30-06 Too powerful for UK

[Leec6.5]

You know 2 people with .375s who can use them in the U.K. What you don’t know is the good reason given for ownership. If your good reason is shooting big things in Africa, the police will give you a 375 and you will also be able to use it in the U.K. But you won’t be given a .375 just for the U.K.

I have ground cleared in norfolk for .375

No problem you just have to ask the right questions

 

[finnbear270]

Correct, but I don't think we have seen a good reason for a 30-06 yet in this instance.

Are you secretly a practicing FEO?

 

[njc110381]

When I was having a bun fight with my FEO over them refusing me a .458 Lott for UK use, he stated that there was a .416 issued in Gloucestershire for boar and that if I could "make do with one of those", he would grant it. They absolutely would not budge on the Lott but when I decided to back down because a .416 would do most of what I would ever need it to, it came back within a matter of days with it listed for AOLQ. Whether my use abroad evidence played a part I don't know, but I'm 100% sure that I was told that they had granted a .416 on someone else's certificate for boar.

That much fuss over a .30-06 is silly but it feels like times are changing.

 

[Bowland blades]

When I was having a bun fight with my FEO over them refusing me a .458 Lott for UK use, he stated that there was a .416 issued in Gloucestershire for boar and that if I could "make do with one of those", he would grant it. They absolutely would not budge on the Lott but when I decided to back down because a .416 would do most of what I would ever need it to, it came back within a matter of days with it listed for AOLQ. Whether my use abroad evidence played a part I don't know, but I'm 100% sure that I was told that they had granted a .416 on someone else's certificate for boar.

That much fuss over a .30-06 is silly but it feels like times are changing.

you are of course well aware of the fact that FEOs are rarely ever holders of much firearms knowledge by now. lol
Times are certainly changing and they have been from the time we had to lock up shotguns and had to have photos on our certificates , every year it gets harder and those vetting us get less and less knowledgeable.

 

[Dave Lakes]

That much fuss over a .30-06 is silly but it feels like times are changing.

It reads as if it’s more the fact it’s a 30-06 on top of a .270 and .308. While the rejection is annoying and arguably pointless, I think it’s in line with the current guidelines?

Be interested to hear back from the OP about his friends rationale for the various rifles. These threads help us all understand what can be a fairly complex system.

 

[Jon P]

It reads as if it’s more the fact it’s a 30-06 on top of a .270 and .308. While the rejection is annoying and arguably pointless, I think it’s in line with the current guidelines?

Be interested to hear back from the OP about his friends rationale for the various rifles. These threads help us all understand what can be a fairly complex system.

I have just had my Renewal through for .308 - 30-06 & 300 win Mag with no issues . Think a lot depends on your police area, bit of a postcode lottery.
FEO got himself in a muddle with his confusion over restricted land but that was rectified very quickly.

 

[tikkathreebarrels]

It reads as if it’s more the fact it’s a 30-06 on top of a .270 and .308. While the rejection is annoying and arguably pointless, I think it’s in line with the current guidelines?

Be interested to hear back from the OP about his friends rationale for the various rifles. These threads help us all understand what can be a fairly complex system.

Personally I don't think I'd rule out the possibility that someone at firearms licensing is tasked with testing the applicant to assess whether "need" (as evidenced by the applicant setting out a clear statement of why he now needs calibre x in addition to calibres a, b, and c) or whether the application is based solely on "I fancy one of them 'cos I read about them/I haven't bought a new calibre in the last n months".

I've always imagined a scenario where admin staff are trained to process applications by checking for factual errors and possibly looking for clear statements of need before filtering applications up the food chain for consideration it always seemed to me that the best approach was to put forward a well-reasoned and demonstrably true case for wanting calibre X or additional gun Y. Factor in that the processing staff will almost certainly not have any interest in firearms but will develop a working knowledge of, ahem, how their force interprets the law.

 

[MAH]

What? So a .270 WCF with its Remington factory load of a 150 grain bullet at 2,850 fps or a .308 Winchester with its Remington factory load of a 150 grain bullet at 2,820 fps is OK but at .30-06 with its Remington factory load of a 150 grain bullet at 2,910 fps is too powerful?

Forgive me for being devil's advocate....

If one argued that "the 270 and 308 ballistics are so similar to 30,06" , then i expect that the FLO would respond with, " so why do you need it?".

PS, I agree the too powerful bit is odd.

M

 

[308tikka]

I was told they'd be happier with me having a 30.06 than my .308 at it was "smaller".....and that was coming from an ex armed response FEO!

The .06 is smaller than the 8.

Didnt you do maths at school !?

 

[Namman]

Are you secretly a practicing FEO?

Just what I was thinking.

 

[badmolassesaccident]

Are you secretly a practicing FEO?

Fnarr fnarr

I have a lot of guns including two lots of 3 x rifles in similar calibers. I just was able to provide a reason for each one and why the other ones weren't suitable for the job. Approved no problem. Have 300 magnum, among others, on open conditions and the FEO didn't bat an eyelid. The .300 is a lot more powerful than a 30-06.

If OP said the .243 is for NV, the .308 is a heavy rifle only suitable for target but which I have lawful quarry use for too, the .270 is a regular general purpose scoped rifle and I want a 30-06 with iron sights for close in woodland shooting and this is the place I'm going to use it, then that would be a good reason for a 30-06 on top of the other rifles.

But that's not what we have in this thread so far. Instead we have "I have a .243, .270, .308 and I wanna get a 30-06". No surprise that FEO has said bzzzzzttt.

 

[sikadog]

A mate in Wales asked for a 30-06 and was told it was too powerful but they agreed to a 308.
The next person that tells me that a 308 is the same as a 30-06 I will be realy p*ssed of with.
If so they could tell me a 338-06 is the same as a 338 win mag.
The differential is nearly identical.

 

[Jon P]

A mate in Wales asked for a 30-06 and was told it was too powerful but they agreed to a 308.
The next person that tells me that a 308 is the same as a 30-06 I will be realy p*ssed of with.
If so they could tell me a 338-06 is the same as a 338 win mag.
The differential is nearly identical.

What police area in wales was that ?

 

[sikadog]

North Wales

 

[Jura]

The next person that tells me that a 308 is the same as a 30-06 I will be realy p*ssed of with.

Handloaders will often push the safety envelope by stuffing the 308 Win. case with more powder than the loading manuals recommend.

This does not equal the 30-06 — because loaders can push that envelope, too. Better safe than sorry.

If you want more velocity than the 308 Win., get a 30-06.

If you want more velocity than the 30-06, get a 300 Win. Mag. or 300 WSM or 300 RUM… That's the reason all these 30-calibers were created.

 

[finnbear270]

By that yardstick .375 is OK as it's only three digits against 30-06 's four

 

[badmolassesaccident]

By that yardstick .375 is OK as it's only three digits against 30-06 's four

Its actually a .24.

30-06 = 24

 

[Ratel]

Thanks for the clarification.



It isn't exactly a great perk. It would be a downgrade of a job for former police as it wouldn't pay as well as a police officer with a long length of service. Given it doesn't pay that great (if you are hired as a civilian rather than police doing it) and it is hard to find anyone to do any job right now, it's unrealistic to expect FEOs to have a highly detailed knowledge of every caliber to the level that someone interested in firearms and for who firearms are their primary hobby or profession, would have. Former forces and former police should have some familiarity with firearms, law and policing, they seem a good choice for FEOs. Although I have had 2 FEOs and both have been serving PCs.

Some lack of highly in depth knowledge may be just as well or the police would start to ponder why you can have a 300 PRC or 300 Norma which will have about a 50% hit probability on a man size target at a mile, vs a notionally more powerful large bore hunting caliber which won't be hitting anything at half that distance.

May be a downgrade but add the salary to police pension and it's more than enough.

 

[Foxyboy43]

He is mistaken.

View attachment 286797View attachment 286798

“….. and with adequate financial arrangements in place to meet any injury or damage claim”.
Now that is interesting, indeed very interesting, as I have never seen such a requirement/condition. A couple of questions spring to mind:-
* why is this required for those firearms; and perhaps more fundamentally
* since when can any licensing authority impose such a condition? I suspect that this is ultra-vires i.e. without foundation in legislation so cannot be imposed.
Happy to stand corrected.

 

[Ronin]

This all shows the inconsistency and possibly danger of having FEO's with no knowledge of rifles, sporting use of them and nil of ballistics. Slightly tongue in cheek but this can also apply to ex armed response lads. I sometimes wonder why they get the job, but then most I've met have been ex policemen, so it could be jobs for pals, a bit like MP's.

Look cool in the “car”

Perhaps best not to type further