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The .303 British cartridge was first adopted by Britain in December 1888 for use with the Lee-Enfield rifle.
Answer: False
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge was adopted in December 1888, but it was initially intended for and adopted with the Lee-Metford rifle, not the later Lee-Enfield rifle.
The initial intention for the .303 British cartridge was to utilize smokeless powder from its inception.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to the initial intention for smokeless powder, the .303 British cartridge was first manufactured and adopted using black powder as its propellant.
Cordite was the primary propellant selected when the .303 British cartridge transitioned to smokeless powder in 1891.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1891, the .303 British cartridge transitioned to smokeless powder, with Cordite being the selected propellant for this modernization.
The original .303 British service cartridge used Cordite propellant and was adopted for the Lee-Enfield rifle.
Answer: False
Explanation: The original .303 British service cartridge employed black powder propellant and was adopted for the Lee-Metford rifle. Cordite was introduced later with the transition to smokeless powder.
Ballistite was a smokeless powder composed primarily of nitroglycerine and gun-cotton.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ballistite was a smokeless powder composed of soluble nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. Gun-cotton was a component of Cordite, not Ballistite.
The shallow Metford rifling was replaced because it wore excessively when used with black powder.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Metford rifling, designed for black powder, experienced excessive wear when used with the newer smokeless powders, leading to its replacement by the more robust Enfield rifling.
Which rifle was the .303 British cartridge initially adopted for service in December 1888?
Answer: Lee-Metford rifle
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge was first adopted in December 1888 for service use with the Lee-Metford rifle, which featured rifling specifically designed for the initial black powder propellant.
What propellant was selected when the .303 British cartridge transitioned to smokeless powder in 1891?
Answer: Cordite
Explanation: Upon transitioning to smokeless powder in 1891, the selected propellant for the .303 British cartridge was Cordite.
The original propellant used in the .303 British service cartridge adopted for the Lee-Metford rifle was:
Answer: Black powder
Explanation: The initial .303 British service cartridge, adopted for the Lee-Metford rifle, utilized black powder as its propellant.
Which of the following smokeless powders was composed of nitroglycerine, gun-cotton, and mineral jelly?
Answer: Cordite
Explanation: Cordite, a propellant used in the .303 British, was composed of nitroglycerine, gun-cotton, and mineral jelly.
Why was the original Metford rifling design eventually replaced by the Enfield rifling for the .303 British cartridge?
Answer: The Metford rifling caused excessive wear when used with smokeless powders.
Explanation: The Metford rifling system, while effective with black powder, exhibited excessive wear when subjected to the higher pressures and temperatures of smokeless powders, necessitating the adoption of the more durable Enfield rifling.
The initial Mark I and Mark II .303 British bullets weighed 215 grains and had a full metal jacket.
Answer: True
Explanation: The initial Mark I and Mark II service cartridges for the .303 British utilized a 215-grain, round-nosed, full metal-jacketed bullet with a lead core.
The Mark III, IV, and V .303 British rounds were developed to be expanding bullets, addressing combat deficiencies of the Mk II.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Mark II bullet's performance in combat was deemed unsatisfactory, prompting the development of the Mark III, IV, and V rounds, which incorporated designs intended to cause expansion upon impact.
Following the Hague Convention, the Mark VI .303 British round was introduced with a hollow-point design.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Mark VI round, introduced after the Hague Convention, featured a round-nosed bullet with a thinner jacket intended for some expansion, but it was not a hollow-point design and was meant to comply with the convention's restrictions.
The Mark VII cartridge, introduced in 1910, used a lighter, pointed 'spitzer' bullet with a 'tail-heavy' design for improved wound effects.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Mark VII cartridge represented a significant advancement, featuring a lighter, pointed spitzer bullet with a 'tail-heavy' configuration achieved by placing lighter materials in the front, which enhanced its terminal ballistics.
The Mark VII .303 British cartridge had a muzzle velocity of approximately 3,000 feet per second.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Mark VII .303 British cartridge typically had a muzzle velocity of approximately 2,440 feet per second (744 m/s), not 3,000 feet per second.
The Mark VII bullet's design, with its completely covered lead core, was considered compliant with the Hague Convention.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Mark VII bullet was deemed compliant with the Hague Convention because its metal jacket fully enclosed the lead core, unlike designs with exposed cores or indentations that could facilitate expansion.
The Mark VIIIz ammunition, introduced in 1938, was designed to achieve greater range, particularly for machine guns.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Mark VIIIz cartridge, approved in 1938, was developed to enhance range, especially for sustained fire applications in machine guns.
The Mark VIIIz bullet was lighter than the Mark VII and featured a flat base, reducing bore erosion.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Mark VIIIz bullet was slightly longer and heavier than the Mark VII, featuring a boat-tail design. While intended for increased range, this design contributed to significant bore erosion.
What was the weight of the initial bullet used in the Mark I and Mark II .303 British service cartridges?
Answer: 215 grains
Explanation: The initial Mark I and Mark II .303 British service cartridges were loaded with a 215-grain bullet.
Which marks of .303 British cartridges, featuring expanding bullet designs, were withdrawn from service after the 1899 Hague Convention?
Answer: Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V
Explanation: Following the 1899 Hague Convention's agreement to prohibit expanding bullets, the Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark V .303 British cartridges, which incorporated such designs, were withdrawn from active service.
The Mark VII cartridge, introduced in 1910, featured a novel bullet design that was:
Answer: Lighter, pointed, and 'tail-heavy'
Explanation: The Mark VII cartridge introduced a lighter, pointed 'spitzer' bullet. Its key innovation was a 'tail-heavy' design, achieved by using lighter materials in the front portion, which improved terminal ballistics.
What was the approximate maximum range of the Mark VII .303 British cartridge?
Answer: 2,700 yards
Explanation: The Mark VII .303 British cartridge possessed an effective maximum range of approximately 2,700 yards (or 3,000 yards, depending on source interpretation, but 2,700 is commonly cited for effective range).
The Mark VIIIz 'streamline ammunition' round, approved in 1938, differed from the Mark VII primarily by:
Answer: Featuring a heavier, boat-tailed bullet design
Explanation: The Mark VIIIz cartridge featured a longer, heavier, boat-tailed bullet compared to the Mark VII, designed to improve aerodynamic efficiency and extend range, particularly for machine gun applications.
What does the 'z' postfix in cartridge designations like Mark VIIz signify?
Answer: Use of nitrocellulose flake propellants
Explanation: The 'z' postfix in cartridge designations, such as Mark VIIz, denotes the use of nitrocellulose flake propellants, a development that emerged during World War I.
What was the primary propellant used in the Mark VIIIz cartridge to achieve greater range?
Answer: Nitrocellulose smokeless powder
Explanation: The Mark VIIIz cartridge utilized nitrocellulose smokeless powder, specifically 37 to 41 grains, which contributed to its higher muzzle velocity and extended range.
What was the key innovation of the Mark VII .303 British bullet that caused it to inflict more severe wounds?
Answer: Its 'tail-heavy' design achieved with lighter front material
Explanation: The Mark VII bullet's 'tail-heavy' design, created by using lighter materials in the front section, caused the bullet to deform and pitch violently upon impact, resulting in more severe wound channels.
What was the purpose of the Mark VIIIz 'streamline ammunition' round introduced in 1938?
Answer: To achieve greater range, particularly for machine guns
Explanation: The Mark VIIIz 'streamline ammunition' was developed in 1938 with the primary objective of extending the effective range of the .303 British cartridge, especially when employed in machine guns.
The .303 British cartridge is characterized by a rimless, straight-walled case designed for modern automatic firearms.
Answer: False
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge is characterized by a rimmed, tapered case, not a straight-walled and rimless one, and while used in automatic firearms, its case design is not typical of modern automatic weapon cartridges.
The '.303-inch' measurement in the cartridge name refers to the diameter between the rifling grooves.
Answer: False
Explanation: The '.303-inch' designation conventionally refers to the bore diameter (the distance between the lands of the rifling), not the groove diameter.
The .303 British cartridge case has a capacity of approximately 5.64 mL.
Answer: False
Explanation: The actual case capacity of the .303 British cartridge is approximately 3.64 mL (or 56 grains of H2O), not 5.64 mL.
The pronounced tapering shape of the .303 British cartridge case was primarily designed to reduce recoil.
Answer: False
Explanation: The pronounced tapering of the .303 British cartridge case was primarily designed to ensure reliable feeding and extraction in firearms, not to reduce recoil.
The standard rifling twist rate for the .303 British is 1 turn in 10 inches, featuring 4 grooves.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the twist rate of 1 turn in 10 inches is standard for the .303 British, it typically features 5 grooves, not 4.
According to SAAMI, the maximum average pressure for the .303 British cartridge is 52,940 psi.
Answer: False
Explanation: The value of 52,940 psi represents the maximum Pmax piezo pressure according to C.I.P. standards, not the SAAMI maximum average pressure (MAP), which is 49,000 psi.
What is the actual groove diameter of the .303 British cartridge, as opposed to the bore diameter measurement?
Answer: .311 inches
Explanation: The nominal bore diameter of the .303 British is .303 inches, but the actual groove diameter, measured between the rifling grooves, is typically .311 inches (7.9 mm).
What was the primary design purpose of the pronounced tapering on the exterior of the .303 British cartridge case?
Answer: To ensure reliable feeding and extraction
Explanation: The pronounced tapering of the .303 British cartridge case was a deliberate design feature intended to ensure reliable feeding and extraction in various firearms, particularly in automatic and semi-automatic actions.
What is the standard rifling twist rate commonly found in firearms chambered for the .303 British cartridge?
Answer: 1 in 10 inches
Explanation: Firearms chambered for the .303 British cartridge commonly feature a rifling twist rate of 1 turn in 10 inches (approximately 254 mm).
According to CIP standards, what is the maximum pressure rating (Pmax piezo) for the .303 British cartridge?
Answer: 52,940 psi
Explanation: According to C.I.P. (Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives) standards, the maximum allowable pressure (Pmax piezo) for the .303 British cartridge is 3,650 bars, equivalent to 52,940 psi.
The .303 British cartridge's pronounced tapering was designed to aid reliability in which types of firearms?
Answer: Bolt-action rifles and machine guns
Explanation: The tapered case design of the .303 British cartridge was crucial for ensuring reliable feeding and extraction, particularly in bolt-action rifles and machine guns, which were common platforms for this ammunition.
Which of the following is true regarding the .303 British cartridge's bore and groove diameter?
Answer: The bore diameter is .303 inches and the groove diameter is .311 inches.
Explanation: The standard measurement for the .303 British cartridge indicates a bore diameter of .303 inches (distance between lands) and a groove diameter of .311 inches (distance between grooves).
The designation '.303 British' is recognized by both the C.I.P. (Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives) and SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute).
Answer: True
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge is officially designated as '303 British' by both the C.I.P. and SAAMI, signifying its recognized status in international and sporting arms standards.
The .303 British served as the standard military cartridge until the late 1970s, being replaced by the 5.56x45mm NATO.
Answer: False
Explanation: The .303 British was largely replaced as the standard military cartridge by the 7.62x51mm NATO in the 1950s and 1960s, not the 5.56x45mm NATO in the late 1970s.
Over its service life, the .303 British cartridge saw the development of approximately 10 marks and around 26 variations.
Answer: True
Explanation: During its extensive service life, the .303 British cartridge evolved through approximately ten distinct marks and numerous variations, reflecting continuous refinement.
Armour-piercing and tracer .303 British cartridges were introduced around 1916.
Answer: False
Explanation: Armour-piercing and tracer cartridges for the .303 British were introduced earlier, around 1915, predating the 1916 date mentioned.
During World War I, British factories produced approximately 7 million rounds of .303 ammunition.
Answer: False
Explanation: British factories produced an estimated 7 billion rounds of .303 ammunition during World War I, a significantly larger quantity than 7 million.
A purple primer annulus on a .303 British cartridge indicates it is an armour-piercing round.
Answer: False
Explanation: A purple primer annulus typically indicates ball ammunition (such as Mk VII or VIIIz), not armour-piercing. Armour-piercing rounds are generally indicated by a green primer annulus.
The Japanese 7.7 mm ammunition, a copy of the .303 British, featured similar bullet construction and primer colours.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the Japanese 7.7 mm ammunition was a copy of the .303 British, it employed distinct primer colour coding for different ammunition types, such as black for ball rounds, differing from the British system.
The Bren light machine gun was chambered for the .303 British cartridge.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Bren light machine gun, a prominent firearm in British Commonwealth service, was indeed chambered for the .303 British cartridge.
The 'z' postfix in cartridge designations like Mark VIIIz signifies the use of black powder propellant.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'z' postfix in designations such as Mark VIIIz indicates the use of nitrocellulose flake propellants, which were introduced during World War I, not black powder.
The .303 O Mark 1 Observing round was designed to create a puff of smoke upon impact to mark targets.
Answer: True
Explanation: The .303 O Mark 1 Observing round, introduced in 1935, was specifically designed for machine guns to produce a visible puff of smoke upon impact, thereby marking targets.
By what decade was the .303 British cartridge largely replaced as the standard military cartridge by the 7.62x51mm NATO?
Answer: 1950s
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge was largely superseded as the standard military cartridge by the 7.62x51mm NATO during the 1950s and 1960s.
Which of the following incendiary bullet types developed during WWI contained dynamite?
Answer: Pomeroy bullet
Explanation: The Pomeroy bullet was an incendiary type developed during World War I that contained dynamite as its incendiary filler.
What was the estimated number of .303 rounds produced by British factories during World War I?
Answer: 7 billion
Explanation: During the First World War, British factories alone manufactured an estimated 7 billion rounds of .303 ammunition to meet the demands of the conflict.
On a .303 British cartridge, what does a red primer annulus typically signify?
Answer: Tracer ammunition
Explanation: A red primer annulus on a .303 British cartridge typically indicates that the round is tracer ammunition, designed to make its trajectory visible.
What does a green primer annulus on a .303 British cartridge signify?
Answer: Armour-piercing round
Explanation: A green primer annulus on a .303 British cartridge signifies that the round is armour-piercing ammunition, designed to penetrate hardened targets.
The Japanese 7.7 mm ammunition, a copy of the .303 British, used which color primer for ball rounds?
Answer: Black
Explanation: The Japanese 7.7 mm ammunition, modeled after the .303 British, used a black primer for its standard ball rounds.
Which of these firearms is NOT listed in the source as being chambered for the .303 British cartridge?
Answer: M1 Garand rifle
Explanation: While the Lee-Enfield rifle, Vickers machine gun, and Bren light machine gun were chambered for the .303 British, the M1 Garand rifle utilized the .30-06 Springfield cartridge.
What was the unique characteristic of the de Wilde incendiary round?
Answer: It left no visible trail when fired.
Explanation: The de Wilde incendiary round possessed the distinct advantage of leaving no visible trail when discharged, making it difficult to trace its origin during combat engagements.
The .303 O Mark 1 Observing round, introduced in 1935, was designed for what purpose?
Answer: To mark targets with a puff of smoke
Explanation: The .303 O Mark 1 Observing round was developed to create a visible puff of smoke upon impact, serving to mark targets for observation or subsequent fire.
The .303 Epps cartridge improves ballistic performance by increasing case taper and reducing the shoulder angle.
Answer: False
Explanation: The .303 Epps cartridge improves performance by increasing the shoulder angle to 35 degrees and reducing case taper, which enhances case capacity and life, contrary to the statement.
The .303 British cartridge is considered unsuitable for hunting any game larger than deer.
Answer: False
Explanation: This assertion is inaccurate. While suitable for deer and black bear, the .303 British is also effective for larger game such as moose, and has been used for polar bear protection by Canadian Rangers due to its penetrating capabilities.
In which countries has the .303 British cartridge seen significant civilian sporting use, according to the source?
Answer: Australia, Canada, New Zealand
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge has experienced considerable civilian sporting use, particularly in Commonwealth nations such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, often with surplus military rifles.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a major manufacturer currently producing .303 British ammunition?
Answer: Hornady
Explanation: While Winchester, Sellier & Bellot, and Prvi Partizan are listed as current manufacturers of .303 British ammunition, Hornady is not mentioned in this context.
The .303 British cartridge is considered suitable for hunting which of the following larger game animals?
Answer: Moose
Explanation: The .303 British cartridge is noted for its penetrating ability, making it suitable for hunting larger game animals such as moose, in addition to medium-sized game like deer and black bear.
What improvement does the Canadian-developed '.303 Epps' cartridge offer over the standard .303 British?
Answer: Increased case capacity and improved case life due to design changes
Explanation: The '.303 Epps' cartridge, developed by Ellwood Epps, enhances ballistic performance and case longevity through an increased shoulder angle (35 degrees) and reduced case taper, leading to greater case capacity.
The 1899 Hague Convention banned all military cartridges, including the .303 British.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 1899 Hague Convention did not ban all military cartridges. It specifically prohibited the use of expanding bullets designed to inflict unnecessary suffering, leading to the withdrawal of certain .303 British loadings.
After the Second Boer War, the .303 British was favored over the 7x57mm Mauser due to its superior performance.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following the Second Boer War, the .303 British was criticized for its performance compared to the 7x57mm Mauser, which offered superior velocity, a flatter trajectory, and greater range in the open terrain encountered.
The criticism of the .303 British after the Second Boer War primarily focused on its comparison to which other cartridge?
Answer: 7x57mm Mauser
Explanation: Following the Second Boer War, the .303 British faced criticism due to its perceived inferiority in performance compared to the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge, particularly regarding velocity, trajectory, and range.
The Hague Convention of 1899 primarily addressed concerns regarding which type of small arms ammunition?
Answer: Expanding bullets
Explanation: The 1899 Hague Convention focused primarily on the prohibition of expanding bullets, which were deemed to cause unnecessary suffering in warfare.