Mick:
Yup
Australian Mk 3 charger is the same as "NATO". Shown in my M1917; the lugs don't engage in the seats, fits kind of sloppy, but you can make them work.
Swede clip seats perfectly:
Unlike the M1903 and 03A3, there is nothing in the loading path, and these M1917's will almost load themselves
Just a shot of the backsight, a rare experimental proposed, but not adopted for the 1918 National Matches:
Joe:
There are exceptions to everything, I guess. The photo that you posted is a clip full of Hoffer-Thompson loading adaptors for the original .22RF Gallery Practice M1903. Each of the little steel adaptors was loaded with a .22 short; the rifle had a .22 barrel. The training value was that you loaded it with a clip like it's cal .30 big brother; the bolt throw was the same as the .30 service rifle; weight (within reason), stock, sights all the same as the .30 service rifle (unlike the later M1922 and variants). The fatal flaw was that accuracy sucked, and when you ejected those steel "adaptors", the muzzles dented badly when they hit the concrete floor of the gallery range, making them sort of useless. Just one of those little adaptors, if in undamaged condition, will get you well over $100 on eBay! Back to topic ... even though the Hoffer-Thompson was an "issue" item, it was "issued" with clips that were intended to be re-used ... so they had no tabs, and the springs were retained like a Mauser clip. Whether the bodies had rounded ends or not, I can't say, cuz I don't believe I ever saw one. They were made commercially under gov't contract. In the picture, it appears that the ends are rounded. The rounded ends on the US clips will help to "muscle" the M1903 ejector out of the way.
I use Turk one-piece brass 8mm clips for my Argentines ... I file the lugs off the side of the clip body, and they fit and work perfectly.
John:
I distinguished in 1989; I got my first leg with a Mk2-1 (Navy M1 with 7.62 barrel) and finished with a heavy match M14. I was shooter, coach, and sometimes captain of the Navy rifle team from 1986 to 1993, when I retired. I have not fired in a registered match since then, so I have lost my Master classification. All of my shooting since then has been with old military stuff, and mostly with cast bullets, in "local-yokel" as-issued matches. I started shooting high power in 1965 with an 03A3/Lyman 48 and cast bullets; took time off for my first hitch in the Navy, got out in 1972, picked up the 03A3 again, and made Master for the first time in 1973, with that rifle and cast bullets at 200 and 300 yards. Had to resort to Sierra 168 grain Internationals for 600 yards, but a lot of the matches were only 200 and 300 yards, the prone slow fire being fired on reduced targets at 300. "The Load" was 311284 and 40 or 42 grains of WW II surplus 4831. These days, I shoot more 311291's with from 15 to 18 grains of 2400, and mostly at 100 and 200 yards. The load works well out to 200. On my '03's it takes about 54 clicks on my O'Hare micrometer to get centered up at 200 yards, and that translates to about 800-850 yards on the leaf.
Resp'y,
Bob S.