I have just had an interesting chat with my FEO about the term "calibre".
The police/Home Office are following advice from BASC apparantly in their usage of this term, in which they want you to use a specific cartridge designation ie. .222 instead of .22 centrefire when asking for a variation. What my FEO kept calling a "calibre"! I had to apply for a .222 calibre rifle.
Now the Dictionary definition of "Calibre" is that it is "The diameter of any circular section, especially the interior diameter of a tube or hollow cylinder". It is generally accepted in relation to riflesmithing that the term "calibre" is the bore of a rifle barrel prior to adding the rifling. Thus any of the .22 centrefires are 0.224" calibre.
It is a shame the body supposedly representing shooters cannot get their terminology correct, especially when advising our regulatory bodies.
It mattered not that I wanted a .22 centrefire variation, I had to specify a particular chambering. The fact that 0.224" bullet will fit down a 22-250, a .222 or a .233 et al, matters not at all to them.
I find this infuriating, I spend ages trying to learn the correct nomenclature of my sport, and yet one of the leading shooting bodies helping to advise our police cannot get this right. What hope is there for us?
I will admit that West Mercia Firearms Dept are improving rapidly under new management, seemingly they have listened to the FEO's. About time too. I have always found the FEO's to be very helpful and knowledgable people.
Confusedly, Simon
Edit, but he did allow me to have a slot for 6.5/.260". Go figure?
The police/Home Office are following advice from BASC apparantly in their usage of this term, in which they want you to use a specific cartridge designation ie. .222 instead of .22 centrefire when asking for a variation. What my FEO kept calling a "calibre"! I had to apply for a .222 calibre rifle.
Now the Dictionary definition of "Calibre" is that it is "The diameter of any circular section, especially the interior diameter of a tube or hollow cylinder". It is generally accepted in relation to riflesmithing that the term "calibre" is the bore of a rifle barrel prior to adding the rifling. Thus any of the .22 centrefires are 0.224" calibre.
It is a shame the body supposedly representing shooters cannot get their terminology correct, especially when advising our regulatory bodies.
It mattered not that I wanted a .22 centrefire variation, I had to specify a particular chambering. The fact that 0.224" bullet will fit down a 22-250, a .222 or a .233 et al, matters not at all to them.
I find this infuriating, I spend ages trying to learn the correct nomenclature of my sport, and yet one of the leading shooting bodies helping to advise our police cannot get this right. What hope is there for us?
I will admit that West Mercia Firearms Dept are improving rapidly under new management, seemingly they have listened to the FEO's. About time too. I have always found the FEO's to be very helpful and knowledgable people.
Confusedly, Simon
Edit, but he did allow me to have a slot for 6.5/.260". Go figure?
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