Defence Industries Limited

[bearhunter]

I recently picked up 10 boxes (20rds) marked "Made in Canada by Defence Industries Limited Montreal, Canada, S. A. Ball 30/06 packed. There is also a big broadarrow in a large C. The carton is white with a one inch wie red band printed all the way around the centre.
The brass is shiney and the bullet is FMJ of course. The headstamp is D.C.Co. 30SPG.

The reason for this post is to say how much my Breda built garand likes this stuff. From a solid bench rest, forward and rear bags, two inch groups at 100yds. Now this isn't a rifle that normally shoots ball ammo of any sort into less than 4 inches. It will do so with handloads. M2 ball is usually in the 4-5 inch range though.
I reallise that this ammo is wartime production and I suspect that the red band is to eliminate confusion, like the red paint with black 30-06 on Canadian marked P17 Enfields fore ends.

I'm just surprised at the quality and consistancy of this ammunition.

By the way, I'm going to keep the remaining 8 boxes that are full to go with my Canadian P17 with matching paint, but here is still half a box unfired, I'm going to put it through the P17 to see how well it does there.

Has anyone else run accross this stuff? How well did it do for you?

bearhunter

 

[sunray]

"...D.C.Co..." Is Dominion Cartridge Company. The wartime entity that eventually became IVI. It's not unusual for it to be extremely accurate either. It likely has some cartridge collector value too.
Their .303 ball is exceptionally good too. Shot some 1944 manufacture .303 ball when I ran an Army Cadet Corps long ago. Far better than the 1985 vintage IVI we got later.
"...the red band is to eliminate confusion..." Yep. Wouldn't do to send .30-06 to Canadian, Brit or Anzac troopies.

 

[x westie]

"...D.C.Co..." Is Dominion Cartridge Company. The wartime entity that eventually became IVI. It's not unusual for it to be extremely accurate either. It likely has some cartridge collector value too.
Their .303 ball is exceptionally good too. Shot some 1944 manufacture .303 ball when I ran an Army Cadet Corps long ago. Far better than the 1985 vintage IVI we got later.
"...the red band is to eliminate confusion..." Yep. Wouldn't do to send .30-06 to Canadian, Brit or Anzac troopies.

Interesting that our wartime small arms ammo was noted for been accurate and reliable,...50 years later and with all the new advancements in computerized manufacturing that IVI's quality control was pathetic....probably managed by Liberal party supporters

 

[smellie]

DCCo was the old Dominion Cartridge Company, a private concern that made excellent-quality ammo in Canada for many years. Unfortunately, it ended up owned by Canadian Industries Limited (CIL) which was cxonnected to (shocking!) Evil International Cartellists Imperial Chemical Industries, and so had to be Canadianized by being handed over to IVI which was Quebecois and hence acceptable to the Liberal Government.

During WWII, DCCo provided management staff and training for the federal gummint's own ammo factory system which had sevberal factories, all stamping DI. This was defence Industries. One plant made nothing but smallarms ammo and this stuff, whether .303 or .30-'06, was all NCNM and highest quality brass, shot well when made and STILL shoots excellently if it has been well-stored.

The government already had a national arsenal, Dominion Arsenals (DA headtamp) but it was overpressed by WWII demands.

DI made, without doubt, the best Allied ammunition of the Second World War.

You own a real chunk of Canadian history there. Have fun!

 

[sunray]

"...IVI's quality control..." Yep. When IVI took over, using same machinery, parts, materials and workies, the quality dropped significantly. Still reliable, but not as accurate.

 

[bearhunter]

Thanks for the information guys, very informative. There was a bunch more available at the gunshow in Salmon Arm this weekend, great show by the way, lots of different stuff this time.
I didn't buy any more though. It was priced at $50/box of 20 and labled as very collectable. They sold 15 boxes, so somebody must have agreed with them. I felt the price was pretty steep, but I definitely don't know enough about priceing of collector grade ammo to know what I'm looking at etc.

I did pick up a sealed box of 48ea Canadian made 303Brit for $30 marked with a 1950 date on the box, to go with my 1950 Longbranch No4 Mk1*.

Bearhunter

 

[tiriaq]

DI was a WW2 operation. IVI eventaully acquired the DA operation for military production, and the CIL/Dominion commercial. There were complaints about quality control, the IVI/Imperial commercial line was dropped. IVI's ownership has changed over the years, SNC/Lavellin, now General Dynamics.

 

[Lee Enfield]

Thanks for the information guys, very informative. There was a bunch more available at the gunshow in Salmon Arm this weekend, great show by the way, lots of different stuff this time.
I didn't buy any more though. It was priced at $50/box of 20 and labled as very collectable. They sold 15 boxes, so somebody must have agreed with them. I felt the price was pretty steep, but I definitely don't know enough about priceing of collector grade ammo to know what I'm looking at etc.

I did pick up a sealed box of 48ea Canadian made 303Brit for $30 marked with a 1950 date on the box, to go with my 1950 Longbranch No4 Mk1*.

Bearhunter

You didn't really shoot it did you?

If you did, I hope you saved the boxes....

 

[can14]

the m1 garand rifle was official issue with canadian military. so the ammo was made for them . I have a canadian army training manual for the issue m1 garand.

 

[John Marshall]

Does it look like these?

[/IMG]

 

[bearhunter]

I shot one box only, and yes I saved the box and brass.

JM it is a white box with black lettering and has a red stripe around the center about an inch wide. bearhunter

 

[RRCo.]

Does the 1950 box have nickel-plated primers and 1945 headstamps?