Frangible bullets

[shotgun sam]

In the new Home office guide on firearms licensing law Chapter 4 expanding ammunition
4.3 The words ‘designed or adapted’ are important. Any bullet will deform on impact with a sufficiently hard surface, but only bullets, and ammunition containing bullets, which were designed or have been adapted to do so in a controlled manner are actually controlled by the legislation (see Chapter 3). If in doubt as to the design intention of a bullet, reference to the maker’s design specification should be made. Frangible bullets, do not fall under section 5(1A)(f) of the 1968 Act. Does this mean that the likes of Barnes varmint grenades bullets can be bought without them being entered on your FAC

[fieldwanderer]

I dunno I bought some sierra gamekings from the local rfd recently, they're under "licensed bullets" everywhere I can see on the internet but when I asked if he needed to put them on my certificate he replied "only if you want me to" I'd say they're expanding as opposed to frangible but just goes to show how different people interpret things differently.

 

 

The firearms people seem to like their "grey areas"...................

[Andy H]

No bullet's as reloading component's have to be written onto your fac it's just some rfd's seem to insist on it.

[JonathanL]

In the new Home office guide on firearms licensing law Chapter 4 expanding ammunition

4.3 The words ‘designed or adapted’ are important. Any bullet will deform on impact with a sufficiently hard surface, but only bullets, and ammunition containing bullets, which were designed or have been adapted to do so in a controlled manner are actually controlled by the legislation (see Chapter 3). If in doubt as to the design intention of a bullet, reference to the maker’s design specification should be made. Frangible bullets, do not fall under section 5(1A)(f) of the 1968 Act. Does this mean that the likes of Barnes varmint grenades bullets can be bought without them being entered on your FAC

 

I have never seen how a bullet which is designed to break apart should ever have been caught by the 5(1A)(f) restriction, despite lots of people saying they are. This statement by the home office settles the matter as far as I'm concerned. Bullets designed to break apart are not section 5.

 

I think that what happaned was that everyone assumed that any bullet which was designed to do anything other than to resist deformation and to remain essentially in it's pre-fired form was caught by the examption. This was clearly not the case as the Act uses some quite specific wording. To be prohibited a bullets intended characteristics upon hitting its target must meet the ordinary definition of the word 'expand'. The Act also states that a bullet which is designed to 'deform in any predictable manner' (whether it otherwise meets the standard English definition of the word or not) is a bullet designed to expand.

 

Both the common English definition of the word and the statement about deforming in a predictable manner suggest that the bullet must remain largely intact and remain as a bullet. However, something which is designed to destroy its self is not the same entity it started out as so hasn't 'deformed' or done anything else consistent with the word 'expand'. The bullet does not exist any more in any recognisable form so has ceased to be. Yes, it has been through a dynamic change but that dynamic change is not consistent with it being designed to deform. It's design intent is that it destroys its self, not that it changes its shape.

 

J.

Edited September 4, 2013 by JonathanL

[JonathanL]

No bullet's as reloading component's have to be written onto your fac it's just some rfd's seem to insist on it.

 

Actually, technically they do need to be written on although most forces don't require that they are. The way in which the Act is worded defines them as 'ammunition' for the purposes of the Act. It's the same sort of thing as a moderator being a firearm when, strictly speaking, it isn't.

 

J.

[Underdog]

Same thing with muzzleloading rifles....it is actually not illegal to hunt with one in Britain....but you try and get one on your ticket for hunting or vermin or deer control!

 

Lead bullets expand/deform, so do airgun pellets. Even full metal jackets expand/deform....welcome to kneejerk politics and the words rf experts.

 

It was the police's fault in the beginning, always will be. They can pass the book all they like, slap an illegal 100year closure on the investigation but the truth is out there, it was thier fault!

 

 

We just carry thier burden for them.

 

U.

[Imperfection]

I still think of fully frangible as the 22lr stuff you used to shoot at metal plates at fairground rifle ranges with a Browning pump!

[Andy H]

Same thing with muzzleloading rifles....it is actually not illegal to hunt with one in Britain....but you try and get one on your ticket for hunting or vermin or deer control!.

A friend of mine has a 36 cal muzzleoader on his ticket for vermin control around Anstey in leicestershire.

[Underdog]

Fantastic....oh how I have tried!

 

Thanks...gives me hope!

 

U.