The P53 rifle was the first to be issued universally across the British army, rather than just to specific units or on a limited/trial basis. Although the P53 rifle evolved throughout its life, it was the ammunition and bullet that had the greatest impact on the success of the rifle. ‘The English Cartridge’ by Brett Gibbons details the evolution and use of the system and is the best book on the subject. Given that the book covers the material so well, there is no need to repeat it here.
There were four main patterns of P53 bullet, and although they are labelled here as 1st pattern, 2nd pattern etc., these designations were not assigned at the time, but were created here for ease of reference.
a treatise on projectiles 