The .303 British Service Cartridge
WWI & WWII headstamp markings
Headstamp markings
| /|\ | Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, Cheshire, U.K. (1940 - 1942) |
| A F | Small Arms Ammunition Factory, Footscray, Melbourne, Australia |
| A /|\ F | Small Arms Ammunition Factory, Footscray, Melbourne, Australia |
| B | Birmingham Metals & Munitions Co. Ltd., Birmingham, U.K. |
| BE | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Blackpole, Worcester, U.K. |
| B /|\ E | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Blackpole, Worcester, U.K. |
| BM | British Munitions Co. Ltd., Millwall, London, U.K. |
| CAC | Colonial Ammunition Co., Melbourne, Australia |
| CAC | Colonial Ammunition Co., Auckland, New Zealand |
| CP | Crompton Parkinson Co. Ltd, Guiseley, Yorkshire, U.K. (1939-1945) |
| C-P | Crompton Parkinson Co. Ltd, Doncaster, Yorkshire, U.K. |
| D | Dominion Cartridge Co., Brownsburg, Quebec, Canada |
| DA | Dominion Arsenal, Montreal, Canada |
| DAC | Dominion Arsenal, Quebec, Canada |
| DAL | Dominion Arsenal, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada |
| DAQ | Dominion Arsenal, Quebec, Canada |
| DC | Dominion Cartridge Co., Canada |
| D /|\ C | Defense Industries, Brownsburg, Quebec, Canada |
| DF Î | Indian Government Ammunition Factory, Dum Dum, Calcutta, India |
| DI | Defence Industries, Inc., Verdun, Canada |
| D Î | Indian Government Ammunition Factory, Dum Dum, Calcutta, India |
| E | Eley Brothers, Ltd., Edmonton, London, U.K. |
| EB | Eley Brothers, Ltd., Edmonton, London, U.K. |
| F | Small Arms Ammunition Factory, Footscray, Melbourne, Australia |
| G | Greenwood & Batley, Ltd., Leeds, U.K. |
| GA | Grenfell & Accles, Ltd., Perry Barr, Birmingham, U.K. |
| GB | Greenwood & Batley, Ltd., Leeds, U.K. |
| GBF | Greenwood & Batley, Ltd., Leeds, U.K. |
| GKB | George Kynoch, Birmingham, U.K. |
| G 18 F.1 | Government Cartridge Factory N°1, Blackheath, Staffordshire, U.K., 1918 |
| G 18 F.3 | Government Cartridge Factory N°3, Blackpole, Worcester, U.K., 1918 |
| H /|\ N | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Hirwaun, South Wales, U.K. (1939-1945) |
| J | Birmingham Metals & Munitions Co. Ltd./Nobel, Birmingham, U.K. |
| K | Kynoch & Co. (Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.), Birmingham, U.K. |
| K2 | Kynoch (I.C.I.), Standish, Lancastershire, U.K. (1943-1944) |
| K4 | Kynoch (I.C.I.), Yeading, Hayes, Middlesex, U.K. (1942-1944) |
| K5 | Kynoch (I.C.I.), Kidderminster, Worcester, U.K. (1944) |
| KH | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Khamaria Arsenal, Jubbulpore, India |
| K Î F | Indian Government Ammunition Factory, Kirkee Arsenal, India (1940-1945) |
| KN | Kings Norton Metal Co. Ltd., Birmingham, U.K.. |
| KYNOCH | Kynoch & Co. Ltd. (Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.), Birmingham, U.K. |
| L | Lorenz Ammunition & Ordnance Co., Millwall, London, U.K. |
| LAC | Dominion Arsenal, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada |
| M | Nobel Explosives Co. Ltd.., Manchester, U.K. |
| MAXIM | Maxim Arms Co., London, U.K. |
| MF | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°1, Footscray, Melbourne, Australia |
| MG | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°2, Footscray, Melbourne, Australia |
| MH | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°3, Hendon, Australia |
| MJ | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°4, Hendon, Australia |
| MQ | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°5, Rocklea, Australia |
| MS | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°7, Salisbury, Australia |
| MW | Small Arms Ammunition Factory N°6, Welchpool, Australia |
| NA | National Arms & Ammunition Co., Birmingham |
| N Î | Indian Government Ammunition Factory, Dum Dum Arsenal, Calcutta, India |
| P | Peters Cartridge Co., Kings Mills, Ohio, U.S.A. |
| PC | Peters Cartridge Co., Kings Mills, Ohio, U.S.A. |
| RA | Remington Arms Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.A. |
| RG | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Radway Green, Cheshire, U.K. |
| R /|\ G | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Radway Green, Cheshire, U.K. |
| RH | Raleigh Cycle Co., Nottingham, U.K. |
| RL | Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal, Kent, U.K. |
| R /|\ L | Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal, Kent, U.K., |
| ROF.B | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Blackburn |
| RR Co | Ross Rifle Co., Montreal, Canada |
| RW | Rudge Withworth Co., Nottingham (1914-1918) |
| SAAF | Small Arms Ammunition Factory, Footscray, Melbourne, Austrralia |
| S Î | Indian Government Ammunition Factory, Dum Dum Arsenal, Calcutta, India |
| SR | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Spennymoor, Durham, U.K. |
| S /|\ R | Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Spennymoor, Durham, U.K. |
| TR | Dominion Rubber & Munitions Co., Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada |
| U | South African Mint, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa |
| U <> | South African Mint, Kimberley, Republic of South Africa |
| US | US Cartridge Company, Lowell, Mass., U.S.A. |
| VC | Defence Industries, Ltd., Verdun, Quebec, Canada |
| W | Winchester Repeating Arms Co., New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. |
| WCC | Western Cartridge Co., East Alton, Illinois, U.S.A. |
| WRA | Winchester Repeating Arms Co., New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. |
Colour coding
| Headstamp ID | Primer annulus | Bullet tip | Other feature | Functional type |
| VII or VIIZ | Purple | None | None | Light ball |
| VIIIZ | Purple | None | None | Heavy ball |
| G1, G2, G3, G7 or G8 | Red | None | None | Tracer |
| G4, G4Z, G6 or G6Z | Red | White | None | Tracer |
| G5 or G5Z | Red | Gray | None | Tracer |
| W1 or W1Z | Green | None | None | AP |
| B4 or B4Z | Blue | None | Step in bullet jacket | Incendiary |
| B6 or B6Z | Blue | None | None | Incendiary |
| B7 or B7Z | Blue | Blue | None | Incendiary |
| O.1 | Black | Black | None | Observing |
| PG1 or PG1Z | Red | None | Blue band on case base | Practice-tracer |
| H1Z | None | None | Front half of case blackened | Grenade-launching |
| H2 | None | None | Entire case blackened | Grenade-launching |
| H4 | None | None | Case blackened 3/4-inch from each end | Grenade-launching |
| H7Z | None | None | Rear half of case blackened | Grenade-launching |
The suffix "Z" indicates that graphite-glazed, single-base nitrocellulose propellant was used.
The absence of the suffix "Z" means that the propellant is unglazed, double-base cordite.
©Patrice COLMANT 2008