.303 inch Blank Cordite Marks I to V
Shortly after the introduction of the first Cordite loaded ball round a similarly loaded blank was introduced.
Blank Cordite Mark I
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch Cordite with Paper Bullet Mark I" was approved in June 1892 and shown in LoC Paragraph 7004 dated March 1893. It was declared obsolete in March 1895 and remaining stocks converted to Cordite Blank Mark IV.
The case was that of the Ball Mark I with small Boxer primer.
The bullet was similar to the equivalent blackpowder blank, made of brown paper covered with a layer of blue paper with the tip coloured white. It had an additional strengthening band of paper around the base and was secured in the case with shellac.
The charge was 15 grains of Cordite shavings but after 22 June 1892 this was changed to 10 grains. There was one wad over the charge.
Blank Cordite Mark II
Overall, the paper bulleted blanks were not successful for magazine loading and so a better solution was required. This took the form of an extended neck blank formed in one piece with a mock brass bullet.
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch Cordite without Bullet Mark II" was approved to design RL 7667 in October 1892 and shown in LoC Paragraph 7004 dated March 1893.
The case was one piece with an extended neck formed into a mock bullet with the mouth closed with a small rosette crimp. It had a small Boxer primer containing .4 grains of cap composition, but this was increased to .6 grains in June 1894 to improve ignition.
The headstamp included the makers code plus the letter "C" and the numeral "II" although some cases were made with no headstamp.
The charge was 10 grains of Cordite shavings with a millboard wad
Blank Cordite Mark III
.Little over a year after the approval of the Blank Cordite Mark II a new blank was approved to reflect the change to a Berdan primed case.
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch Cordite without Bullet Mark III" was approved in July 1893 and shown in LoC Paragraph 7278 dared December 1893.
The case was one piece with an extended neck formed into a mock bullet with the mouth closed with a small rosette crimp. It had a Berdan primer containing .4 grains of cap composition, but this was increased to .6 grains in June 1894 to improve ignition.
The headstamp included the makers code plus the letter "C" and the numeral "III" although some cases were made with no headstamp.
Blank Cordite Mark IV
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch Cordite without Bullet Mark IV" was made in very limited quantities and sealed for record purposes. It was approved in 1893 and shown in LoC Paragraph 7519 dated August 1894.
Unlike previous blanks, the Mark IV utilised a standard case closed at the neck with a rosette crimp and was made from previous marks of paper bulleted blank with the bullet removed. If made from old cases it was Boxer primed with the letter "C" added to the headstamp, but if made from new it had a Berdan primer.
The charge was 10 grains of Cordite.
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Blank Cordite Mark V
A new Cordite blank was approved in 1894 to replace the Mark IV and despite the introduction of subsequent marks remained the principal blank in service until after WW2.
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch Cordite without Bullet Mark V" was approved to design RL 8189 in May 1894 and shown in LoC Paragraph 7519 dated August 1894. The word "Cordite" was dropped from the title in 1912 and the title was later changed to "Cartridge S.A. Blank.303 inch L Mark V" in December 1927. Design DD/L/3792 dated may 1928 authorised the use of seconf grade cases for the nitrocellulose version which was titles "Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch L Mark Vz".
The case was rthe normal case with the mouth closed with a rosette crimp. It had a Berdan primer and until 1907 included the letter "C" in the headstamp. If converted from reject cases caps could be ringed in but new made cases had unringed caps. Similarly new made cases included the letter "L" from 1927.
The charge was 10 grains of sliced Cordite for the Cordite version but the nitrocellulose pattern could be either 15 grains of nitrocellulose or 16 grains of ballistite B.16. A wad was placed above the charge at the shoulder.
Kynoch contract rounds made in 1949 had 10.5 grains of revolver neonite.
Since the Blank Mark V was made from 1894 until about 1950 almost any headstamp may be encountered, often causing some confusion. For example, some Blank Mark V were made from reject Grenade Discharger H Mark I cases, complete with blackening.
Left: Blank L Mark V Right: Blank L Mark V made from reject H Mark I case.
