Dear Mr. Radcliffe, and mailing list,
I was reading the Kipling Society notes on "A Village Rifle Club" and was intrigued by the note about "Tins stuffed with cordite" below.
"tins stuffed with cordite chips - This seems most unlikely, ammunition was and is loaded in the factory."
After reading the article, I believe Mr. Kipling was referring to some type of low-powered practice ammunition supplied to the Coastguards. It would have had the same point of impact at 200 yards as regular issue ammunition would have at 700, so they would have to adjust their sights. If the Coastguards were shooting at circles painted on rocks, lower velocity ammunition might be less likely to ricochet dangerously, or carry dangerously far past the target if they missed. Or, it might just have been cheaper. According to Wikipedia (not a totally reliable source, I know) cordite used for rifle cartridges was formed in the shape of small rods, so "cordite chips" might also indicate a cheap, low quality cartridge.
Thank you for a very interesting web site. I hope to spend much more time there in the future.
Sincerely,
Ford Walton
529 Marlin Dr.
Punta Gorda, FL 33950 USA
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