Found A 303 Proof Round In Some Odds And Ends At The Show Yesterday Pictures Are Up
- Thread starter albayo
- Start date
As recommended I wouldn't shoot it, keep it or sell as a collector piece. Proof rounds are made for testing new barrels before being assembled. Do you want to chance safety over a 60 to 100 year old barrel? CYA if you do sell it that it is a proofing round and recommend not to fire it. Or you could make it inert by pulling the bullet, dumping powder and reassemble but then any collector value could be affected.
Just how valuable are they?
I have been into military firearms for 45 years and have never found a proof round until now.
I just hope there weren't any other proof rounds in the box of odds and ends the guy had on the table.
I hope some poor guy thinking it was just another 303 FMJ won't fire it in his gun.
I have been into military firearms for 45 years and have never found a proof round until now.
I just hope there weren't any other proof rounds in the box of odds and ends the guy had on the table.
I hope some poor guy thinking it was just another 303 FMJ won't fire it in his gun.
I've seen .303 Proof rounds marked with "Q" headstamps, base stripes, case stripes, bullet rings, copper-washed cases, and some early MkI and MkII rounds with "PROOF" in the headstamp, but never the Canadian variation originally posted. If I had one to put on my table at a cartridge show, I would start out at USD75.00, or even a bit higher.
I'm not a serious .303 collector, so they may be out there, but I've never seen one like that.
I'm not a serious .303 collector, so they may be out there, but I've never seen one like that.
The DAC 44 is listed in MacDonalds book on the 303, it is a known round. I remember picking up some WW2 proof rounds in Truro years ago, likely the same, but long since gone, so I dont remember for sure. Value is what you can get obviously, I would say 10$, but thats at a typical Maritime gun show. At a dedicated cartridge show, who knows. The real value is to the 303 collector, otherwise I dont think the appeal is really that strong, but hey, YMMV.
There's some info here: https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-303-inch/-303-inch-proof
None of it refers to Canadian DA Ammo, but I suppose that there would be similarities between the DA and the "Proof mark IV".
They refer to pressures of 24 and 25 tsi (tons/square inch) which being 48 and 50K psi is only slightly above the operating pressure of the Lee Enfield Rifles.
None of it refers to Canadian DA Ammo, but I suppose that there would be similarities between the DA and the "Proof mark IV".
They refer to pressures of 24 and 25 tsi (tons/square inch) which being 48 and 50K psi is only slightly above the operating pressure of the Lee Enfield Rifles.
Here are a few pictures of the round.
Dang it!!! I wish I had read this thread before firing my proof rounds! I picked up 6 at my local gun store for $5. No one at the store knew what they were... I brought them to the club and no one there knew what there were. We all thought they were some sort of milsurp. After shooting a couple of boxes of Winchesters and some reloads, I grabbed the best grouping Enfield from the four I had out (it so happens to be the one with the newest re barrel) and shot 5 of them. They strung 4" diagonal to the right from a 1/4" moa rifle with 180g Winchesters factory loads. I don't know what that tells you... I only have one round left.
