Developed in Britain, the .303 British cartridge is a rimmed rifle round that was first used in 1888. Designed for the Lee-Metford rifle, the .303 British round was eventually adapted to use smokeless powder. As the standard British and Commonwealth round, the .303 British round saw much use from 1889 until the 1950s. The .303 British round is also commonly referred to as just 303 British or 7.7x56mmR.