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Although in theory all .303 Inspection cartridges should be specially headstamped with the relevant Mark numeral, many instances will be found where they bear a ball headstamp of the period. For example, an Inspectors' Mark I may have a headstamp of "R/|\L 90" for a Powder Ball Mark I.
Inspection Mark I
"Cartridge S.A. Dummy, Magazine Rifle, Special for Inspectors Mark I" was approved to design RL 7224 in October 1891 but was not shown in Lists of Changes.
It utilised the Boxer case of the blackpowder ball round and was fitted with an empty cap. A blackpowder Ball Mark II bullet without cannelure was fitted and the case filled with a mixture of coal dust and iron filings to bring it to the total cartridge weight of the blackpowder ball round of about 457 grains.
The case was tinned all over and the headstamp was "R/|\L I".
It is likely that later versions of this round used the Berdan primed Cordite Mark II case as its basis..
Inspection Mark II
The introduction of the Cordite ball round with its lighter charge of 31 grains compared to the 71 grains of blackpowder necessitated a lighter inspection round.
"Cartridge S.A. Dummy .303 inch Special for Insectors Mark II" was approved to design RL 10408 in March 1899. It was not shown in Lists of Changes.
This round utilised a Berdan primed case with anvil but no fire holes. Initially it was fitted with a Cordite Mark II bullet secured with three indents and the case filled with coal dust to a total weight of about 427 grains. The round was tinned all over and the headstamp was "R/|\L II".
As the Mark of ball round progressed, so the Inspectors Mark II was fitted with Mark IV and Mark V ball bullets. Later the Mark VI ball bullet was used to design RL 10781 at which point the mark number of the Inspection round was advanced to Mark III.
Inspection Mark III
"Cartridge S.A. Dummy .303 inch Inspectors Mark III" was approved to design RL 10408 in October 1911 and shown in LoC Paragraph 15761 dated January 1912.
This round was simply the Inspectors Mark II fitted with a Mark VI ball bullet. It was tinned all over and filled with coal dust and sometimes metal filings to bring it to the weight of the Mark VI ball, about 427 grains. The headstamp of early rounds was "R /|\ L III" but later rounds included the last two digits of the date, e.g. "R /|\ L 16 III".
Inspection Mark IV
The introduction of the pointed lighter Mark VII ball bullet in 1911 necessitated a new inspection round.
"Cartridge S.A. Dummy .303 inch Inspectors Mark IV" was approved to design RL 17223 in October 1911 and shown in LoC paragraph 17223 dated January 1912.
It utilised a service Berdan primed case without fireholes although sometimes an anvil was retained and was tinned all over. The headstamp showed the last two digits of the date and the Mark number, e.g. "R /|\ L 15 IV".
The case was filled with coal dust to bring it to the weight of the Mark VII ball round, about 394 grains.
Inspection Mark V
The final Mark of Inspectors dummy was introduced at the end of WWI in 1918 and remained in service until the end of the life of the .303 inch cartridge in the 1980s with the cadets.
"Cartridge S.A, Dummy Inspectors Mark V" was approved to design IDW 4144 in JUne 1918 and shown in LoC Paragraph 22197 dated June 1919. The title was changed in December 1927 to "Cartridge S.A, Dummy Inspectors U Mark 5".
The Mark V differed from previous marks in having a white metal case of sufficient weight that no filling other than a wood distance piece was required. Later, brass cases either nickel or chrome plated were approved. Early rounds had a blind cap chamber without anvil or fire holes but later production sometimes had both. The cap chamber was normally painted red.
The headstamp included the date and the numeral "V", later after 1928 the code letter "U" was added to the headstamp and post 1945 the mark number was shown as "5". Some wartime production had no headstamp.
The Inspectors Mark V went through several minor variations during its life. The first type introduced in 1918 had a solid bronze bullet, the second type made at the same time used surplus solid bronze Mark VIIT "Sparklet" tracer bullets without composition.
The third type had a bullet with a bronze envelope with lead antimony core and aluminium tip filler and the later types utilised a standard Mark VII Ball bullet. All types were supported on a wood distance piece.
The use of bronze bullets during WWI was to help distinguish the round form ball, which at that time all had silver coloured cupro-nickel bullets.
In WW2 some Inspectors mark V rounds, particularly those made in Australia were plated with a dull grey finish and some unheadstamped.
Left to right: "R /|\L 1943 UV", "MG 1943 UV" and MG production unheadstamped.
Canadian Inspection Local Pattern
The "Cartridge S.A. .303 inch Dummy, U Canadian Local Pattern" was an approximation of the British U Mark V and was approved some time about 1940 and was not shown in Lists of Changes.
The case was a normal Berdan primed service case with an empty cap chamber and tinned or chrome plated. Normally there were no fire holes and the anvil was set down but some had both normal anvil and fire holes. Some examples had four holes in the case. The cap chamber was normally painted red but unpainted and purple painted examples are known. The headstamp included the code "U LP".
The bullet was a normal Mark VII supported on an aluminium distance piece.
Special for Armourers
In addition to the normal Inspectors rounds two special cartridges were introduced for Armourers.
Armourers Mark I
"Cartridge Machine Gun Dummy, Special for Armourers (Steel) .303 inch Mark I" was approved to design RL 6730 in April 1891 and shown in Loc Paragraph 6489 dated September 1891.
It consisted of a solid steel cartridge to the external dimensions of the blackpowder ball cartridge , the centre portion of the case being drilled out and filled with wood to bring the weight to that of the ball cartridge, about 450 grains. A screwed steel plug closed the base and the cap chamber filled with an India Rubber plug. There were two screwdriver slots in the plug and it was stamped "R /|\ L I X".
Armourers Mark II
When the lighter pointed Mark VII Ball round was introduced in 1911 a new armourers cartridge was also approved,
"Cartridge Machine Gun Dummy, Special .303 inch Mark II (Steel)" was approved to design RL 16885 in November 1910 and shown in LoC paragraph 15630 dated October 1911.
It was constructed in a similar way to the Mark I except the external dimensions matched that of the pointed Mark VII ball round. The weight was 392 grains.
The headstamp was placed on the case of the Mark II rather than on the plug like the Mark I and was typically "R /|\ L 1917 II"
Both mark I and Mark II were declared obsolete in 1925 and replaced by the Inspectors Mark V.
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