hi everyone,

I recently came across some ww2 clips with .303 ammo in it.
Is it safe to display this and have it in your room?? because ive got a exhibition case where i have 2 ww2 pouches some clips and the ammo laying in it, is this safe?????


these are pictures of it with the clips and pouches






i hope someone can answer my question


Cheers,

Hinzor

So long as the shell casing is free of corrosion and the round is intact and in good condition you can fire them. I will warn you that you likely will get alot of misfires from ammunition that old. I fired some .303, 8mm Spanish Mauser and 7.7 Japanese that is old or from WW 2 myself. I got like one in three or four rounds to fire.

If the round misfires that is, doesn't go off then wait several seconds and slowly remove the round from the gun keeping it pointed in a safe direction. If you have a partial misfire, that is the round goes off but with little recoil inspect the barrel and chamber before firing another round to ensure both are clear.

Also, expect really bad accuracy from the rounds as the powder will not give even performance because of its age.

I hope that answers your question.

For display treat the rounds as live ammunition. Keep them away from heat etc., just as you would with new ammunition. Otherwise they are prefectly safe for display.

For Display this stuff would be fine and as stated keep it away from heat and flame.

For shooting purposes??? You are taking a chance. This WW2 vintage ammo is corrosive and will rust the bore, bolt, etc. and pretty much ruin the rifle if not cleaned properly. The examples you show here look pretty beat up.

Corrosive ammo has Mercury (Mercuric type salts) in the primers to extend the shelf life of the ammunition. If you do fire this stuff you must clean the rifle right away. You cannot use products like Hoppes as this will not remove all of it and your bore will rust and pit.

I would scrub it down with something like Windex that has ammonia in it. It should remove most of the fouling. Rinse and follow with oil.

.303 ammo is everywhere IMO, why shoot this stuff?

BR, fischer

__________________

I Rode a Tank...Held a Generals Rank
When the Blitzkrieg Raged
and the Bodies Stank...

From the look of some of them I would take them out the back yard and bury them - deep.



John.

__________________
"I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". - Voltaire.

If all you want to do is display them as a set, then get yourself a inertia bullet puller, remove the projectile and powder, reseat the bullet in the case and display them. For a look at one of the tools, Goto:

86846 - Inertia Bullet Puller, Easy to Use, Removes Bullets up to .45 Caliber

You might even be able to "rent" one from a local gunsmith or just have him render the rounds inoperable for display. They are really easy to use, just fit the base into the proper sized colllet, and strike the other end on a hard surface. The primer points up, and is in no danger of firing. The bullet pops out, and the powder and projectile are caught in the recepticle.

__________________
Happy Trails,
Clint.

A gunsmith will do it, usually for little or no charge. I'd just assume throw them in a bonfire before putting them in a firearm, that'd be wreckless not only for your safety but the gun. I've seen people do great damage to really nice firearms by trying to shoot crappy ammunition. Probably would do you no harm to display as is, buy why take the chance?

__________________
Kicking up dust since 1978

I had some 1900 dated 303's that I dared to shoot BUT the ammo was unbelievable! Eventhough it fired "click - bang" I was picking off clay pigeons at 100 yards wit hthis stuff!

You need to be far more careful with ammunition that old. If it is black powder that's okay. But, if it is nitrocellouse it can be very erratic and even dangerous to use. It is also much more corrosive to the gun. You need to clean it using a cleaner that will pH out the nitric acid residues present otherwise you get rust and corrosion.

I have passed on a few older WWII guns because of improper care. I looked at an M1 at a gunshow a few months back...first alarm was the guy only wanted 500 dollars for it. Uh oh. Outside the gun was cosmetically sound. Inside. Oh sweet mary. The rifling was pitted, almost nonexistant. It was ugly. Looked like someone fired off five or six hundred rounds and put it in a case and never cleaned it.

__________________
Kicking up dust since 1978

Display them yes, fire them NO those look in horrible shape, there could be a weak spot in the brass...not a good idea

I personally wouldn't want any live ammunition in my room! It's not worth the risk.

There is really no risk involved, just don't set them on fire i guess