.303 drill ammunition-WW1?

[scotchegg75]

I have just refound a holder with three .303 bullets in. One I cannot identifty but the other two appear to be B 14 VII and KN 10 VII

The strange thing (to me) is that they have 4 small holes up the sides. Any ideas why ?

[TonyE]

The two you describe are "B", Birmingham metals and Munitions Company, and "KN", Kings Norton Metals and Munitions Company.

What is the third that you cannot identify?

The reason that they have the four small holes is that they have been converted to drill rounds. Given the dates, I would expect them to be Drill Mark III with round nosed wooden bullets, but only a picture will tell.

Post a picture and I will do my best to identify them.

Regards

TonyE

[scotchegg75]

[scotchegg75]

The left three, the forth was one I found nearby yesterday from 1977. The three were still in a holder together but it fell apart when I lifted it up

[TonyE]

As I thought, these are Drill Mark III cartridges and would have originally had red wood bullets. Note the original headstamps have been cancelled with a ring stamp.

The one you could not decypher in the centre is "R (Broad Arrow) L", made at the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich. I cannot see the rest of the headstamp but it may have been made from a Mark VI ball round.

The right hand rimless case looks like a 7.62mm NATO extended neck blank, so if you found it in the UK and it is dated 1977 I would expect the headstamp to read "RG 77 L10A2".

Regards

TonyE

[scotchegg75]

As I thought, these are Drill Mark III cartridges and would have originally had red wood bullets. Note the original headstamps have been cancelled with a ring stamp.

The one you could not decypher in the centre is "R (Broad Arrow) L", made at the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich. I cannot see the rest of the headstamp but it may have been made from a Mark VI ball round.

The right hand rimless case looks like a 7.62mm NATO extended neck blank, so if you found it in the UK and it is dated 1977 I would expect the headstamp to read "RG 77 L10A2".

Regards

TonyE

Great thanks, interesting to just find these on the surface nearly 100 years later !

The other is RG 77 L13A1 - probably a result of training from Connaught Barracks

[TonyE]

I forgot how early the L13A1 version of the British 7.62mm blank started. I checked my collection and the L13 replaced the L10A2 version about 1973.

Regards

TonyE

[Geertsen]

Here's an example of a wooden drill round I have in my collection if anyone's interested to see. This one has holes drilled in the side, another drill round I have has the pressed / indented fluting up the sides like the one Phil Eyden posted. This round is later than WWI (1933, Frankford Arsenal) but still in great condition.