7.92mm BESA Drill & Dummy
The first 7.92mm drill round to be in British service had nothing to do with the BESA gun
WWI Drill
In World War I numbers of German MG 08 machine guns were captured and either used with captured ammunition or were converted to .303 inch.
To test captured 7.92mm guns a British drill cartridge was manufactured based on a German ball round. Typically British, it had four holes drilled in the case and the bullet rested on a wood distance piece and was soldered into the case.
Left: British drill made from converted German ball round.
When the BESA gun entered service a number of drill rounds were introduced.
Drill D Mark I
"Cartridge S.A. Drill 7.92mm D Mark I" was approved to design DD/L/9259 in November 1938 and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph B.2977 dated November 1939.
The case was chromium plated with no cap, anvil or fire holes and had three vertical flutes painted red. the cap chamber was also red. The headstamp included the code "D I"
The bullet was a flat based with a cupro-nickel jacket and an aluminium core and weighed 90 grains. It rested on a wood distance piece and was coned or crimped at the neck.
Drill D Mark II
"Cartridge S.A. Drill 7.92mm D Mark II" was approved to design DD/L/12698.D2 in September 1941 and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph B.7986 dated July 1943.
The Drill Mark II was a wartime expedient drill round, sometimes left in the plain brass state and sometimes chromed. Some were converted from ball cases and had an anvil and fire holes whilst others were specially made and had only an anvil.
Two pairs of holes were drilled in the case and the bullet and distance piece were made from a single piece of wood, the bullet portion being coverd with a metal envelope.
Right: Plain and chromed Drill D Mark II.
Drill D Mark 3
"Cartridge S.A. Drill 7.92mm D Mark 3" was approved to Specification L.9860 in August 1952.
The Drill Mark 3 had a matt chromed brass case with three vertical flutes painted red. It had an anvil but no fire holes and the cap chamber was also painted red. The headstamp included the code "D 3".
The bullet was a normal 198 grain service ball bullet resting on a wood distanced piece.
There were two other special 7.92mm rounds made, intended to be used for instruction in clearing stoppages.
Instructional Mark I
"Cartridge S.A. Stoppage Instructional 7.92mm Mark I" was approved to design DD/L/12698 in January 1944 and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph C.1531 dated October 1945.
It had a brass case without cap. The case had three holes and was fitted with a specially dimensioned stell bullet secured in the neck by coning. It was designed to simulate a separated case stoppage in the chamber of a BESA gun.
Instructional Mark II
"Cartridge S.A. Stoppage Instructional 7.92mm Mark II" was approved to design DD/L/12698 in September 1943 and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph C.1531 dated October 1945.
This consisted of a solid brass body about 80mm long. The rear end had the dimensions of the service rund but no extractor groove and the forward end was of reduced diameter with a truncated tip. It was designed to simulate a double feed stoppage in the BESA gun.
Two marks of Inspection cartridge were approved for the BESA gun.
Inspection U Mark I
"Cartridge S.A. Dummy 7.92mm U Mark I" was approved to design DD/L/9867 in July 1939 and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph B.3228 dated February 1940. The title was changed in 1948 to "Cartridge S.A. Inspection 7.92mm U Mark 1"
The case was of either white metal or chromium plated brass without cap, anvil or fire holes. The headstamp included the code "U I".
The bullet could be either solid copper alloy, a lead/antomony core with a copper alloy envelope or a lead/antomony core with a GMCS or CNCS envelope. It rested on a wood distance piece and was coned or crimped at the neck.
Inspection U Mark II
"Cartridge S.A. Dummy 7.92mm U MarkII" was approved to design DD/L/12698.U2 in September 1943 and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph C.1531 dated October 1945. The title was changed in 1948 to "Cartridge S.A. Inspection 7.92mm U Mark 2"
The case was chromium plated Brass with an anvil but no cap or fire holes. The cap chamber was painted red. The headstamp included the code "U II"
The bullet had a brass core and an envelope of either GMCS o CNCS. The core extended below the envelope and was recessed into a wood distance piece.
