HXP 1970's in bandoliers...
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Topic: HXP 1970's in bandoliers...
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Subject: HXP 1970's in bandoliers...
Date 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. |
Replies:
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 11:37am
| https://max-arms.com/product/303-british-hxp-ammo/%20" rel="nofollow - https://max-arms.com/product/303-british-hxp-ammo/ |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 12:36pm
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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 |
Posted By: Doco Overboard
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 12:42pm
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 wrote:Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 12:51pm
| 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 ?. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 1:14pm
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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. |
Posted By: Doco Overboard
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 2:43pm
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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Posted By: Mayhem
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 5:06pm
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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 |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 04 2025 at 6:24pm
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. |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 2:49am
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 |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 4:43am
| 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. |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 4:50am
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 |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 5:56am
IVI (Valcartier Industries) made Mk 8z for the Canadian Rangers, I have some of it, IIRC it’s all 2004 head stamped.  |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 8:55am
| I had some HXP 69 and reloaded that brass for many years. |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 8:57am
| When radway green stopped 303 in 1971 was it loaded with cordite until then?. Did they switch to Z before the end of production ?. |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 9:07am
It was nitrocellulose by the end of production but I don't know when the switch over occurred. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: Mayhem
Date Posted: April 05 2025 at 5:51pm
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HXP is definitely made in Greece using Olin machinery. When US contract was initially mentioned, I missed the part that asked if it was made in the US. Instead, I assumed made for the US. One question I have asked repeatedly but never received an answer on is what year did the British government initiate a contract with HXP to purchase ammunition, given that English language labeled boxes pre-date the official adoption of the HXP produced L1A1 ball round for cadets in 1983. I suspect they did but I cannot find any evidence to support this. From Tony's site:  Source: https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-303-inch/-303-inch-cordite-ball-mark-vi-to-viiiz I have HXP .303 British rounds from 1969 through 1989, including a grenade launching blank dated 1984.
------------- .303 - Helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889 |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 06 2025 at 10:41am
I went through all my HXP today and have nothing later than 89. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 06 2025 at 1:14pm
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I remember some time in IIRC 1968, being issued wooden crates of .303 British in 32 round boxes. It was dated 1916! I'll never forget our instructor at the end of the day firing the last round before departing the range & turning round with a huge grin & a totally fake "plummy accent" loudly proclaiming: "EGAD, CARRUTHERS! THERE GOES THE LAST OF THE '16 VINTAGE"!  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 06 2025 at 1:43pm
One of our church wardens (now gone to a better place!) once told me that after the war one of the home guard in the village tried to give the local policeman a sealed box of .303 that had been in his shed. The policeman refused to take it with the words, bury it somewhere! Which the ex home guardsman duly did. I've since been waiting for one of the local metal detectorist's to dig it up. My range box.  ------------- Mick |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: April 06 2025 at 3:49pm
| my radway green 762x51 ammo supply came in those , its sandbox vintage |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 06 2025 at 4:46pm
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While we are on the subject of “old” .303 British cartridges, I found this in my father’s considerable supply of various makes of Mk 7 and 7z ammunition. Mick, I’m hoping you might recognize it? Headstamp is K 62. Perhaps Kynoch cases, 1962.  |
Posted By: Mayhem
Date Posted: April 06 2025 at 5:08pm
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Correct - Kynoch made in 1962. Is there a 7 in the 6 o'clock position? ------------- .303 - Helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889 |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 07 2025 at 2:37am
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Geoff, yes agree with Mayhem. I have no idea what Sandhurst & M60 "Royal" Enfield's are...possibly models that Cogswell & Harrison made and marketed given that Kynock obviously packaged the rounds for them? Footnote: When the HXP started to dry up over here Kynoch stepped into the breach and started to make .303 FMJ, something I don't believe they had done for a long time. My other memory of it was the price! ------------- Mick |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 1:18pm
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The two 300 round tins of HXP from Max Arms arrived today. I’ll open one of them and run some thru the chrono with No. 4 with the new CBI barrel. Maybe dig out some Canadian 1943 Defence Industries (DI) Mk 7z to compare to as well. I’ve not seen tins like this before, they must have been stored in good conditions, no rust or stains on the tin or on the paper label. $233.95 per 300 round tin, shipped to the door, no tax either. That’s $0.78 per round, not bad considering today’s ammo prices. |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 1:25pm
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Geoff, check to see if any of the chargers are MkII's. From memory it was the 1973 year batch that had quite a few in. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 1:46pm
| I will do Mick. These are 1971, Lots 26 and 27. |
Posted By: Mayhem
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 4:12pm
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I too would be interested in seeing which chargers were used. ------------- .303 - Helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889 |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 5:32pm
| I opened one of the tins, the chargers are pretty “crusty”. Had to use steel wool to clean one. It’s a TF&S Mk IV. They are thinner than the circle B Mk IV clips I have. The cartridges look quite clean though. |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 5:44pm
| I should be getting my order early next week so I'll have more info on chargers and headstamps then. |
Posted By: Enfield trader
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 6:47pm
Mine came today 
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 5:05am
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I pulled the bullet on one of the HXP 71 cartridges, from Lot # 26, 1971 manufacture date: Case with Primer - 187.5 gr, 2.215” long, rim thickness 0.062” Powder - Ball, 41.4 gr Bullet - 173.4 gr, 0.3114” dia. 1.222” long, flat base hard point, bullet sealed in case with black “tar” OAL - 3.016 - 3.038” (sample of 10 rounds) Plan to shoot and chrono some on Sunday, will report results. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 7:26am
Found my one box of HXP ‘87, L1A1. Case heads are stamped HXP 86. I bought these about 30 years ago from Century Arms for $16.99 ($0.35 a round). Thought that was a lot of money back then.  |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 7:57am
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[QUOTE=britrifles]Found my one box of HXP ‘87. Packaged in 48's! Those are the boxes we were buying it in the UK during the late 90's and early 00's. Most of what I bought were 75 manufacture, ironically I'm in the middle of reloading some once fired 89 at the moment. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 3:14pm
My HXP ammo arrived today, I was pleased to see that 3 of the 4 cans were the same lot. |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 2:51am
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The big question from me is; where the he!! has this stuff been hiding for the last twenty years? ------------- Mick |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 3:02am
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Yes, and I wonder how much they have? I see the price has ticked up a bit again. Would rather not buy any more until I shoot some of it and see how it does. |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 6:50am
| I just bought my fifth can - this time at $242. My first four were $220 - I split two with my son. All were HXP 71 with one can HXP 75. You just - well they dont make it anymore and at that price even the chargers & bandoliers make it worth it alone. |
Posted By: Doco Overboard
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 3:24pm
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I opened a can and was looking at the way the rounds were loaded into the chargers just from from one bando. I noticed there was no standard pattern for how the rims were stacked against one another. Some of them were, one right on top of the next up to the last one ascending. Others, were last two on top one in between bottomed etc. Was pretty interesting to me inspecting it. I'm not suspecting any problems for how it feeds when I cram a charger or two into my rifle though. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 4:58pm
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i have not bought any surplus ammo in a decade or so im pleased to see your still finding it , i did buy a lot back when and im still shooting it , i suspect my son will be shooting it when im gone , ive been hearing the prices of ammp are going to go up again in coming months because of the rare earth metals that go into them , we shall see , im happy i have my supplies
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Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 6:04pm
I noticed that about the haphazard placing of the rims too Doco and that there were two distinct types of bandoliers: green or brown colored and some with RG (Radway Green?) stamped on them.
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Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 13 2025 at 2:33am
I'd forgotten that! From memory a few of the bandoleers found amongst the HXP over here were dated 1918. The majority were the light cotton green versions which I assume were made specifically for the HXP. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 13 2025 at 2:27pm
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I was able to get to the range today to test some of the HXP ‘71 Mk 7z I bought from Max Arms. Below are the results, along with a comparison to my Match handloads and also Canadian 1943 Defense Industries Mk 7z. Garmin XERO Chrono results below along with group size and score. Temp was 65 deg, clear, winds at 12 O’Clock at 3-5 mph.
 The tests were all done in the prone position, with sling, at 200 yards. Shot out of my 1944 Long Branch Mk 1/3 with CBI barrel, now at around 600 rounds total. Standard Mk 1 aperture sight. I did not change rear sight elevation settings during this shoot and held the same sight picture. MV - Mean Velocity at muzzle ES - Extreme Spread of Muzzle Velocity (max - min) SD - Standard Deviation of Muzzle Velocity (Normal Distribution) C-C - Center to Center spread between extreme shots in group (MOA) Score - score on US NRA Short Range Target I did not take any fouling or warm up shots, the first group was with my Match Loads: PPU Case WLR Primer 40.0 gr Varget (charges thrown direct from measure into case) 174 gr Sierra MatchKing 3.05” OAL Here is the results with Group #1, the above Match Load. Shot #2 was my fault, poor sight picture, held too high, just slipped out of the 10 ring, a 9.9.  The second group, the Canadian WWII 1943 Mk 7z. No issues at all with this ammo, it is still 100% reliable ignition. It is Boxer primed and good brass for reloading.  And last, the HXP 1971 Mk 7z. Also reliable ignition, easy extraction despite the rather high muzzle velocity.  The HXP did better than I thought it would. With a front sight correction, it should hold the 10 ring. The DI’43 did worse than I expected. The last time I shot this ammo it was grouping at around 2.5 MOA, but this may have been a different lot. This CBI barrel seems to run a bit fast compared to the original barrels. They are fairly tight, and much smoother too, which may be the reason. I’ve learned that these barrels do like a bit of fouling, the velocity spreads and SD’s settle down nicely after about 10 shots, typically single digit SD’s. Conclusion Although this was just 10 rounds, the HXP ammo performed well. Reliable ignition, easy extraction, decent accuracy. A bit hot though, velocity was almost 100 fps above Mk 7 ball specification of 2440 fps. I suspect it will run quite a bit slower in worn surplus barrels due to gas blow by. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 13 2025 at 2:51pm
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I like the HXP. I wish I had more of it, but went with the PPU when it vanished. I have probably a lifetime supply of the PPU from back when it was inexpensive & reloadable. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Neuraleanus
Date Posted: April 13 2025 at 4:49pm
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Today I shot 50 rounds of 1975 HXP today from a couple of my No 1, Mk III rifles. My grouping wasn't as good as yours, but that is likely more me than the ammo. It shot well and the only minor issue I had was with occasional cartridge sticking making me have to pull back on the bolt a bit harder. ------------- Vivimus et morimur pollice verso |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 13 2025 at 6:37pm
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I’ve read in the Max Arms website comments that some have had the issue of cases hard to extract. I only shot 10 rounds, and no issues at all with extraction. Chamber condition may play a factor here, I’m shooting from a new barrel. Excluding the one poorly aimed shot, my match loads grouped at less than 1.5 MOA. The HXP grouped at just under 4 MOA, but I suspect there will be more variability with this ammo, perhaps 4 MOA was on the high side. Next time I’m out, I’ll shoot another 10 rounds and add the results here. |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 17 2025 at 5:55am
| It's presently $263 at Max Arms now....they must be on the last few cans with their nearly weekly $20 bumps per can. |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 17 2025 at 11:52am
Watch for cans to go on Gunbroker for sale at north of $300 when Max Arms runs out.
|
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 17 2025 at 6:25pm
| Sadly the profiteers have smelled this too...as you note. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 17 2025 at 6:47pm
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I won’t buy it for $1.00/round. You can make your own ammo for less and it is much more accurate (4 MOA for HXP and 1.5 MOA for handloads). For shot out barrels, it probably makes no difference what ammo you use. I”ll shoot another 10 rounds tomorrow and see how it does. |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 18 2025 at 5:18am
^^^^This^^^^ SG Ammo sales in Oklahoma has Prvi Partizan 174gr. .303 British ammunition for $1.25/round with free shipping over $200. Those of us who reload the price is much lower. A few might buy the spam cans at a higher price for the novelty of it all but that would be a limited market.
|
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 18 2025 at 9:12am
| Exactly. I have reloaded 303 for 44 years. I have even experimented with using 308 bullets in 303 if supply became an issue with 311 bullets. Still has minute of man with 308 bullets. Anyhow the bandos and chargers are nice , but over $1 round kinda makes it hard to go there , but the bandos and chargers for now do make it worth the novelty for now. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 18 2025 at 10:38am
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I had planned to shoot a bit more of the HXP today, but found the TMP range closed for the junior Olympics this week, ugh! Serves me right for not checking their calendar. I just deprimed the ten cases I fired last weekend and found one with a cracked neck. Another strike against getting any more. I do anneal the necks on every reload, so hopefully the ones that are not cracked after the first firing will get a decent number or reloads on them. |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 18 2025 at 4:15pm
| For me winchester brass has always been on the thin side and the brass most likely to have a case head separation excepting the ww2 era WRA brass. Never have had an issue with HXP until about the fifth reload...gets too thin for even annealing to help it. |
Posted By: Neuraleanus
Date Posted: April 19 2025 at 7:53am
Yup. Just saw single bandoliers of HXP at a local gun show going for $115 each. ------------- Vivimus et morimur pollice verso |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: April 20 2025 at 5:09am
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 20 2025 at 5:40am
This lot of brass seems quite heavy (HXP ‘71). I weighed 10 fired cases that were deprimed: Min 179.7 gr Max 187.5 gr Mean 182.4 gr Compare that to RP with a mean of just 160.8 gr. Sample of 10 PPU cases 171.0 gr. This HXP is the heaviest .303 brass I’ve seen. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 25 2025 at 4:04pm
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Shot another 10 rounds of HXP ‘71 today at 200 yards. Much the same results as previously posted above. MV = 2537 fps ES = 90 fps SD = 25 fps 10 shot group size 7.25” (3.6 MOA) center to center extreme spread at 200 yards. Again, not bad for 1970’s surplus ball ammo.  I also shot 10 rounds of Canadian Dominion Arsenal 1951 Mk 7z. This ammunition remains quite accurate even after more than 70 years since production, it is also on spec for muzzle velocity: MV = 2428 fps ES = 60 fps SD = 17 fps 10 round group at 200 yds = 7.0” C-C (3.5 MOA). Discounting the one flier on the left, the group is right at 2 MOA. Note, I was shooting for groups, not for score. This would have been a 99 with a 2 minute correction to the rear sight height.  |
Posted By: bubba ho tep
Date Posted: May 16 2025 at 12:58pm
| Last saturday a buddy came over with his BSA made Lewis. We put the better part of two cans of that HXP and a couple hundred privi partisan ball rounds through it. Worked flawlessly after we dialed in it's timing/fuzee spring. We had not shot that gun in almost 11 years...was a load of fun !. |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: May 17 2025 at 3:45am
My experience with the current batch of HXP, all 1971 dated and from the same bandolier: I shot several 100 yard 5 shot groups through 3 different rifles yesterday, a Fulton Regulated BSA No.1 Mk III, a Home Guard Ross MkIII, and a Long Branch to see how accurate the ammunition was and to check velocities. Temperature was 83 F., humidity 63%, and elevation 0f 594' asl. Wind was 7-8 mph from 12 o'clock. |
ammunition and rifles I've experience both incipient and actual head separations from handloads but never a pierced primer. Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: May 17 2025 at 1:39pm
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You’re getting similar muzzle velocities that I got, nearly 100 fps faster than Mk 7 specification. Could be from deteriorating powder, seems odd HXP would load them this fast. 5 shot groups won’t really tell you much about the ES and SD (unless it’s very good!). Velocity variations you measured between the No. 1 and No.4 are likely all related to the large MV variations of individual rounds of this ammo. I wouldn’t think even 2550 fps would cause a pierced primer. Cups may have hardened over time and become brittle, tho I didn’t experience it in the 20 rounds I fired. I did have some old SP primers crack, it eroded bolt face on my C96 Mauser before I realized the primers were cracking. I’m glad I didn’t buy any more of this ammo, sure as heck would not pay $100 for a single bandolier. |
Posted By: Leo303
Date Posted: July 04 2025 at 10:23am
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Hi All, I purchase some of the Greek surplus .303 Mk 7Z (Lot 47 HPX-75.) The ammo feeds normal, but after firing extraction is VERY difficult!! (Using a MK 4 1/3 sporterized.) There is a 'sticky feeling to the cases, so I tried cleaning the cases with soapy water and a sponge - no joy, same difficult extraction. Next I cleaned the cases with Hoppys #9 and a cleaning patch - no joy, same problem. On a different website someone speculated the might be sealed with spray-on lacquer. Any suggestion????? R/ Leo303 ------------- Leo |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 3:33am
That perfectly describes the South African surplus that was floating around some 20 years ago in the UK; I bought 1100 rounds of the stuff because that's how it came packed in wooden cases. My first outing with it was a huge disappointment and I mentioned it to a gun shop owner I was shooting with at he time, he examined it and told me to break the seal between case and bullet which I did, after that it the accuracy improved to the level of the HXP which was starting to get difficult to find in the UK. Leo I've bought various years of HXP but none of it came varnished and all of it has behaved well in various rifles; can I ask you what the date on the headstamp is please? ------------- Mick |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 4:01am
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I have read a few others have experienced extraction problems. Could this be related to the high muzzle velocities we have seen (from high chamber pressure)? I like the idea of breaking the bullet tar seal. Now I can’t remember if I did that when I fired the 20 rounds of HXP ‘71. But, I did not have extraction problems. Try cleaning the chamber really well, with a bronze chamber brush using a chamber rod. Then wrap a patch damp with Hoppes around the brush. Then dry with clean patches. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 10:21am
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Oh I remember some she!!ac-coated .303 back in the day. I don't recall where it came from, but it was horrible. The rumor was it was "tropicalized" for humid hot places. With use the stuff plates & builds up on the chamber walls & bonds to the stuff on the next casing loaded on firing.   IIRC we wiped them & cleaned the chamber thoroughly with alcohol. It dissolved the she!!ac.
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 12:17pm
| I can remember that. It was a coating to prevent corrosion in high humidity parts of the world. |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 12:43pm
If my memory serves me correctly it all came out of South Africa at the same time they sold off their Vickers machine guns. A lot of deactivated Vickers and many spares, dial sights, aiming posts, clinometers etc. appeared at the same time on the UK market. Some of the 303 ammunition came in bandoleers which were ww1 marked, I did have a 1918 marked one from the ammo I bought. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: Leo303
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 1:53pm
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Hi Mick, The Headstamp is: "HXP" "75". The bandolier has: "CAL. 303 BALL" "5 RD CLIPS" "HPX 47 - 75". The Charger clips are black with a gritty texture. A local gunsmith has suggested I try pain thinner on the cases. Thank you, Leo ------------- Leo |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 5:29pm
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If there is some sort of dried coating on the cases, steel wool might remove it. A PITA, but might solve the extraction problem. If I had that problem, I would first make sure the chamber is very clean. Also, try breaking the tar seal on the bullets by seating them just a fraction deeper in the case, only a few thousands. That might lower peak pressures. I’ll try that next time and see if it lowers the muzzle velocity and reduces ES. |
Posted By: Leo303
Date Posted: July 05 2025 at 8:57pm
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Hi Brit, I have scrubbed the daylights out og the chamber. I'll try the steel wool. Thank you, Leo ------------- Leo |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: July 06 2025 at 1:03pm
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Paint thinner or denatured alcohol. You want a she!!ac solvent. https://woodworkingclarity.com/how-to-remove-she!!ac/" rel="nofollow - https://woodworkingclarity.com/how-to-remove-she!!ac/ ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: July 06 2025 at 1:27pm
Leo, ironically I'm currently using a batch of 75 HXP reloads! The one thing I can confirm is that none of mine originally came coated; my guess is that yours was probably produced as a batch for a tropical country? To break the seal between case & bullet my method with the South African surplus was to re-seat it in a press by a few thou. Mine made a very audible crack when I did it. ------------- Mick |
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: July 07 2025 at 9:15am
| I will have to give that a try, thanks. |
Posted By: mrbieler
Date Posted: December 13 2025 at 5:05pm
Bringing this back up. New spam can of HXP arrived from Max Arms. $210 delivered for a spam can of 300. Ammo looks good.
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Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 13 2025 at 5:38pm
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Great find and a very wise investment. ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: December 14 2025 at 3:10am
I throw my HXP chargers into my case cleaner with ground walnut nut media. It remove that grit from them and then they work great.
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 14 2025 at 12:28pm
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Those with the all round holes are a bear to charge & use. Tumbling helps a little but the spring tension is just way too high. See if you can find some of the ones with the oval cutouts.   ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |