Cordite

[gunboat]

Bit of trivia on cordite 303 -
When the 303 is manufactured, the cordite is loaded into a straight case which is then necked and the bullet seared --

[gun toting monkeyboy]

That stuff stays good for a very long time. And if you bag it with a hammer, it flattens out like a really hard modeling clay, or plastic. If you bang it a second time (when it is flat), you can get it to burn, just by whacking it. They used to have cordite-based reloading powders way back when. It was normally cut into either chopped-up versions of the strands here, or little rings that looked like tiny orange macaroni. I remember pulling some WWI Carcano loads and finding some of the macaroni-shaped stuff inside. It is probably still in a glass vial in my reloading supplies somewhere.

-Mb

[Anubis Laughed]

Cool photo, thanks for sharing it.

[SanPedroShooter]

That stuff stays good for a very long time. And if you bag it with a hammer, it flattens out like a really hard modeling clay, or plastic. If you bang it a second time (when it is flat), you can get it to burn, just by whacking it. They used to have cordite-based reloading powders way back when. It was normally cut into either chopped-up versions of the strands here, or little rings that looked like tiny orange macaroni. I remember pulling some WWI Carcano loads and finding some of the macaroni-shaped stuff inside. It is probably still in a glass vial in my reloading supplies somewhere.

-Mb

Cool.

I tasted a little bit and its tastes like dust.

[aghauler]

New C&R shooters may not be familiar with cordite propellant's appearance. I pulled down some 1960 South African .303 ball that was all flintlock speed ignition but very accurate. I got tired of the bang-Bang hesitation and
decided to pull the last 30 bullets for reloading. I got the cordite strands out with an inertia bullet puller and burned them off in a pot lid in the back yard. The ball of flame was pretty spectacular.

It looks remarkably like stale spaghetti strands. Don't attempt to cook and eat it!


30 rounds worth of cordite propellant.

My Dad worked at Mare Island NSY 1940 to 1946. Started out as a paint chipper, ended up turning tubes for sub periscopes out of nickel steel on a very long lathe. While working in the dry docks repairing battle damage on a British ship he liberated some rifle ammo, when he took it apart it had "sticks in it instead of gunpowder"! He'd never seen that before. Also said it was the filthiest, most vermin infested ship to come into Mare Island while he was there.

[Whiterabbit]

New C&R shooters may not be familiar with cordite propellant's appearance. I pulled down some 1960 South African .303 ball that was all flintlock speed ignition but very accurate. I got tired of the bang-Bang hesitation and
decided to pull the last 30 bullets for reloading.

I didn't really notice this until now, but you should really try my flintlock sometime.