Carrying magazines - best practice?

[Heym SR20]

Surely “Loaded” means “In Battery”?

Loaded in law generally means that there is a magazine in place containing ammunition, regardless of whether or not there is one in the chamber. With most weapons, racking a bolt, slide or lever is very quick. I would suggest that cheek pieces with ammo loops full or other means of carrying rounds on the rifle, such as a magazine in the stock would all be deemed as a loaded rifle.

As regards carrying rifles and ammunition in a car, I think you just have to be sensible. A range bag with rifles and ammunition all in one place is very convenient, but convenient to knick out of a pickup.

Rifles are in slips, ammunition and bolts are in a separate bag. If I am travelling a long distance I park in a sensible place and lock the car. And I don’t dress in my stalking clothes and walk into Tebay services with a bolt and ammunition wallet in shiny leather all protruding from my belt, along with a sheath knife - as I have seen more than once.

 

[Rake Aboot]

10 shot mag filled and in the rifle , first round chambered before leave the house , in case I see anything worth shooting on the dual carriageway down to the shoot.

Always ready ! That’s my moto

 

[Rake Aboot]

I do think this site is the last bastion of the great over thinkers though.

 

[Heym SR20]

10 shot mag filled and in the rifle , first round chambered before leave the house , in case I see anything worth shooting on the dual carriageway down to the shoot.

Always ready ! That’s my moto

Don’t joke, i once met an owner of a 300 win mag Blaser and he stores it with a full mag and one in the chamber, and drives the length of the country like that.

 

[WalkedUp]

Interesting how often “that old chestnut” comes up. My old rifle club panicked over this when someone raised it, and changed their rules … whereas my current club is chaired by Mike Eveleigh, ex-police, ex-BASC, firearms law expert (not that he’d describe himself thus) and so it was a chuckle and wry smile.

 

[artschool]

i have had a look and cannot find any case law about a magazine with rounds counting as loaded. there is lots of speculation but that’s it.

 

[wytonpjs]

As I was trained:

• Rifle in storage:
  • Bolt removed and stored in separate secure storage location
  • Ammunition stored in a separate secure location (can be same as bolt)
• Rifle in transit (public highway):
  • Sleeved and stored out of sight where possible in vehicle
  • Bolt removed and stored on person, ideally out of sight
  • Magazine loaded with rounds but held on person or in locked compartment separate from the rifle
• Rifle on stalking ground:
  • Rifle removed from slip
  • Bolt fitted and held open - closed on empty chamber if moving
  • Charged magazine remains on person
• Stalking:
  • If lead of pairs or solo, magazine fitted, bolt forward on empty chamber (open ground)
  • At latest possible opportunity chamber round and apply safety catch
    • Woodland stalking - bolt forward on chambered round with safety applied
  • Check safety position frequently to confirm rifle remains "safe"
  • Remove safety as late as possible before taking the shot

I load my magazines before leaving the house and they remain on my person until on the ground and I'm about to start stalking. The magazines and bolt are separate to each other and none of them come into contact before the rifle is to be used. Safe and secure, and IMHO iaw the intent of the poorly written law.

 

[kennyc]

sorry for my ignorance, but wasn't the reference to loaded mags being illegal to transport in a public place referring to air rifles?

 

[Faust]

I've heard this but not seen it in any documents to say that.

I'm in a similar situation with a couple of my permissions in that I need to walk a short distance along the lane to reach the permission.
I take the view that the rifle is concealed in a tactical bag. The magazine and bolt are concealed separately elsewhere in my coat. So all is concealed from public eyes as they should be. I have authority to carry it as I'm licensed and I have reasonable excuse to go from a to b. I carry my permissions with me.to verify that.

To get back on piste ....... my magazines are always stored loaded and I haven't had loading problems

 

[NullMac]

Overthinking it dude

 

[Dalua]

Surely “Loaded” means “In Battery”?

I think in most juristictions where a distinction is made (i.e. not the law about having S1 firearms and ammunition for them in a public place in the UK) the definition is along the lines of its being loaded if you can pick it up, operate part of the action and by doing so make it ready to fire.

This (in Germany) means that a Drilling with a cartridge-storage compartment in the stock is not considered loaded if there are cartridges in that quirky little reservoir.

 

[Jelen]

Surely “Loaded” means “In Battery”?

Now you're muddying the waters by using foreign terminology
There are only 2 commands. 1. Load! - A magazine is fitted. 2. Ready! A cartridge is chambered and safety catch applied.
I'm now going out stalking, or is it hunting?

 

[timbrayford]

Nothing wrong with your rounds being in the magazine in your pocket as long as not on the rifle whilst traveling or otherwise in a public place traveling to and from your stalking.
I really don’t know where this idea that ammo in a mag in a pocket is not allowed but ammo in a box, wallet or loose is.
It’s yet another example of how paranoid shooters have become about the legal mess that is our firearms law.

Legal mess possibly but the crux of the matter is that the police are somewhat prone to interpreting the law differently to what the firearms act requires.

 

[timbrayford]

As I was trained:

• Rifle in storage:
  • Bolt removed and stored in separate secure storage location
  • Ammunition stored in a separate secure location (can be same as bolt)
• Rifle in transit (public highway):
  • Sleeved and stored out of sight where possible in vehicle
  • Bolt removed and stored on person, ideally out of sight
  • Magazine loaded with rounds but held on person or in locked compartment separate from the rifle
• Rifle on stalking ground:
  • Rifle removed from slip
  • Bolt fitted and held open - closed on empty chamber if moving
  • Charged magazine remains on person
• Stalking:
  • If lead of pairs or solo, magazine fitted, bolt forward on empty chamber (open ground)
  • At latest possible opportunity chamber round and apply safety catch
    • Woodland stalking - bolt forward on chambered round with safety applied
  • Check safety position frequently to confirm rifle remains "safe"
  • Remove safety as late as possible before taking the shot

I load my magazines before leaving the house and they remain on my person until on the ground and I'm about to start stalking. The magazines and bolt are separate to each other and none of them come into contact before the rifle is to be used. Safe and secure, and IMHO iaw the intent of the poorly written law.

Have you had the "wrong bolt" experience yet?

 

[finnbear270]

Now you're muddying the waters by using foreign terminology
There are only 2 commands. 1. Load! - A magazine is fitted. 2. Ready! A cartridge is chambered and safety catch applied.
I'm now going out stalking, or is it hunting?

Let’s try this term, “Locked and Loaded”?

 

[Jelen]

Let’s try this term, “Locked and Loaded”?

Hmmm. I found that confusing whenever I watched an american war film. If it's locked how do you pull it open to load? Would Loaded and Locked be more sensible?
Just saying......it's like Potatos or Potatoes
I'm off out now!

 

[finnbear270]

It is referring to magazine “Locked” …

 

[Klenchblaize]

I have shot deer within sight of the vehicle at the end of a stalk.

Indeed! I've often considered why I bother to leave the comfort of my vehicle in Winter when its so cosy inside and both coffee & sandwiches are on tap!

K
Ps: In answer to the Op's question, simply stick 10-rounds in your pocket and go stalking. If, however, a Creedmoor chambering is involved I fully understand if only a pink ammo holder will suffice!

 

[finnbear270]

“A person commits an offence if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (the proof whereof lies on him) he has with him in a public place”

The lawful authority is your permission to shoot on a piece of ground using that firearm & ammunition plus you FAC authorising the use of that firearm & ammunition for the intended purpose on that ground.

The reasonable excuse is that you are travelling from your home (or wherever the approved storage for the firearm & ammunition is) to the ground on which you are authorised to use the firearm & ammunition where you intend to use it for the authorised purpose.

Personally I take the ammunition in a plastic 10 round strip (ex Federal factory ammo I think from memory) which is always full, either of loaded rounds or loaded rounds & a couple of fired cases. This is kept in the front pocket of my stalking jacket. Once on the ground as part of my ‘dressing up’ routine I put five rounds in the magazine & place it in a pocket in the jacket before the plastic strip goes back where it came from. Once I leave the vehicle I put the mag in the rifle, load a round in the chamber, apply safe & shoulder rifle so I am ready to go - many is the time that a deer has presented almost within sight of the vehicle & would have been missed if not ready to simply put the rifle on the sticks & slip the safety off. Crossing roads, fences, ditches, climbing highseat etc. rifle is unloaded & mag put in pocket until obstacle crossed & then rifle reloaded. Ditto, rifle remains loaded until I am back at the vehicle unless it is already past the legal allowable time at night - again, I have shot deer within sight of the vehicle at the end of a stalk.

Bumped deer parking next to the forestry caravan at least twice, & shot two deer from within the caravan

 

[Rake Aboot]

sorry for my ignorance, but wasn't the reference to loaded mags being illegal to transport in a public place referring to air rifles?

Yes , that’s the law folks are confusing .

But as I say. 1 up the spout in case a deers about !!!