Old Bullet

[Zoomie]

Attention all Military History Gurus...

My wife found an intact British Imperial .303 round at work. This .303 is quite different from any round that I have seen before. The tip of the bullet appears to be plastic. The remainder of the .303 bullet is standard metal jacket. There are no markings other than what I have already stated : British 303 Imperial (on the bottom)

Any clues... Was this a modern-day reload in an older casing, or some strange kind of bullet type?

I will enclose a picture for further clarification at a later date. Must scrounge up the Digi-cam first.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Sounds like a plastic bullet to me....

doh

There were hundreds if not thousands of different .303 cartidges produced - ask anyone who ever considered starting a collection; in fact, there is no single collection in the world that has an example of every type of round produced with every type of headstamping.

I unfortunately can‘t recall if a plastic round was one of them or what it was used for, but it seems familiar somehow...

 

[ProPatria05]

Imperial is a manufacturer of shells. I don‘t know whether they‘re in business anymore, or who the parent company is (if any), but I know I have bought Imperial shotgun shells in the past.

As for the plastic tip, I have seen 30-30 shells with a metal jacket over most of the bullet, with a blue plastic tip where the lead normally is. These were old shells, mind you. I‘m not sure what the value or purpose of the plastic tip was.

 

[Drummy]

Hi Zoomie,

Can‘t be absolutely certain of course, but it appears as though that round is like one of a box that I have. They‘re locked up in the attic just now, and hard to get at, but I‘m sure they have the same markings that you describe, and the plastic tip. They are designed for deer hunting. I bought them about 10 years ago, and haven‘t shot at a deer since.

For what it‘s worth, I also have a 1/2 box left that I purchased in 1961 in Petawawa and the price tag on the box is $3.25 for 20 rounds. I wouldn‘t even think of trying to use them now. Would probably just slide out the muzzle like one of those flags you see in cartoons and bad comedies.

Drummy

 

[CDN1944]

i got some imperial 30-30 shells somewhere around im not sure where, they were my grandpa‘s after he bought his limited edition marlin (its kewl its got gold trigger and sights)

 

[Spr.Earl]

It sound‘s like a civie teflon tipped hunting round.
Reason for the tip is for the mushrooming of the round in the animal, were as a full metal jacket(surplus round) could travel straight through and out the other and go god know‘s were.
Hope this help‘s.

 

[GuyFoxy]

Hi, I'm an Ammo Tech in Suffield. Sounds like you are describing a MK 7Z .303 Ball used with the Bren gun. Also this may be a Blank round for Bren gun, look closely at the tip, it may be wood coated in resin vice plastic. If it is you have the blank version.

 

[SprCForr]

It sound's like a civie teflon tipped hunting round.
Reason for the tip is for the mushrooming of the round in the animal, were as a full metal jacket(surplus round) could travel straight through and out the other and go god know's were.
Hope this help's.

I think you're right. I've seen white tips and black tips on them as well.

 

[AmmoTech90]

At the risk of sustaining a two year old thread (and only because the OP is still around), I too have an answer.

Differs a bit from your's C...

Imperial was used as a head stamp for .303 by CIL/IVI from 1965 to 1988.  Imperial was used to denote civilian ammunition, IVI was used for military carts.  So I would say that it's a hunting round.

 

[YukonJack]

Indeed, Imperial marketed this bullet style in several calibers/cartridges for sporting use called a "Sabertip". Interestingly, it never was too popular. Now, Nosler makes something nearly identical called a "Ballistic Tip" that everybody loves....