.303 British Ammo

voodoo54 · November 22, 2009, 09:26 PM

Anybody know what's going on with .303 British surplus ammo? Is there nobody exporting it anymore or has it simply dried up? I have a Lee Enfield sporter with about 300 rounds but I'm afraid to shoot it up if there's nothing coming in other than $1.00 per round Soft Points. Any info would be great, thanks.

kwells6 · November 22, 2009, 10:13 PM

good luck finding it. And what you do find, it will prolly be VERY corrosive... best bet, reload your own. I do. Saves a ton of $

flippycat · November 23, 2009, 12:13 AM

I have had decent luck finding privi partizan at one of my local gun shops who keep a stock in it , I even find a few boxes of Remington at Bass Pro from time to time when I ask them why it is not on order and has an empty home on the shelf. There is always mail order though if you find yourself in a .303 deadzone. Both sources though local to me at a cost of about .78 cents per shot

Ignition Override · November 23, 2009, 02:26 AM

Until about six or eight weeks ago, the Gunbroker ammo seller in Stillwater, OK listed two cases of POF for about .40 per round.
The lowest-quality, unpredictable .303 for a high price...before shipping

.

It was listed for several months.
After that time I never saw it again on "Gunbroker", "Ammo" nor any more bulk POF.
most sellers'

(so-called "0 bid") prices for most .303 on Gunbroker are mostly an insult. They assume that we all
"just fell off the back of the turnip wagon".

The same seller in Stillwater has displayed many cases/crates of x54R with Cyrillic lettering in his storage area.

CowTowner · November 23, 2009, 09:28 AM

Link provide only as a helping hand to ammo seekers. YMMV.
http://www.buymilsurp.com/ammunition...n-c-13_15.html
Looks like prices and quantities are not what they used to be.

voodoo54 · November 23, 2009, 08:33 PM

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like surplus .303 British has pretty much gone the way of the dodo except for some rare cases. Oh well, looks like I won't be shooting my Lee Enfield very often.

Webleymkv · November 24, 2009, 12:18 AM

The only .303 surplus that seems to turn up anymore comes in greenish colored 32-round boxes (probably the POF stuff that Ignition Overdrive mentioned). Don't waste you money as it terribly corrosive, inaccurate, and hangfires like a Brown Bess. Your best bet for high-volume .303 shooting at this point would probably be to buy a couple hundred rounds of Prvi Partizan, save the brass, and get some neck sizing dies (brass doesn't last very long when full-length sized and shot out of a Lee-Enfield).

kwells6 · November 24, 2009, 12:26 AM

well, there is always this option

http://www.specialinterestarms.com/i...ld_conversions

CowTowner · November 24, 2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

well, there is always this option

http://www.specialinterestarms.com/i...ld_conversions

I've got a barreled action (read "parts gun") I have been wanting to do a K conversion on for some time. Maybe Santa will be nice to me this year.

dreamweaver · November 24, 2009, 11:01 AM

as already menioned, prvi makes good .303 ammo and the brass is good quality for reloading. when the last of the Kynoch surplus dried up, i started useing the prvi. good stuff and the price isn't bad either.

CowTowner · November 24, 2009, 11:27 AM

I managed to save all my 303 brass from years of shooting until I started reloading. And since I am a part-time RSO, I get to poach any 303 brass left at the benches when I'm working.

Now, I load my own.

SwampYankee · November 26, 2009, 11:52 PM

Before I started reloading I bought something like 780 rounds of the POF crap from Sportsmans Guide. The price was reasonable, It must have been under $200. Yes, it hangfires like crazy and is incredibly inaccurate. And it is corrosive. I hold onto it for contingency and only shoot it in a 1948 GRI Enfield with a pitted throat. It is my end of the world ammo.

It's really junk. If it were boxer primed, I'd pull every bullet, pop all the primers and reload the brass. But its not so every once in a while I shoot it to hear a big bang, but I don't worry about hitting the paper.

Newton24b · November 29, 2009, 11:01 PM

why is everyone shocked that the supply of surplus 303 is finally just about GONE? why has no one been able to realize that because the factories stopped making it for the uk military and its colonial slaves, that the supply is finite and in the very end will consist of nothing but the worst trash that never would have made the cut for use in 1942?

kwells6 · November 29, 2009, 11:10 PM

well, there is one place that sells it...

http://www.ozarkarmory.com/index.htm

Lawyer Daggit · November 29, 2009, 11:32 PM

I understand it is still produced in India and is still quite common on the sub continent.

hickstick_10 · December 1, 2009, 08:32 PM

could 30-40 krag brass work?

I seem to recall a 303 is damn near identical in dimensions to 30-40 krag, so much so that the krag will chamber in a 303, is is it the other way around?

CowTowner · December 2, 2009, 07:19 AM

Quote:

could 30-40 krag brass work?

Yes and here's some info: http://www.303british.com/id37.html

Quote:

Many reloaders trim their brass to minimum dimensions according to SAAMI specs. A better method is to make a chamber cast and accurately determine the maximum case length for your particular rifle. I have two Lee Enfield No.4s that have chambers of 2.26" in length. That's a full .05" longer than the standard trim to length for the .303 British of 2.21". For these I select over length brass and trim cases to a uniform 2.25. On way to get longer than average .303 British cases is to reform .30-40 Krag brass. The Krag cartridge is nearly identical except about .2" longer than the .303 case, and can be run through a .303 sizing die, then fire formed in your chamber. I often fire form untrimmed Krag brass using a light charge of pistol powder such as Unique and then fill the case with an inert filler like Cream O Wheat. Cases formed in this way will show the actual length of chamber (impressed into the expanded case neck) of your rifle and can then be trimmed to fit it precisely. The longer cases are more accurate with lead slugs because they support the bullet better as it enters the rifling's leade. (Krag brass is slightly larger at the head, and reformed as .303 British will also eliminate the unsightly bulge that .303 cases often show in large-chambered rifles) Cast bullet loads do not usually cause much case stretching, (especially if you have tightened up your headspace) but I check my extra-long cases every time I reload them, just to be sure.

gyvel · December 4, 2009, 11:24 AM

Unfortunately, .30-40 Krag brass ain't that cheap, either...

kwells6 · December 4, 2009, 11:28 AM

nope...

Tom2 · December 4, 2009, 05:22 PM

Well I guess it is time to get the good ol' loading press out. The problem there is what a mil. .303 chamber does to the brass anyway. Unless you neck size or something.

Tikirocker · December 14, 2009, 10:14 AM

Surplus .303 is rare now ... like rockinghorse dung - the stuff that is still around is poor in both accuracy and condition/performance. There is still plenty of commercial .303 British being made with Highland being among the cheapest. If you really care about accuracy and performance for both target and hunting just roll you own ... I do.

Tiki.

gyvel · December 15, 2009, 08:07 PM

A bit OT here, but the same situation is going to exist sooner or later with 7.62x54R and 7.62x25. Guns for these calibres are dirt cheap right now and everyone is buying them up like crazy, mostly because of the availability of large amounts of cheap surplus ammo.

When that dries up, you have the same situation as you do with .303 Brit.

Milsurp guns are fun to shoot, but I would never choose any weapon for which I couldn't assure a reasonably available supply of ammo for a SHTF situation.

kwells6 · December 15, 2009, 08:19 PM

like Tiki, i just make my own. its SO MUCH cheaper and better accuracy

golfnutrlv · December 16, 2009, 12:41 PM

There are sources out there. Unfortunately, for us non reloaders (hopefully not me for much longer) .303 Brit runs about $1 per round!!

Here is one site that should help.
http://www.ammoengine.com/find/ammo/.303_British

The first choice on that list, Sellier and Bellot 180 gr FMJ from cheaper than dirt is a good deal. I have shot a bunch of that exact round, and its the best performing FMJ Enfield ammo that I have found.

Enjoy!!

T. O'Heir · December 17, 2009, 10:41 AM

"....30-40 Krag brass ain't that cheap, either..." Only loaded 'seasonally' by Remington and Winchester too. Too long as well. 92 thou longer than the .303 case. And the rim is 5 thou bigger.

November 22, 2009, 09:26 PM	#1
voodoo54 Member Join Date: November 7, 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 36	.303 British Ammo Anybody know what's going on with .303 British surplus ammo? Is there nobody exporting it anymore or has it simply dried up? I have a Lee Enfield sporter with about 300 rounds but I'm afraid to shoot it up if there's nothing coming in other than $1.00 per round Soft Points. Any info would be great, thanks.

November 22, 2009, 10:13 PM	#2
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	good luck finding it. And what you do find, it will prolly be VERY corrosive... best bet, reload your own. I do. Saves a ton of $ __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

November 23, 2009, 12:13 AM	#3
flippycat Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2009 Location: Hamilton, Ohio Posts: 213	I have had decent luck finding privi partizan at one of my local gun shops who keep a stock in it , I even find a few boxes of Remington at Bass Pro from time to time when I ask them why it is not on order and has an empty home on the shelf. There is always mail order though if you find yourself in a .303 deadzone. Both sources though local to me at a cost of about .78 cents per shot __________________ Basics VS Marlboros both will kill you one just tastes better Ohios Firearm Classifieds profirearm.com

November 23, 2009, 09:28 AM	#5
CowTowner Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: Cowtown of course! Posts: 1,747	Link provide only as a helping hand to ammo seekers. YMMV. http://www.buymilsurp.com/ammunition...n-c-13_15.html Looks like prices and quantities are not what they used to be. __________________ NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, Home Firearms Safety, Pistol and Rifle Instructor *“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life......”* President John F. Kennedy

November 24, 2009, 12:26 AM	#8
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	well, there is always this option http://www.specialinterestarms.com/i...ld_conversions __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

November 23, 2009, 02:26 AM	#4
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,884	Until about six or eight weeks ago, the Gunbroker ammo seller in Stillwater, OK listed two cases of POF for about .40 per round. The lowest-quality, unpredictable .303 for a high price...before shipping . It was listed for several months. After that time I never saw it again on "Gunbroker", "Ammo" nor any more bulk POF. most sellers' (so-called "0 bid") prices for most .303 on Gunbroker are mostly an insult. They assume that we all "just fell off the back of the turnip wagon". The same seller in Stillwater has displayed many cases/crates of x54R with Cyrillic lettering in his storage area.

November 23, 2009, 08:33 PM	#6
voodoo54 Member Join Date: November 7, 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 36	Thanks for the info guys. Looks like surplus .303 British has pretty much gone the way of the dodo except for some rare cases. Oh well, looks like I won't be shooting my Lee Enfield very often.

November 24, 2009, 12:18 AM	#7
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	The only .303 surplus that seems to turn up anymore comes in greenish colored 32-round boxes (probably the POF stuff that Ignition Overdrive mentioned). Don't waste you money as it terribly corrosive, inaccurate, and hangfires like a Brown Bess. Your best bet for high-volume .303 shooting at this point would probably be to buy a couple hundred rounds of Prvi Partizan, save the brass, and get some neck sizing dies (brass doesn't last very long when full-length sized and shot out of a Lee-Enfield).

November 24, 2009, 11:01 AM	#10
dreamweaver Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Posts: 713	as already menioned, prvi makes good .303 ammo and the brass is good quality for reloading. when the last of the Kynoch surplus dried up, i started useing the prvi. good stuff and the price isn't bad either. __________________ http://takdriver.com/

November 24, 2009, 11:27 AM	#11
CowTowner Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: Cowtown of course! Posts: 1,747	I managed to save all my 303 brass from years of shooting until I started reloading. And since I am a part-time RSO, I get to poach any 303 brass left at the benches when I'm working. Now, I load my own. __________________ NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, Home Firearms Safety, Pistol and Rifle Instructor *“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life......”* President John F. Kennedy

November 26, 2009, 11:52 PM	#12
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	Before I started reloading I bought something like 780 rounds of the POF crap from Sportsmans Guide. The price was reasonable, It must have been under $200. Yes, it hangfires like crazy and is incredibly inaccurate. And it is corrosive. I hold onto it for contingency and only shoot it in a 1948 GRI Enfield with a pitted throat. It is my end of the world ammo. It's really junk. If it were boxer primed, I'd pull every bullet, pop all the primers and reload the brass. But its not so every once in a while I shoot it to hear a big bang, but I don't worry about hitting the paper.

November 29, 2009, 11:01 PM	#13
Newton24b Junior member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 974	why is everyone shocked that the supply of surplus 303 is finally just about GONE? why has no one been able to realize that because the factories stopped making it for the uk military and its colonial slaves, that the supply is finite and in the very end will consist of nothing but the worst trash that never would have made the cut for use in 1942?

November 29, 2009, 11:10 PM	#14
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	well, there is one place that sells it... http://www.ozarkarmory.com/index.htm __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

November 29, 2009, 11:32 PM	#15
Lawyer Daggit Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Posts: 1,181	I understand it is still produced in India and is still quite common on the sub continent.

December 1, 2009, 08:32 PM	#16
hickstick_10 Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Posts: 477	could 30-40 krag brass work? I seem to recall a 303 is damn near identical in dimensions to 30-40 krag, so much so that the krag will chamber in a 303, is is it the other way around?

December 4, 2009, 11:24 AM	#18
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Unfortunately, .30-40 Krag brass ain't that cheap, either...

December 4, 2009, 11:28 AM	#19
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	nope... __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

December 4, 2009, 05:22 PM	#20
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Well I guess it is time to get the good ol' loading press out. The problem there is what a mil. .303 chamber does to the brass anyway. Unless you neck size or something. __________________ Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!

December 14, 2009, 10:14 AM	#21
Tikirocker Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2007 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 909	Surplus .303 is rare now ... like rockinghorse dung - the stuff that is still around is poor in both accuracy and condition/performance. There is still plenty of commercial .303 British being made with Highland being among the cheapest. If you really care about accuracy and performance for both target and hunting just roll you own ... I do. Tiki. __________________ The Lee Enfield forums - http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=27 Surplus Rifle Forums - http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/index.php

December 15, 2009, 08:07 PM	#22
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	A bit OT here, but the same situation is going to exist sooner or later with 7.62x54R and 7.62x25. Guns for these calibres are dirt cheap right now and everyone is buying them up like crazy, mostly because of the availability of large amounts of cheap surplus ammo. When that dries up, you have the same situation as you do with .303 Brit. Milsurp guns are fun to shoot, but I would never choose any weapon for which I couldn't assure a reasonably available supply of ammo for a SHTF situation.

December 15, 2009, 08:19 PM	#23
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	like Tiki, i just make my own. its SO MUCH cheaper and better accuracy __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

December 16, 2009, 12:41 PM	#24
golfnutrlv Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 1,347	There are sources out there. Unfortunately, for us non reloaders (hopefully not me for much longer) .303 Brit runs about $1 per round!! Here is one site that should help. http://www.ammoengine.com/find/ammo/.303_British The first choice on that list, Sellier and Bellot 180 gr FMJ from cheaper than dirt is a good deal. I have shot a bunch of that exact round, and its the best performing FMJ Enfield ammo that I have found. Enjoy!! __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ VIGILIA PRETIUM LIBERTATIS "The price of liberty is vigilance" America is at an awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.

December 17, 2009, 10:41 AM	#25
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"....30-40 Krag brass ain't that cheap, either..." Only loaded 'seasonally' by Remington and Winchester too. Too long as well. 92 thou longer than the .303 case. And the rim is 5 thou bigger. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!