Kynoch 303 British mislurp ammo - opinions needed

[O.S.O.K.]

SOG has some 1950's production Kynoch Mark 7 303 Brit ammo for sale. $229.50 for 500 rounds (10 boxes at 22.95/ea).

From what I can gather, this is military surplus ammo with 174 grain military bullets, corrosive primers and cordite. The stripper clips are nice...

The price is good - decent by today's standards anyway and I know that this is what the brits used routinely - and it looks clean. But does anybody have any experience or good first-hand knowledge of this stuff?

Yes, I know that cordite tends to cause throat errosion - but all of my SMLE's were fed this stuff for their entire service lives.... and they're fine. I can't see a little more hurting them much.

I have very little to no 303 Brit for my current 3 rifle SMLE collection and was wanting to remedy that situation... but I'm not sure this is the stuff.

I figure it's got to be miles ahead of the paki click/bang crapola but maybe not as good as the Greek stuff that I'd prefer.

Comments?

http://www.southernohiogun.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/A/M/AMO-303UKSCweb.jpg

[Dan44]

If I didn't have any 303 I'd buy it. There is zero surplus Brit ammo around of late. You're correct, stay away from POF.

[O.S.O.K.]

I hear you. I do have about 200 pieces of brass and/or loaded ammo. I can load for my own shooting pleasure (200 grain cast boolits/2000 fps - most accurate load I've ever shot in my SMLE's).

What I want is some viable bulk ammo for them.

I have my other milsurps mostly covered - 8mm, 7.62x54...

I'd be looking for bulk 6x55 Swede too but that's rediculous... pretty much a handloading thing now...

ETA - you "talked me into it" ;) I ordered 10 boxes - and I may order some more if its as advertised...

[mrkalashnikov]

I use to shoot surplus Kynoch ammo through my MKI No 4 back in the 70's. Beautifully made (really!) and accurate. The primers had a purple-colored sealer around them, very unusual. I still have a few rounds of it laying around along w/ those ladder-looking stripper clips. I recall that stuff had a distinctive aroma to it when fired.

Added:
the headstamp is marked K 1931 on my old cartridges. I have a red box that some came in, printed
KYNOCH
"303"
CARTRIDGES
(Nitro Cellulose Powder)
IN CHARGERS

Manufactured by I.C.I METALS LIMITED
KYNOCH FACTORY, BIRMINGHAM
a subsidiary company of
IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED

[Schuetzenman]

Kynoch is top level ammo all be it old. I would expect it to be quite good.

[O.S.O.K.]

Thanks - good to know. I'll get it and give it a spin and if it's good and there's still some left to be had, I'll order more.

[sisyphus]

The strippers alone are worth at least half the price they ask for the ammo, and Kynoch is among the best of the .303 made in Britain. I have some from WWII but only use my own reloads for practice or I'll use some of the POF I put back when it was real cheap.

Paki .303 is OK for practice as long as you take standard hangfire precautions. Definitely no rapid-fire runs with it. You'll get less problems when the ammo's temp is raised a bit.

[O.S.O.K.]

The paki 303 sounds a bit like the old Turk 8mm - only the Turk was too hot (and from what I read, its getting hotter as time goes by. Some reported 3000 fps with that ammo! It also had split necks. But there's plenty of folks that swear by it!

I still have a bandoleer of that stuff myself. Mine wasn't too bad but necks would split on a then quite a bit.

[O.S.O.K.]

I am on the road, but the wife sez this ammo was delivered today - SOG came through again.

I'll make a report after I get some to the range.