Found some surplus .303 ammo at my neighbors yesterday!!

Tinman204

Tinman204

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Hey guys,

Was at my neighbors yesterday when he showed me an old metal crate marked "live grenades".
He opened it up and pulled out a .303 charger loaded with old ammo. He asked me if I wanted it since .303 is my favorite cartridge and the one I shoot the most. He told me to empty the crate and that I could have whatever was in it!! I was like "I can have this for free?"!!!!

When I got home I looked it all over and found that I ended up with 75-80 .303 rounds marked "DI 44" on them with a couple "DA" C broadarrow stamped rounds. I also found a "DI 44" stamped 9mm round, 2 .303 chargers and 40 2/34" Gevelot paper shot shells.

Anyhow I it's pretty neat to have original WW2 ammo but what I think is super cool is the 2 DA broad arrow round were supposedly DCRA ammo made in Quebec for target shooting.

Pleas correct me if I'm wrong, just looking for info as my interest and my ammo collection is growing!!

Here's a few pics of the oddball headstamps. (one on the top is a "DI 44" marked piece which I'm very familiar with, but I'm curious if some of you more knowledgeable collectors could give me some info on the other 3.

2F2DBCF1-0A9C-4B22-BA29-6127845BEA0F-2437-0000086EF44ED8ED.jpg


FD903DB5-2BD7-4260-93D5-208908DCA949-2437-0000086EFBA8190F.jpg
 
The DAC is standard military issue Mark VII ball. The match ammo will have coloured stripes round the case, different colours and number of stripes denoting the year.

The 1940 Mark VII round is cordite loaded but the 1951 Mark 7z is nitrocellulose loaded.(Mark numbers changed from Roman to Arabic in 1945)

The "1943 DI Z" and the 1944 are what is known as "universal" cases as the headstamp does not include the mark number so they could be used for ball, tracer, AP or incendiary, the colour of the primer annulus and bullet tip being the identifier. Yours are ball with a purple annulus and no tip colour.

Regards
TonyE
 
That Defence Industries (DI) ammunition is some of the better WWII ammunition made. It is Boxer primed, and reloadable, and has some of the best brass cases you could ever find for reloading. SMELLIE goes all mellow when he finds that stuff. With your target loads, neck sized, in the Ross, it will last a long time.
 
Thanks for all of the info guys!

I actually went all googoo when I saw the headstamps as Smellie has got me hooked on the DI brass. Thanks to him I have a matched set of '44 DI brass that I've been using in the Ross and thus far I'm very happy with it. I may try and shoot a few of them as I've never fired the proper ammunition out of my guns. Not to mention that I could really use 50 more DI cases for my no.4 target rifle.

Really feel like I hit the jackpot!
 
Congrats on your acquisition.

Way better than one of my neighbors, several years ago, despite knowing old ammo would find a good home here, she opted to turn in a small cardboard box of stuff into the local constabulary for destruction! :(

However, did luck out with another friend who gave me this:

Brit303Ammo.jpg


:canadaFlag:
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NAA.
 
"..."DI 44"..." The absolute best .303 ammo I ever fired when I commanded a Cadet Corps, long ago, was DA 44. By far better ammo than the IVI crap we got later on.
 
yank said:
You should buy him a box of beer for sure!
Click to expand...

I box bladed his beat up driveway with my tractor as he doesn't drink:)

And for sure I'll clean after shooting any of this ammo. I clean after everytime I shoot my guns, if I've shot more then 5-10 rounds that is. I'm pretty anal about keeping my guns nice as I figure I'm only their caretaker for now with hope that oneday somebody else with get the chance to enjoy my guns.
 
NAA said:
Congrats on your acquisition.

Way better than one of my neighbors, several years ago, despite knowing old ammo would find a good home here, she opted to turn in a small cardboard box of stuff into the local constabulary for destruction! :(

However, did luck out with another friend who gave me this:

Brit303Ammo.jpg


:canadaFlag:
-----------
NAA.
Click to expand...

Mother Fu<ker!!!! On Chargers and everything!!!! What's underneath, the Holy Grail? Let me guess, the ammo goes with the mummy wrapped No1Mk3 (#'d bayo as well!?) that's in your attic?

Green w/ envy, nice score.
 
I will admit to being given 2 sealed boxes of HXP .303 about 2 1/2 years ago - about 2,500 rounds total. Someone knew I was shooting Lee-Enfields, asked me if I wanted some ammo, I said yes, please, and a few weeks later he dopped off 2 big boxes, and refused payment. I was going to keep it, but I had a daughter on the way, so the ammo helped pay alot of the hospital fees.
 
I uh, got some free Pakistani .303 once! I know, you're all extremely jealous of my hangfires. ;) It was actually halfway accurate, but 7 in ten of the things would click-bang. Helped me iron out the last of my flinching and it cost me nothing so I have no complaints.

The guy was a family friend who asked "Don't you have a Lee Enfield?" I replied "Yes" and he said "I have some ####ty old .303 from the FAC days, want it?" How could I say no to that sales pitch?

Nice haul, OP. I'd be pretty happy with that score as well.
 
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