01-13-2012, 09:12 AM
stanc Wrote:So, the info on wiki that .280 rim diameter was 0.458" is wrong, and it was actually 0.470"?
On checking Labbett's work on the 7mm, the rim diameter of the .280 was .458 (.455-.462) instead of .469 (.466-.473) for the .280/30, but the diameter of both cases above the extractor groove was identical at 0.471. So it was just a minor difference to the rim, not the case body.
Quote:I agree with all of that. Long-range performance could've been even better if boat-tail projectiles had been used. Were the British unable to make boat-tail bullets in that time period, or did institutional inertia cause them to stick with flat-base designs?
The .303 Mk VIII long-range MG loading (for Vickers guns) had a boat-tailed bullet and that was in service throughout WW2, so I don't know why they stuck with flat-based for the .280 series.
Quote:Indeed. Nice dream, though.
The first frame of this video shows the short-barrelled version of the EM-2, which is what I had in mind. I have never seen one in real life - they are exceptionally rare.