Reloading Legalities.

Stringer

Well-Known Member
Given the current price of Ammo, I am consdering starting to reload with a mate. I have a couple of questions that I hope some of you might be able to help me with.

- I am currently allowed to buy 60 rounds and hold 40. Does this still apply with the component parts of the round or is it he finished article?

- Can I load the rounds and then "gift" them to my friend?

- Are the component parts subject to the same security as the complete round?

Many thanks

Stephen
 
Ballibeg.

Ask you local FEO to show you the legislation which limits your purchase to 60/40 or 40/60. ACPO guidelines apply to your Constabulary as well as the rest of the UK. If you have a legitimate reason then there should be no problem. If you are a member of BASC speak to their Firearms Dept.

My local Constabulary D&G were extremely obliging and ultimately asked me what I wanted to purchase and hold.

Almost every make of bullet is supplied in boxes of 100 which means you are currently out of the equasion. The fact that you intend reloading is the reason for requesting an increase in your purchasing and possession limits.

If you try and continue with the current restriction on you FAC you will not even be able to begin to reload. What about load development!!!!!!!!!!! I guess thats a complete no no in Strathclyde.

If you are serious about reloading make an appointment to see you FEO either at home (preferably as it your ground) or at the local station. Take a pre-written letter with you requesting an increase in purchase/possess limits and explain what you intend doing. There is no fee payable as it isn't a variation and there is no reason why they cannot complete the paper work in forty eight hours. D&G returned mine in under twenty four hours.

Have your facts ready. You cannot complete load development for your rifle with a limit of 40/60. Load development includes accuracy and therefore has a welfare issue as well. Be prepared to increase your security if extra bullets mean more safe/security space. Yes bullets are subject to the same security as rounds.

As regards component parts if you read Section 2 of your FAC it is self explanatory; Ammunition including expanding ammunition and expanding missles. Yes bullets count as a round. I know totally daft but there it is until a change in legislation. All the more reason for having purchase/possess increased.

As regards "Gift" you most certainly can with section 1 ammunition. Your FAC only mentions section 1. Expanding ammunition is section 5. Not all RFD's are section 5 authorised. If you colleague is authorised to possess expanding ammunition let him reload his own then the problem is solved. If your colleague is authorised by an additional condition on his FAC to acquire expanding ammunition then that would also cover the question of being able to "Gift" reloaded ammunition. I would suggest you seek guidance from a higher authority.

Hope this helps and please do not blame me when reloading becomes an obsession. Trust me it will.

Spiker.
 
Stringer said:
- I am currently allowed to buy 60 rounds and hold 40.

Sorry other way round

Ballibeg said:
-Its a Strathclyde Police thing.

Seems to be mate

Spiker

Thanks for your comprehensive answer, I telephoned police today, waiting for someone to call me back. Its just an idea at the moment. A mate and me were going to share the cost of the equipment. Just working out the finer points to see if its a worthwhile exercise.

Cheers

Stephen
 
Some conflicting advice from the police.

Local guy says that only once the components have been assembled are they counted, but head office in Glasgow, as Spiker says, maintain that expanding heads are counted.

I will err on the side of caution and send a letter off today to have the amounts increased on my certificate.

Anybody in Strathclyde got any idea what the local police will accept as a reasonable request?

Cheers

Stephen
 
I am not in Strathclyde but Avon and Somerset.
I started reloading in January this year and at the time I had 100/160 buy/hold allowance for hunting with a 243.
I asked for and got 300/400.
This allows me to buy 3 boxes of bullets of 100 each at one time.

Expanding bullets count to your allowance whether assembled or not.
Whether your RFD writes the purchase on your FAC of expanding bullets is determined by the policy of your force, it is not a legal requirement and some forces do, some do not.
 
Just had a call from Strathclyde police offering me 100 to buy and 120 to keep. I had asked for 200/300. Explained my reasons ie load development, accuracy etc etc to the girl and she is going to speak to the boss. My certificate is showing that I have purchased around 150 rounds in the last year. Am I being unreasonable in my request?
 
No you are not being unreasonable. I asked for buy 250 hold 300 from D&G, & because I had been getting through plenty of ammo on the table on the back it was fine, added to this the HO guidelines.
 
Relaoding in Glasgow

I deal with Pitt St also and I reload.

I had to thow a tantrum and threaten them with SACS to get my limits increased. I had 40/60 and got it doubled.

Every expanding bullet head (hunting round) counts towards your limit.

there are home office guidelines on this so they have no right to question you. Talk to SACS or BASC etc if they muck you around.
 
Just found th HO guidelines http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/pub...policing/HO-Firearms-Guidance.pdf?view=Binary

These are dated 2002, I assume they are still current as I cant find any more recent. Here are the parts I thought relevant:

4.7 Section 10(2)(b) of the 1997 Act amends

section 5A(4)(b) of the 1968 Act so that

the use of expanding ammunition is in

connection with the various exempted

purposes. This allows, for example, a deer

stalker or vermin shooter to zero with their

rifle on a range or other suitable land and to

do sufficient training and testing with the

expanding ammunition. It does not allow

them to take part in target shooting or any

competitions, such as running deer using

expanding ammunition. For this reason, the

quantity of expanding ammunition or bullets

for such ammunition which any shooter is

allowed to possess at any one time should

be carefully controlled by the certificate

(see also paragraph 3.17). Consideration

should though be given to each shooter’s

individual circumstances, particularly where

re-loaders are acquiring missiles or where the

shooter is a professional deerstalker.




4.8 The bulk purchase of ammunition for

the purpose of economy is not acceptable as

good reason for possession. Possession of

250 rounds with authority to acquire 200

rounds should generally be regarded as

reasonable (but see paragraphs 4.7 and 13.28 ).



13.28 The shooting of deer is governed by

the Deer Acts which require that deer be

shot with rifle cartridges of particular muzzle

energy and (in Scotland) muzzle velocity and

bullet weight (see Chapter 14 for further

detail). The Deer Acts also require that

“soft nosed or hollow nosed” (expanding)

ammunition, or in the case of Scotland

ammunition “designed to deform in a

predictable manner”, must be used for

shooting deer. Deer stalkers will normally be

authorised to possess up to 250 rounds of

ammunition and to acquire 200 rounds but

account should be taken of individual

circumstances, for example where re-loaders

are acquiring missiles or where the shooter is

a professional deer stalker.


Just waiting for the phone call to see if I need to quote any of this. :lol:
 
Stringer said:
Some conflicting advice from the police.

Stephen

Joining a target shooting club will help your case.

Explain that you want buy a large quantity of factory ammunition with the same batch number for purposes of accurate reloading. Tell them that this would probably only take place once in the life of your certificate. I had authority to buy 1000 at a time for .308, .223 and .22rf at one time.

I now have 1200/1000 for 22rf
700/500 for .223
500/300 for .308
500/400 for .270

It would not be unreasonable for you to be experimenting with 5 different bullet weights in each calibre at the same time, and only be able to buy them in boxes of 100.
Explain that if you could get FMJ bullet heads with the same ballistic coefficient as the expanding heads then you would be able to experiment with those without any limitations on the number held, but you can't.
What calibre are you talking about, by the way?

I have always understood that 'ammunition' applied to a cartridge and not unassembled components.
I have no mention on my certificate that the number of bullet heads held or purchased have a limitation. It merely states, against each quantity of 'ammunition' (* may be expanding), brackets included.
 
Just been offered 200/240. Suppose thats an improvement. At least that'll allow me to experiment with a couple of different bullets to get me started. Thanks for all the replies.
 
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