial non corrosive large rifle Boxer primer. I have fired lots of this ammo.
It should not be confused with the DA hs , Dominion Arsenal, ammo which used the large .250" corrosive Berdan primer.
It should not be confused with the DA hs , Dominion Arsenal, ammo which used the large .250" corrosive Berdan primer.
The ammunition marked DI Z was made by Defence Industries Limited, a Canadian Crown Corporation formed for the purpose of manufacturing ammunition for His Majesty's Forces.
Supervisory staff was from the Dominion Cartridge Company. The Dominion Cartridge Company was part of Canadian Industries Limited, the Canadian version of Imperial Chemical Industries (with which it was hooked up) which was the British chemical giant which owned the Nobel powder factories in Scotland and had arrangements with Rhenische-Westfalische Sprengstoffsfabriken (the owner of the patents through DYNAMIT AG) and the whole thing supposedly controlled by the Nobel Trust which raked in the money while Axel Wenner-Gren, rather a devout Nazi, controlled much of the workings. The whole international explosives industry was all hooked together, but the upshot of it was that ALL DOMINION CARTRIDGE COMPANY PRIMERS WERE NONCORROSIVE AND NONMERCURIC...... and these were what were used in the DI ammunition. The "Z" on the headstamp indicates that the cartridges were loaded with an extruded powder, made in Canada, similar to Nobel Neonite which was actually a European version of DuPont's MR and later IMR powders (developed originally by Hudson Maxim) because, you see, they were hooked up with DuPont as well! It was all one big, happy family.
ALL DI AMMUNITION WAS NONCORROSIVE AND NONMERCURIC. THIS INCLUDES THE VCC 45 .30-06 MADE FOR THE USA: THE ONLY NCNM .30-06 OF WW2.
ALL DA AMMUNITION, MADE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN FACTORY, WAS CORROSIVE AND MERCURIC. It used big copper Berdan primers made to Royal Laboratories specs.
And this is about the 20th time I have written this. I do wish people would try the SEARCH button before hitting the PANIC button.
DI ammo is the finest military .303 ammunition ever made, bar none. Even the Brass is wonderful.
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Supervisory staff was from the Dominion Cartridge Company. The Dominion Cartridge Company was part of Canadian Industries Limited, the Canadian version of Imperial Chemical Industries (with which it was hooked up) which was the British chemical giant which owned the Nobel powder factories in Scotland and had arrangements with Rhenische-Westfalische Sprengstoffsfabriken (the owner of the patents through DYNAMIT AG) and the whole thing supposedly controlled by the Nobel Trust which raked in the money while Axel Wenner-Gren, rather a devout Nazi, controlled much of the workings. The whole international explosives industry was all hooked together, but the upshot of it was that ALL DOMINION CARTRIDGE COMPANY PRIMERS WERE NONCORROSIVE AND NONMERCURIC...... and these were what were used in the DI ammunition. The "Z" on the headstamp indicates that the cartridges were loaded with an extruded powder, made in Canada, similar to Nobel Neonite which was actually a European version of DuPont's MR and later IMR powders (developed originally by Hudson Maxim) because, you see, they were hooked up with DuPont as well! It was all one big, happy family.
ALL DI AMMUNITION WAS NONCORROSIVE AND NONMERCURIC. THIS INCLUDES THE VCC 45 .30-06 MADE FOR THE USA: THE ONLY NCNM .30-06 OF WW2.
ALL DA AMMUNITION, MADE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN FACTORY, WAS CORROSIVE AND MERCURIC. It used big copper Berdan primers made to Royal Laboratories specs.
And this is about the 20th time I have written this. I do wish people would try the SEARCH button before hitting the PANIC button.
DI ammo is the finest military .303 ammunition ever made, bar none. Even the Brass is wonderful.
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Thanks for all the info smellie (and green) . . . if I ever do come across some more of that ammo I won't bother with the hot water treatment. It sure does get that barrel hot!!! I did do a search for corrosive milsurp ammunition, but I guess I didn't go back far enough to find the info I was looking for. Next time I'll be more patient. 
Great!
Hang onto that brass, too, friend; it is absolutely the BEST reloading brass ever made.
Granted, it is getting a bit long in the tooth these days and brass DOES harden with age.... but a gentle annealing can work wonders.
I have 1,000 rounds of this brass hoarded and it is what I use when I want ACCURATE .303 ammo. Even the RIMS are all perfect (.063") or so close to it that it is difficult to mike.
And if somebody else throws it away...... PICK IT UP!!!!!
You will be doing yourself (and you ARE the nicest guy you know, so you deserve it) a very real favour.
Good luck.
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Hang onto that brass, too, friend; it is absolutely the BEST reloading brass ever made.
Granted, it is getting a bit long in the tooth these days and brass DOES harden with age.... but a gentle annealing can work wonders.
I have 1,000 rounds of this brass hoarded and it is what I use when I want ACCURATE .303 ammo. Even the RIMS are all perfect (.063") or so close to it that it is difficult to mike.
And if somebody else throws it away...... PICK IT UP!!!!!
You will be doing yourself (and you ARE the nicest guy you know, so you deserve it) a very real favour.
Good luck.
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@Ganderite:
You can STILL take pride in that ammo, friend.
For my money, the DI .303" ammunition was the best .303" military ammunition made anywhere, any time.
I can only WISH somebody was making it that well today.
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You can STILL take pride in that ammo, friend.
For my money, the DI .303" ammunition was the best .303" military ammunition made anywhere, any time.
I can only WISH somebody was making it that well today.
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