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Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:41 pm
by 450 Martini
I was very lucky a few weeks ago as i was able to aquire a case of Vintage World war 2 303 MK VII SAA.
The story behind this stuff is that a old cadet armoury was been cleared out and in a old locker several black painted metal tins were found all were stamped 1945. inside the soldered lid were celophane covered boxes of 303 dated between 1943-1945. Eventully they were sold to a RFD friend of mine and i found out through the grapevine and managed to get myself a case of just over 200 rounds for around £80. This was my deal of the year. Considering the length of time since production ceased at Radway green this may well be the last batch of Surplus 303 to be found in the UK. This will be "special occasion" ammunition.
Anybody else had any good luck finding any good milsurp recently?

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 9:28 pm
by Ovenpaa
That is quite a find, it will be interesting to hear how it shoots, probably awful but that is not the point...

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:17 pm
by DanTheMan
450 Martini wrote: Anybody else had any good luck finding any good milsurp recently?
Nice !

I was lucky enough to get the heads up on someones personal stash of HXP when they heard I needed food for my SMLE

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:26 am
by 1066
That photo takes me right back to the very first time I shot at Bisley (1963). We arrived at about 08.00 after a three hour drive and went to sign in. In one of the long wooden huts were trestle tables loaded with individual boxes of .303 rounds, just as in the picture. Each box was sitting on a pair of scoring cards with your name and entry number on it. I felt really grownup with my box of 24 shiny new rounds and score cards for 900 and 1000yds and the clubs P14, I was just 13 at the time.

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:04 am
by Watcher
Usually its unbelievably smoky. We had a load of 1941 Winchester 'Not for Use in Aircraft' .303 and I got fed up with all the jokers who came up to ask if we were firing black powder.

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:41 am
by froggy
Salut,

Well done on your brilliant find :good:
In original box etc ... seems to me like nice collector WW2 stuff to preserve than to shot if I may say ?

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:30 am
by Watcher
Also, not surprisingly, most of the cases cracked on first use. Usually a small longitudinal crack on the shoulder. Maybe why it wasn't for use in aircraft!

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:32 pm
by 450 Martini
Arguably this stuff is better than the stuff i had when i started shooting 10 years ago, it was that loose green coloured 303, with head stamps from all over the globe from 1918-1945, it was pure luck if it worked some days, But with a few friends on a warm spring day at the 100 yard range down the bog with my then new No4 it was a lot of fun.
this batch of ww2 stuff is quite good, another chap who also had a batch reported about 3" gropus with his scoped no4 at 100 yards and not one misfire. he then sells the inert loaded cases as collecters items for re enacting types at arms fairs for more than he paid for the loaded ammo.

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:17 am
by pe4king
I also found some of this stuff a few years ago 32 rd boxes (for the Bren gun) I paid £6 a box fired it put the empty cases back in the box and selling it on fleabay for £14 a box, right :good: result.

Re: Surplus 303 success story

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:04 am
by Gaz
I acquired five rounds of postwar RG .303" a while ago.

I don't intend firing them. :)