old WW2 303 ammo

[KotKotofeich]

I picked up some 303 ammo cheaply with the intention of feeding my Ross - brass out of a mk4 doesn't size down enough to fit in the chamber, so I was going to fire this stuff and then keep reloading the brass for the Ross exclusively. After examining the headstamps, I see that there's some old ammunition here, so wanted to check if there's anything valuable here before I waste it - I'm not a cartridge collector. I think this was someone's cartridge collection - about 60 rounds with the majority being later headstamps...

zinc coloured round nose fmj
DA VI 1912

zinc coloured fmj
DC 16 VII
DA VII 1918
DA VII 1919
DA VII 38
CAC 39 VII
DA VII 1940
DC G IV Z 1941 (white tip)
DA GI 1941 (black band on brass near the head)
RG VII 1942
WI K1942
DI Z 1943
RG WI 43
RG WI 1943
C-P WI 43
WI 1943
K28 VII


copper coloured fmj
DI Z 1943
K63 8Z

soft point:
Imperial 303 British

So, is it valuable enough to bother putting up on the EE or should I just shoot it / take it apart for components?

 

[antiqueguy]

I wouldn't shoot any milsurp ammo I am not really into all the head stamps bullet types but im sure someone will be along shortly to tell you the in and outs. I do like military brass though and when I find it for sale at a gun show or on here I grab it if I can I ended up buying someones reloads with cast bullets just because they used military brass I pulled them to find 54gr of a stick powder .

I have a box of old imperial soft points I will most likely end up shooting but I got other commcial/reloaded .303 ammo

 

[buzzmagoo]

All good collectables . Black band = match. White tip = tracer . Nothing extremely rare just good examples . 2.00 to 3.00 each any thing pre WW2 are getting hard to find in good condition . If you want them for reloading you would be better off if you have all the same head stamp( for consistent in the brass) some one I bet would love to have them to start a collection of thier own .

 

[tiriaq]

The Imperial soft pint should be fine to use.
The DI Z is non-corrosive Boxer. Excellent ammunition when made 76 years ago.

 

[cosmic]

A lot of that military stuff is berdan primed - so not reloadable. Also, a lot of it is corrosive ....

 

[Komodo]

I picked up some cartridges gallery practice from 1917 and cartridges s.a. blank from 1924 still wrapped in paper with the twine

 

[green]

The black banded DA GI is a Cdn pattern tracer MkI
. Not a match ctg.

 

[Shooting Centre]

Much of the old brass is brittle too, and you will likely see lots of cracked necks after firing. You might want to look at some modern PPU ammo as a source for brass. Also as pointed out there is the issue of berdan primers in most of what you listed.