.380 inch Blank & Proof
Only one mark of blank was approved for the .380 inch Revolver.
Blank L Mark IT
"Cartridge S.A. Blank Revolver .380 inch L Mark I.T" was approved to design DD/L/4191 dated August 1934 and shown in Lists of
Changes Paragraph A.8766 dated February 1935. For Naval service the design was NOD.7229.
The case was that of the ball round but with the neck closed with a rosette crimp. It was Berdan primed with 0.25 grains of cap composition. The headstamp included the mark number and "L" for blank and "T" for blackpowder.
The charge was 5.5 grains of RFG2 blackpowder or G.12 powder. There were two over powder wads.
The specification was that the blank must not pierce a screen set at 7 yards from the muzzle.
Box label for Blank L Mark IT
Proof
Two marks of proof cartridge were approved for the .380 inch revolver, basically conforming to the two marks of ball ammunition. There was not actually any real need for the Proof Mark II as it would have been possible to continue with the lead bulleted Mark I since proof rounds were only ever used at ordnance factories and depots.
Prior to this though, the early proof rounds manufactured at Royal Laboratory were found to have too low a pressure of 6.6 tsi. These rounds had a copper washed case and a headstamp of "R/|\l 29 Q". This resulted in a build up of un-proved revolvers at RSAF Enfield and so 6,629 rounds of commercial proof cartridges were purchased from Kynoch. These had a 145 grain lead bullet with a propellant charge of 5 grains of revolver Cordite. the cases had a commercial headstamp with a purple stripe across the head.
Proof Q Mark I
"Cartridge S.A. Proof Revolver .380 inch Q Mark I" was approved to design DD/L/4156 but was not shown in Lists of Changes.
The case was that of the Ball round but was copper washed. The headstamp included the code "Q" and sometimes had a yellow primer annulus.
The bullet was the lead alloy Ball Mark I bullet.
The propellant charge was 4.9 grains of Cordite 1/.05 to give a chamber pressure between 9.7 and 10.3 tsi.
Proof Q Mark II & IIz
"Cartridge S.A. Proof Revolver .380 inch Q Mark II" and "Cartridge S.A. Proof Revolver .380 inch Q Mark IIz" were approved
to design DD/L/9026 in March 1939 but were not shown in Lists of Changes.
The case was that of the Ball Mark II round but was copper washed. The headstamp included the mark number and the code "Q". It normally had a yellow primer annulus.
The bullet was the jacketed Ball Mark II bullet.
The propellant charge was 4.9 grains of Cordite 1/.05 or 4 grains of nitrocellulose to give a chamber pressure between 9.5 and 11.5 tsi.
