HI
As I am interested in the british colonial history I am looking for the original softnosed bullets made for the Metford rifle also called "DUM-DUM".
Is there is anyone who knows something about something I would be very glad!

Thanks!

Hello;
As I understand it, Dum Dum refers to strictly a local practice by the British Dum Dum arsenal in India, where they mutilatated FMJ bullets to enhance their lethal effects. At least As far back as WW1, these were illegal and any soldier found with them in his posession by the enemy, was liable to on the spot execution.
Grizz

I know in the Anglo Boer War (1898-1902) people also "made" dum-dum bullets as described by Grizzly. I know that you were executed if found with them, as a few Boer found out the hard way. RM

Jens Poulsen,

As far as I remember, the Dum Dum bullets (named after the Dum Dum arsenal in Calcutta) were never made for the 303. The bullets were lead with a cross cut into the noses to cause severe wounding. These are Martini Henry era bullets.

I am not sure you would find any these days but they are to be seen in most large museums in India. Museums in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal may also have them.

Best wishes,

Dum Dum Ammunition is the .303mk V hollow point - first manufactured at Dum Dum after some serious British reverses in Afganistan and also the sudan campain.

215grn Serious hollow point bullet, Cupro-Nickel jacket @ 2040fps from the long Lee Enfield Rifle. They are increadibly effective "stopping" rounds. Have used them on warthog and Kudu. Hollow is .2" diamiter and half the length of the bullet. They open quickly to arround .75 on impact with flesh and do not seem to break up. If somebody is coming over from Sween I can send some rounds Back.

They are quite plentiful in Zimbabwe, as Just prior to the Boer war, the colonial police forces in Bechuanaland and Rhodesia were issued the new mk V ammo to replace the mkII which they had been using and were very dis-satisfied with (lack of stopping power on doped up natives). Britain, however, signed the Hague convention treaty (1899?)which limmited the use of expanding bullets to police action and colonial wars and not for use agains "civilised oponants". When the Boer war broke out, the British troops were initially issued with the mk V rounds, especially those hurredly shiped in from India after the first British reverses. Germany raised a stink over this and old mk II and III ammo was hurredly sent out, and all the new mk V put into storage. Fast forward to 1990 when the Zimbabwe government finally sold off all their Lee enfields as surpluss to requirements and cases of mk V ammo was sold off to go with them! The copper primers have corroded but they still seem to all go bang.

Dumdums were made in Canada too and there's a modest amount showing up at gunshows. The headstamp is D ^ C on top, C IV under the primer. ^ is the best I can do for the broad arrow. The hollow point is 3/8" deep.

IIRC, the Mk. IV was an earlier design and the Mk.V was the final Dumdum design.

Bye
Jack

Hi !

Thank you all for sharing your info!

Ganyana!

I have mailed you a pm!

Sincerly jens poulsen

Detailed description of Dum Dum bullets and their banning by the Hague Convention in 1899

quote:

For openers, "dum-dum bullets," named for their arsenal of origin in a town near Calcutta, India, are soft-nosed projectiles, not hollow points1. And their deployment under the "Laws of War" is proscribed by a "Declaration on the Use of Bullets Which Expand or Flatten Easily in the Human Body" adopted at the First Hague Peace Conference of (29 July) 1899

No idea if the 303 was in service then but this is what we were taught at school in India anyway.

Best wishes,

I think if I recall correctly the dum dum round did indeed originate from the British Garrison at "Dum Dum" near clacutta, preturbed at the lack of knock down of the existing ball .303 amunition, the Superintendant of Ordnance in the Garrison, Captain Bertie Clay carried out trial on an "improved round" which had the bluff nose snicked off thus exposing the lead core, seems fortunate that it did not result in blown out lead cores, presumably due in part to the low velocities generated by the 215 grain bullets

i have a few of these in my collection. id be happy to send some pics, ?. have mostly nickle ones, but allso have a few copper jacket ones

Hi Max!

You have a PM !

max, you have a p.m. from me as well!