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Good Morning Everyone......

Been doing a lot of reading during the lockdown and found this for your viewing pleasure.....

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See here: samilitaryhistory.org/vol172tw.html

Mike

Terry Willson did a brilliant job, but the figures showing the Sudan campaign dum-dum and the Mk VII have been unfortunately transposed.

Hi. I believe I picked up a 303 mark v bullet cartridge in kzn at what used to be an old hotel site 1850s to 1870s. Here are some pics of the cartridge.

Guppy
The fired cartridge case you show is that of a .303" service round. The headstamp is rather indistinct but appears to show the manufacturer as Woolwich Arsenal (R-arrow-L), the propellant filling was Cordite (C) and the Mark number of the round was Five (V). The Mark Five .303" round featured a hollow point projectile and was approved in October 1899 but was regarded as contravening the terms of the St. Petersburg Declaration and the Hague Convention and withdrawn from service. The earlier .303" Cordite Mk.Two (with a non expanding, round nosed full metal jacket projectile) replaced the Mark Five, and due to the changeover (and the acute shortage of small arms ammunition in reserve in 1900) some batches of Mark Five were completed with the Mark Two projectile.
A bit of a complicated reply to your query and if you wish to read further, have a look at the book ".303 inch" by Labbett and Mead.
Regards
IL.

Hi IL,

What are your thoughts on these cartridges collected in 2000/2001 from WA Hill in Colesberg?

I don't know a lot about ammunition and found your deciphering of the codes quite interesting; any information would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Sturgy,

The 7 x 57 mm Mauser cartridge (unfired) has headstamps:

"D.M." (for Deutsche Metallparonenfabrik); "K." (for Karlsruhe); "1897" (date of manufacture). See Bester 2003, p.317.


The .303-in cartridges have headstamps:

"K" (for Kynoch Limited, Birmingham); "I" (Mk I). This type is described by Bester (p. 300) as "Rare", "Round-nose. Lead tip of 10 mm" (soft-nosed bullet). Interestingly, he notes that these have been found at Colesberg.

"K" (for Kynoch Limited, Birmingham); "C" (for Cordite); third mark too difficult to read (possibly "IV", or Mk IV).


Neville