.303 Nitro HELP Please!

[Stumpslayer]

Anyone ever heard of this caliber? I bought a rifle a few years ago that has this stamped on it, also it is stamped in several places "not British Made" Although it will shoot .303 brit ammo, I dont believe it is proper as I have noticed a bit of blow back from the breach, I noticed it one day when I recieved a powder burn on my eye after taking a shot. I have not really shot it much since as this was of course a concern. It is an older military style carbine. some proof marks but totally a different action than the typical british.

I'd really like to know if anyone know's anything about this gun and what it is actually chambered for?

Thanks for your help.

[travisanderson]

Originally Posted by Stumpslayer

Anyone ever heard of this caliber? I bought a rifle a few years ago that has this stamped on it, also it is stamped in several places "not British Made" Although it will shoot .303 brit ammo, I dont believe it is proper as I have noticed a bit of blow back from the breach, I noticed it one day when I recieved a powder burn on my eye after taking a shot. I have not really shot it much since as this was of course a concern. It is an older military style carbine. some proof marks but totally a different action than the typical british.

I'd really like to know if anyone know's anything about this gun and what it is actually chambered for?

Thanks for your help.

when doing a quick search on google i have reason to belive that it is the type of propellant used not acually a different cartridge.

you may want to go and get that firearm looked at to make sure its safe to shoot. check the bolt to see if the serial number matches the reciever

[222rem]

I believe that "nitro proof" stamp means that rifle passed pressure test.
I recommend that you take that rifle and fired brass to a gunsmith .
Next time you might not be so lucky and get more then powder burn.
You can't but a price on an eye.

[catnthehat]

As said above, the rifle's headspace is wonky.
Post a pic and we can give you some more info....
Cat

[Grizzly Adams]

The Not British Made was a bit of snobbery on the part of the Brits, applied to imported arms. The insinuation was that they weren't as good as the British product.

Grizz

[Stumpslayer]

I asked a couple of people about the "not British make' they said it could possibly be that it was made in any number of the commenwealth countries.

There is alot of stamping on the action and breach and barrel, I thought maybe the .303 Nitro is a simular cartridge to the .303 British, however it may be slightly different, therefore allowing some blow by. I dont ever see any odd expansion on the spent brass. someone suggested that it may be a cartridge like a .300 American??? will try and get some pictures of the various stamping and the rifle itself and post them for you guys to look at. I had fired it since the powder burn I just make sure I'm wearing eye protection, however I will not be until I can verify all of your points.

Thanks for your input.

[Arctic]

Any firearm imported or manufactured in Britain has to undergo prooftesting. If made in another country, it's stamped "not made in Britain".

When going from blackpowder to cordite to nitro powder, pressures changed. Yours was most likely made in this area of time, and therefore was proofed for nitro powder and stamped thus, indicating that it would take full pressures, as opposed to some earlier ones that would take blackpowder pressures only.