Website to help ID old military ammo. Added pics.

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Sasquatch807

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Today I was given a box of military .303 br. ammo.
Unfortunately, the top was missing so I couln't ID it easily.
It was beige cardboard with 4 rows of 12 cartridges lying flat, with each row separated by a sheet of paper.
The headstamp said MW 44.
I searched the net and found a site ( http://cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm ) with a reference chart for old military ammo and it lists MW as Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°6, Welshpool, Australia. 44 being the year of course. One has to wonder by what path this wound up in someones basement in La Tuque, Québec.

Anyways, just thought I'd share this useful site with other milsurp fans. Here are the pics, I guess I'll have to find a nice Lithgow to go with this ammo.

1944aussie003.jpg


1944aussie004.jpg
 
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Not my intent to divert the thread,BUT:D...A thought came to mind,Why is it that the ammo boxes for the Enfields are in such strange number denominations? 48 cartridges to a box,32 cartridges to a box ect. the fire arms hold 10's in the mag. Wouldn't 50 cartridges and 30 cartridges to a box make more sense? Is this another case of military intelligence?:confused:
 
plinker 777 said:
Not my intent to divert the thread,BUT:D...A thought came to mind,Why is it that the ammo boxes for the Enfields are in such strange number denominations? 48 cartridges to a box,32 cartridges to a box ect. the fire arms hold 10's in the mag. Wouldn't 50 cartridges and 30 cartridges to a box make more sense? Is this another case of military intelligence?:confused:
Click to expand...

4 doz rounds = 48 cartridges, Just old school
 
Sasquatch807 said:
Today I was given a box of military .303 br. ammo.
Unfortunately, the top was missing so I couln't ID it easily.
It was beige cardboard with 4 rows of 12 cartridges lying flat, with each row separated by a sheet of paper.
The headstamp said MW 44.
I searched the net and found a site ( http://cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm ) with a reference chart for old military ammo and it lists MW as Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°6, Welshpool, Australia. 44 being the year of course. One has to wonder by what path this wound up in someones basement in La Tuque, Québec.

Anyways, just thought I'd share this useful site with other milsurp fans. Here are the pics, I guess I'll have to find a nice Lithgow to go with this ammo.
Click to expand...

Very cool find, Confirmed "MW Small Arms Ammunition Factory No 6, Welchpool, Australia."

This web site also states the same. http://www.dave-cushman.net/shot/303headstamps.html

So you have a box of Nov 20, 1944, MW manuf ammo.... Awesome.

Don't shoot it, it's worth a bit of $$ to the 303 ammo collector and when you consider the Kokoda campaign in 1942 + the Australian desire for an Azz kicking. Your right in saying "One has to wonder by what path this wound up in someones basement in La Tuque, Québec. "

A dam good story.
 
Pblatzz said:
Very cool find, Confirmed "MW Small Arms Ammunition Factory No 6, Welchpool, Australia."

This web site also states the same. http://www.dave-cushman.net/shot/303headstamps.html

So you have a box of Nov 20, 1944, MW manuf ammo.... Awesome.

Don't shoot it, it's worth a bit of $$ to the 303 ammo collector and when you consider the Kokoda campaign in 1942 + the Australian desire for an Azz kicking. Your right in saying "One has to wonder by what path this wound up in someones basement in La Tuque, Québec. "

A dam good story.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the first box had no lid and one bullet missing in it and this afternoon the same guy brought me another one and says, "Here, this was in a workbench drawer, I thought it was a box of screws or bolts". That is how I wound up with this second full box. All the 95 rounds are in near perfect condition with no corrosion or tarnish of any sort.
And don`t worry, I'm not shooting this stuff. I have ample supplies of modern commercial .303 ammo and I also reload the stuff.
 
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