On Tue, 14 Jun 2016 08:49:42 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

10:23
- show quoted text -
I think the problem started when the last of the WWII surplus dried
up. There are still plenty of companies loading .303 but I don't think
there is much that is cheap, It is .75 to a buck a round at the bulk
guys.
The Brits went to the NATO calibers decades ago.
....

The .303 is still standard for the ancient and accepted Lewis gun which is still in the queens arsenal since ww1. Hard to improve a hammer.

In the days of belt fed machine guns I find it hard to believe a Lewis
is actually taken seriously. I could understand it in WWII when
anything that went bang was needed but now, just the logistics would
be a nightmare. That is one reason why NATO tried to standardize down
to 4 basic calibers.