5.56 when my FAC says .223

[SpikeD]

In ancient times you would just apply for a .223 or 5.56 and it wasn't a problem as most dealers would know they were essentially the same (ignoring the pressure/throat differences for the point of the original question)

In modern times you need to be more specific, if you want you to buy .223 marked and 5.56 marked ammunition apply for .223/5.56, the same with 7.62x51/.308" win. I have seen some dealers stating that for Mosin Nagant rifles your ticket must be 7.62x54 not generic 7.62.

As to buying .303" savage when your rifle is .303" British or .22" WMR when your rifle is .22"LR that would be very unwise, you could be charged with illegal possession as you have no lawful reason to posses it. Do you really want to be defending yourself in a court on the basis that your ticket is a generic calibre but you have purchased a rifle in a specific chambering.

If you want to collect ammunition then apply for a collectors condition, mine is 2.7mm-19.2mm, it is conditioned that I don't shoot any of it though.

 

[Will the chippy]

A farmer I know asked for a .22 for dispatching lambs and they sent his back with .22 CF. He didn't know until he went to buy a rifle and the RFD then talked him into a 22250 he is under LEICS too. Don't think he was too impressed when first trying it on a lamb that had lost its eyes to the crows

Yeah a 22250 is fairly conclusive for dispatching a lamb at 6".

 

[enfieldspares]

While you are generally correct, these days we are starting to see some casehead stamped "5.56" brass, sold as .223 (plus crimped primers). It's all the overrun stuff from the war in OIF/OEF, that manufacturers are turning into civilian ammo. Not sure if it'd ever make it to your shores, but it's seen around here a bit (not uncommon, but not really common either, if that makes sense) in inexpensive plinking and varmint ammo.

If it does you'll bet the importers will just cross out the $ sign on the price tag and put a £ sign in its place!

 

[enfieldspares]

Yeah a 22250 is fairly conclusive for dispatching a lamb at 6".

Indeed it'd probably even do the job if the lamb was in a different parish!

 

[nun_hunter]

.
As to buying .303" savage when your rifle is .303" British or .22" WMR when your rifle is .22"LR that would be very unwise, you could be charged with illegal possession as you have no lawful reason to posses it. Do you really want to be defending yourself in a court on the basis that your ticket is a generic calibre but you have purchased a rifle in a specific chambering.

Lots of police forces just put down the calibre and not cartridge because some of them are so similar it makes no difference. Think how many arguments are on here just about the best 6.5mm cartridge?

The only issue arrises if you buy a cartridge that doesn't match your good reason. If you had 22 rimfire listed and good reason was "shooting silently at night around livestock" and then bought a 22WMR you'd protentially have an issue. If your good reason was "vermin" then the WMR would still fit that perfectly.

 

[cjm1066]

The law says calibre, it doest specify imperial or metric measurements or where is is measured, lands or groves.

In the 1980s I had a sticky time, certificate granted for a 308 Whichester, I had purchased 7.62 ammo and a Ruger rifle.

Quickly sorted but I suspect the Policeman checked everything with is Sargent

 

[ashray]

the issue is NOT if any one will sell you 556 ammunition the ISSUE is if you are found with 556 ammunition and you face says 223rem then you WILL BE ON A STICKY WICKET not all police know the law and you feo will have a blue fit as he said you could have a 223rem not 556. just by 223rem its cheap enough and will keep your fac safe!

 

[palmer_mike]

the issue is NOT if any one will sell you 556 ammunition the ISSUE is if you are found with 556 ammunition and you face says 223rem then you WILL BE ON A STICKY WICKET not all police know the law and you feo will have a blue fit as he said you could have a 223rem not 556. just by 223rem its cheap enough and will keep your fac safe!

That really doesn’t hold water as an argument. How will the officer tell what the ammunition is? Head stamps can’t be relied upon…… Therefore maybe a gauge of some sort might be employed, which of course will show that the ammunition is BOTH .223rem and 5.56x45

What if I use 7.62x51 head stamped brass for my .308win reloads?

 

[NullMac]

you need to be more specific, if you want you to buy .223 marked and 5.56 marked ammunition apply for .223/5.56, the same with 7.62x51/.308" win.

Nah. Had a 223 for years and nobody bothered their ass when I bought 5.56 ammo. Most of it was 5.56 ammo.

I have 308 on my ticket but bought a 7.62. Years later it dawned on me so I asked the Bobby on the next inspection, not interested in the least. Even RFD's just read one as the other.

You may well find a pedant one day, but given the convention is to read one as the other and some RFD somewhere was obviously happy I can't see you getting gaol time over it, more likely an amendment to your ticket at worst. They are not out to get you.

 

[NullMac]

What if I use 7.62x51 head stamped brass for my .308win reloads?

Then you will surely have a catastrophic explosion, if you believe the stuff you read on here.

 

[the prowler]

Hmmm. That seems very ambiguous - on the face of it does that not mean you can buy/possess anything from Hornet to 220 Swift?

Is hornet not 223?

 

[the prowler]

Sorry. Older hirnets were sometimes 223 cal

 

[Twodogs]

The law says calibre, it doest specify imperial or metric measurements or where is is measured, lands or groves.

In the 1980s I had a sticky time, certificate granted for a 308 Whichester, I had purchased 7.62 ammo and a Ruger rifle.

Quickly sorted but I suspect the Policeman checked everything with is Sargent

If you look on your FAC on the ammo purchase allowance it states
Maximum quantity authorised to be possessed at any one time CALIBRE METRIC OR IMPERIAL (in block capitals).

 

[Rake Aboot]

Getting very tight on it round my way. Very restricted to the actual wording on the very.
Proper ballache tbh

 

[Foxyboy43]

Is hornet not 223?

Yep and .224!

Sorry. Older hirnets were sometimes 223 cal

Indeed so -
“The .22 Hornet or 5.6×35mmR is a varminting, small-game hunting, survival and competition centerfire rifle cartridge commercially introduced in 1930. It is considerably more powerful than the rimfire .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight of the .17 HMR bullet.Wikipedia
Bullet diameter: .224 (some older rifles use.223) ref Hornady
Designed: 1920s”

 

[the prowler]

My fac also has 6mm. So bought a 243win. Although I could have went for many other chamberings in 6mm

 

[Sinistral]

Yep and .224!


Indeed so -
“The .22 Hornet or 5.6×35mmR is a varminting, small-game hunting, survival and competition centerfire rifle cartridge commercially introduced in 1930. It is considerably more powerful than the rimfire .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight of the .17 HMR bullet.Wikipedia
Bullet diameter: .224 (some older rifles use.223) ref Hornady
Designed: 1920s”

Wiki is wrong on this one, as the .22 Hornet has no metric counterpart. The 5.6 x 35R is the '5.6 x 35R Vierling' which isn't the same.

I think we've had every iteration and variation of the .223/5.56x45 legality thread over time. The 5.56mm is the metric equivalent of the .223 Rem.
Everyone should know that as this is the most common calibre on the planet.
The NFLMS system the police use to print FACs has the " .223 Rem/5.56x45 " dual designation hardcoded within it. If a .223 is authorised then " .223 Rem/5.56x45 " should be printed on Part 1 automatically. There's no need to ask for both.

The only other imperial cartridge with an accepted metric equivalent is the .308 Win, which is also hardcoded in NFLMS as " 7.62mm x 51/.308 ".
The Home Office Guidance makes it quite clear that .223 is also 5.56mm, and the .308 is also 7.62 x 51mm. How can anyone get this wrong?

No other 7.62 has an imperial equivalent , so 7.62 Russian (which can be .308" or .311") is 7.62 x 54R.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Wiki is wrong on this one, as the .22 Hornet has no metric counterpart. The 5.6 x 35R is the '5.6 x 35R Vierling' which isn't the same.

I think we've had every iteration and variation of the .223/5.56x45 legality thread over time. The 5.56mm is the metric equivalent of the .223 Rem.
Everyone should know that as this is the most common calibre on the planet.
The NFLMS system the police use to print FACs has the " .223 Rem/5.56x45 " dual designation hardcoded within it. If a .223 is authorised then " .223 Rem/5.56x45 " should be printed on Part 1 automatically. There's no need to ask for both.

The only other imperial cartridge with an accepted metric equivalent is the .308 Win, which is also hardcoded in NFLMS as " 7.62mm x 51/.308 ".
The Home Office Guidance makes it quite clear that .223 is also 5.56mm, and the .308 is also 7.62 x 51mm. How can anyone get this wrong?

No other 7.62 has an imperial equivalent , so 7.62 Russian (which can be .308" or .311") is 7.62 x 54R.

Hmmm - am I doting or does R in the 7.62x54R stand for rimmed rather than Russian?

 

[Bowland blades]

I would call your Firearms Licensing team to be on the safe side, mine came back with 5.56×45 on . When contacted they said it covered 223 .
Just to be clear , UK rifles comply with CIP and as such .223 and 5.56 NATO operate as the same max pressures.

pretty sure 5.56 creates over pressures fired in a 223 rem chamber - The dimensions are different as is uk proof i think ? There is a tonne of info on this matter straight on google i recon

 

[KimE]

So if my license just says 303 I can buy if I found some or make some 303 savage?

303 Savage were bore 300 they just thought the bore could swage down a 303 bullet to make them a bit faster than a 30-30.