.303 inch Ball Powder Marks I & II

Powder Ball Mark I

“Cartridge S.A. Ball Magazine Rifle Mark I” was approved on 20 February 1889 and shown in List of Changes Paragraph 5883. Following the introduction of Cordite, the title was changed in March 1892 to: "Cartridge SA Ball .303-inch Powder Mark I"

The bottle necked brass case was fitted with a small Boxer cap. It was headstamped with manufacturer and the last two digits of the date (except Kynoch) and additionally the Royal Laboratory rounds may have either a "1" or "2" added to the headstamp. These codes represent cases supplied by the trade.

The bullet was round nosed with a cupro-nickel envelope and weighed 215 grains.

The propellant consisted of a compressed cylinder of Black Powder weighing 71.5 grains, rounded at each end and with a hole through the centre to aid ignition.

Muzzle velocity was 1,830 fps.

The great bulk of Powder Mark I rounds were manufactured at Royal Laboratory, Woolwich, but both Kynoch and Greenwood & Batley made very limited quantities.

Powder Ball Mark II

Problems with the core and envelope separating in the bore led to the rapid introduction of a Mark II cartridge in which the envelope was thickened and had a larger turnover at the base of the bullet.

“Cartridge S.A. Ball Magazine Rifle Mark II” was approved on 19 July 1890 and shown in LoC Paragraph 6160, and in all other respects was similar to the Mark I.

Unlike the Mark I, the Powder Mark II cartridge was not dated, nor were the subsequent Marks until dating the headstamp was re-introduced in 1907.

The Powder Ball Mark I was manufactured mainly by Royal Laboratory, Woolwich, but small educational contracts were let to both Kynoch and Greenwood & Batley.The Mark II however was made by most of the British manufacturers of the period, Birmingham Metals & Munitions Co., British Munitions, Eley Bros., Greenwood & Batley, Grenfell & Accles, Kynoch and Lorenz as well as the Royal Laboratory. In addition, most of these contractors supplied cases to Royal Laboratory for loading. The illustration shows Powder Ball Mark II rounds made by various contractors.

The service life of the .303 inch blackpowder cartridges was short, as they had only been introduced as an interim measure whilst the new smokeless propellant Cordite was developed, and in late 1891 the “Cartridge S.A. Ball Magazine Rifle Cordite Mark I” was introduced.