.303 inch Blanks Mark VI to L Mark 10z
The introduction of the Mark V blank still did not solve the problem of feeding from the magazine and so Royal Laboratory produced a design using reject cases with a mock brass bullet crimped to the neck. The bullet proved liable to break off when fired and so an improved design was produced in July 1891 which was later adopted.
Cordite Blank with Mock Bullet Mark VI
"Cartridge S.A.Blank .303 inch Cordite with Mock Bullet Mark VI" was approved to design RL 11263 in December 1901 and shown in LoC Paragraph 11317 dated November 1902.
The case was Berdan primed and was closed at the neck with a rosette crimp. Below this was a neck cannelure into which was crimped a hollow brass foil mock bullet with four slits in the nose. It was additionally secured to the case by neck stabs.
The case was blackened to aid identification and the headstamp included the letter "C". Some Blank Mark VI were made from ball cases and the original headstamp was cancelled and "VI" added.
The charge was 10 grains of sliced Cordite size 20 with one wad.
Cordite Blank without Bullet Mark VI
Instances arose when the mock bullet of the above blank became stuck in rifle barrels and also caused injuries when it actually left the barrel. Consequently the Royal Navy ordered the mock bullets removed in September 1906 and the nomenclature changed to "Cartridge S.A.Blank .303 inch without Bullet Mark VI". The army followed suite in February 1907 and the title again changed to "Cartridge S.A.Blank .303 inch with Mock Bullet Removed Mark VI".
With the First World War came the demand for a blank that would work in machine guns, and whilst there is evidence that some wood bulleted blanks were tested, none was adopted. The demand continued after the war by both the army and RAF and several trials took place without success.
Kynoch however were selling wood bulleted blanks to overseas customers throughout the twenties and thirties and following the introduction of the Bren gun in 1937 extended trials took place with a number of different bulleted blanks made by both Kynoch and Royal Laboratory. These trials eventually led to the adoption of the Blank L Mark VII.
Blank L Mark VII
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch L Mark VII" was approved in 1939 but not shown in Lists of Changes. It was only authorised for use in machine guns fitted with special barrels or attachments.
The case was the normal case with Berdan primer and the headstamp included the code "LVII".
The bullet was hollow wood filled with oxidised copper dust and weighed about 80 grains. The specification showed the bullet as round nosed, but in practice they ranged from round nosed to spitzer. Similarly the colour was shown as yellow but most are green or blue.
The propellant charge was 39 grains of chopped Cordite WT which gave a muzzle velocity of about 4000 fps before being broken up by the muzzle attachments.
It was not successful as when misfeeds occurred the copper oxide dust tended to jam the weapon and the round seems only to have been made in 1939.
Little work was carried out during WW2 on blanks although bakelite bullets were tested with some success, but in September 1942 it was decided that there was no longer a requirement for a bulleted blank.
Right: Experimental WW2 blank with Bakelite bullet.
Blank L Mark 8
No Blank Mark 8 was approved for British service and the next blank to be approved was the L Mark 9z. It is believed that the reason for this was an Indian made wood bulleted blank tested in the UK and by BAOR in Germany.
Post war several designs of blank were tested by British forces in Germany including this Indian blank. It was covered by the Indian "Schedule IA 803 Blank 8" and had a hollow wood bullet weighing 10 grains and a propellant charge of about 45 grains of chopped cordite.
Although the blank was considered unsafe and was not proceeded with, it is thought that as it had been allocated the Mark 8 slot in India it also occupied this position in Britain.
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Blank L Mark 9z
It is something of a mystery why the L Mark 9z blank was approved, since it is in all intents and purposes simply the nitrocellulose version of the Blank L Mark 5, the L Mark 5z which had been approved in 1928.
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch L Mark 9z" was approved to design DD/L/14006 in March 1955 and shown in LoC Paragraph C.7827 dated January 1957.
The case was Berdan primed and had the neck closed with a rosette crimp. cases were newly made and usually included the code "L9Z" but considerable numbers were issued with no headstamp.
The charge was 14 grains of ballistite or nitrocellulose covered with a single wad.
Blank L Mark 10z
Following the trials of various wood bulleted blanks in Germany a blank utilising a Swedish design of bullet was approved for use in Bren guns with special barrels.
"Cartridge S.A. Blank .303 inch L Mark 10z" was approved in June 1954 and shown in LoC Paragraph C.6846 dated October 1955. Both the approval date and LoC entry precede the formal adoption of the Blank L Mark 9z.
The case was Berdan primed and the headstamp included the code "L10Z". Some prototype rounds included the very unusual headstamp ".303".
The bullet was of pointed hollow wood and weighed about 10 grains. It was stained blue.
The propellant charge was 33 grains of nitrocellulose.
Left: Wrapper for Blank L Mark 10z Right: L Mark 10z development.
