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bubba ho tep View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 04 2025 at 9:49am
A company has been selling 300 round tins of HXP 303 Mk VIIz ball , in 50 round bandoliers loaded in 5 rd chargers. They started at $220 a can shipped in the lower 48. Last week they upped it to $233. I got two cans several weeks ago - one HXP71 , and the other HXP75. The 71 dated ammo is in salvaged british bandoliers , whilst the 75 dated is in new 5 pocket bandoliers made exactly like US 1903 bandoliers. All super clean non corrosive boxer primed. So I ordered another tin at the slightly higher $233 two days ago along with more Oman 5,56 62 gn ball. For the money it's the best 303 surplus out there while they have some left at Max Arms. 
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https://max-arms.com/product/303-british-hxp-ammo/
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Keep a lookout for MkII chargers amongst them! 

I've had 71, 73, 75 and 85 HXP, when it was available in the UK, all of it very consistent for surplus ammo. 
Mick
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Originally posted by bubba ho tep bubba ho tep wrote:

A company has been selling 300 round tins of HXP 303 Mk VIIz ball , in 50 round bandoliers loaded in 5 rd chargers. They started at $220 a can shipped in the lower 48. Last week they upped it to $233. I got two cans several weeks ago - one HXP71 , and the other HXP75. The 71 dated ammo is in salvaged british bandoliers , whilst the 75 dated is in new 5 pocket bandoliers made exactly like US 1903 bandoliers. All super clean non corrosive boxer primed. So I ordered another tin at the slightly higher $233 two days ago along with more Oman 5,56 62 gn ball. For the money it's the best 303 surplus out there while they have some left at Max Arms. 


Stocked up on some to augment 303 HXP I salted away from CMP for a rainy day.
 Reviews looked pretty good overall + your evaluation, thanks!
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bubba ho tep View Drop Down
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None of it is tarnished  - all like it was made yesterday. After seeing this in tins , and in US style bandoliers...no greek language anywhere , I am beginning to think this ammunition was made in the USA on contract. You would expect the bandoliers to be marked in Greek language , and even the label on tin too...not so. I've shot alot and reloaded alot of HXP 303 over the years.... but never have encountered it with greek marked packaging. Anyone else have similar thoughts or observations ?. 
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britrifles View Drop Down
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That’s a good price, and HXP is good ammo. Not tried any in a long time, just ordered two cans. Curious to see what it chrono’s at and how accurate. I’m sure cases will be good for reloading, I get many reloads out of the HXP .30-06, as long as the necks are annealed. 
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Originally posted by bubba ho tep bubba ho tep wrote:

None of it is tarnished  - all like it was made yesterday. After seeing this in tins , and in US style bandoliers...no greek language anywhere , I am beginning to think this ammunition was made in the USA on contract. You would expect the bandoliers to be marked in Greek language , and even the label on tin too...not so. I've shot alot and reloaded alot of HXP 303 over the years.... but never have encountered it with greek marked packaging. Anyone else have similar thoughts or observations ?. 


I don't think any of my 06 HXP bandos have Greek markings on them.
I could be wrong I just don't remember off hand.
I think the opened can has cardboard slips reading 8 rnd and the actual bandoleer itself is 30 cal ball or something like that. Maybe even HXP ink stamped.
The HXP I bought from the CMP a while back was loose packed in a couple WWII ammo cans. No bando's strippers or anything. I bet that was 15 years or more ago but I could be wrong about that too but I know it was a decade easy. It's brite shiny etc just like brand new out of a 20 rnd box from a retail store yesterday.
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Most likely contract but I wouldn't expect the US to contract .303 in the 70s.  In early eighties the British government purchased ball and blank ammunition from HXP for cadet training.  The ball ammunition was designated Round .303 inch Ball L1A1 and approved for service in January 1983.  

I have boxes with both Greek and English text on them.  I would have to check but I am pretty sure that my only HXP bandolier has English text on it.  If someone does find a Greek text one and would like to send it to a caring, loving home, please let me know.
.303 - Helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889
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Originally posted by bubba ho tep bubba ho tep wrote:

None of it is tarnished  - all like it was made yesterday. After seeing this in tins , and in US style bandoliers...no greek language anywhere , I am beginning to think this ammunition was made in the USA on contract. You would expect the bandoliers to be marked in Greek language , and even the label on tin too...not so. I've shot alot and reloaded alot of HXP 303 over the years.... but never have encountered it with greek marked packaging. Anyone else have similar thoughts or observations ?. 

I don't think it was made in the U.S. but the ammunition was likely made on American machinery.  The story goes that after Britain stopped military aid to Greece they purchased old WWII loading equipment from the U.S. so the HXP brass is drawn on Winchester equipment and HXP uses, as I've heard Winchester ball powder. 
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Originally posted by Sapper740 Sapper740 wrote:

HXP brass is drawn on Winchester equipment and HXP uses, as I've heard Winchester ball powder. 

The above is my understanding as well.

The HXP story sadly shows some, (actually a lot!) of incompetence on part of the NRA (UK); who were offered millions of rounds of the stuff and decided that it was not for them as "modern" target rifle shooters were now using .308 caliber rifles.

It's also been suggested that the amount was far too big for storage at Bisley and that the ministry of defence were closing and selling off a number of storage sites at the same time. Hence the reason the lot was dumped onto the US surplus market, only to be re-imported by a number of firearms entrepreneurs who could see a market for the stuff.

Definitely made in Greece for the British cadet forces and others, notably game wardens in Africa and "possibly" the Rangers in Canada?? 
It was also probably past its sell by date for consumption for cadet units due to ageing rifles coupled with a growing health & safety culture over here. 
Mick
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That's a good question Mick about where the Canadian Rangers annual allotment of .303 British ammunition came from.  As you know Canada's Army adopted the C1 version of the FN FAL in 1955 which served until 1985 so I assume Canadian Arsenals Limited ammunition production shifted to 7.62 NATO at the same time.  Canadian Industries Ltd. made .303 British ammunition for the civilian market starting around when Canadian Arsenals Ltd. started making 7.62 NATO so it wouldn't be a stretch if CIL supplied ammunition to the Canadian Rangers for a time.  Hopefully a member knows someone who is/was a Canadian Ranger and can check the headstamp of their ammunition.
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Originally posted by Sapper740 Sapper740 wrote:

That's a good question Mick about where the Canadian Rangers annual allotment of .303 British ammunition came from.

Derek, all I can add to the debate is that Radway Green stopped producing .303 in 1973 and the earliest HXP I've encountered to date is 1971.

The British army were still using No.4T's in a limited capacity as late as 1978 in Northern Ireland. 

This is my regiments close ops platoon 4 years after I had left the army. 
Mick
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Originally posted by Sapper740 Sapper740 wrote:

That's a good question Mick about where the Canadian Rangers annual allotment of .303 British ammunition came from.  As you know Canada's Army adopted the C1 version of the FN FAL in 1955 which served until 1985 so I assume Canadian Arsenals Limited ammunition production shifted to 7.62 NATO at the same time.  Canadian Industries Ltd. made .303 British ammunition for the civilian market starting around when Canadian Arsenals Ltd. started making 7.62 NATO so it wouldn't be a stretch if CIL supplied ammunition to the Canadian Rangers for a time.  Hopefully a member knows someone who is/was a Canadian Ranger and can check the headstamp of their ammunition.


IVI (Valcartier Industries) made Mk 8z for the Canadian Rangers, I have some of it, IIRC it’s all 2004 head stamped. 
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bubba ho tep View Drop Down
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I had some HXP 69 and reloaded that brass for many years.
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When radway green stopped 303 in 1971 was it loaded with cordite until then?. Did they switch to Z before the end of production ?. 
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Originally posted by bubba ho tep bubba ho tep wrote:

When radway green stopped 303 in 1971 was it loaded with cordite until then?. Did they switch to Z before the end of production ?. 

It was nitrocellulose by the end of production but I don't know when the switch over occurred. 
Mick
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