Bullet heads and security.

[TONY R]

Always lock up my lose bullet heads treat them exactly the same as assembled rounds regarding security.

But am i being over cautious, do i have an obligation to do this or not i am unsure of the exact possition in law can any one advise please.

[robbiep]

I've no idea on the law, but my viewpoint has always been that if I need to show my FAC to purchase, then I need to store securely.

 

So expanding bullets and primers get locked away in my ammo cabinet.

 

Brass, match bullets and powder do not.

[CharlieT]

As Robbie says, any item that is controlled under the firearms act, such as expanding missiles, must be kept secure.

[TONY R]

Thanks

[remmy1100]

yep expanding bullet heads cannot be posted and must be stored securely.

[kent]

Speak to your feo

Primers are controlled but would you store 1000 in the safe? Dealers don't lock up bullets generally but do loaded ammo

 

Of course bullets are only dangerous loaded and made up into a cartridge - unless you put them in a catapult

 

Again ask the feo.

[kent]

Actually I did get told to lock up target bullet heads once

I refuted the requirement and the head man backed me up

However I lock up section 5 stuff because I don't want to argue the toss

[robbiep]

Speak to your feo

Primers are controlled but would you store 1000 in the safe? Dealers don't lock up bullets generally but do loaded ammo

 

Of course bullets are only dangerous loaded and made up into a cartridge - unless you put them in a catapult

 

Again ask the feo.

Yup, I store primers in my safe.

As said, I have to show my FAC to purchase. So (to my mind) possession is restricted on that basis. So secure storage, the same as for loaded ammo or S.5 bullets.

As I said in my original reply, I don't know if that's what the law says. But it seems to me to be sensible to store on that basis.

[Savhmr]

I would not store 1000 primers together, period, especially not in a metal gunsafe!...if they went up, you'd have an effective bomb going off in your house and 1000 primers would do a hell of a lot of damage. The NRA guidelines (Handloading Code of Practice) for example state:

 

9 Handle primers very carefully, and as recommended by manufacturers.

 

a) Store primers in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and sources of heat and other possible ignition sources.

b) Store primers only in original factory packaging with original labels.

c) Do not store primers in bulk – doing so will create a bomb! For example, do not empty primers from their original factory packing so that they are loose in a large container. Bulk primers will mass detonate if one is ignited.

 

Although primers kept in their original factory packaging should be safe enough, it is still unwise to store a large number together imho when risks can be controlled by storing separately on a dedicated and secure (locked) cupboard where they are kept on one level and not stacked.

[CharlieT]

Speak to your feo

Primers are controlled but would you store 1000 in the safe? Dealers don't lock up bullets generally but do loaded ammo

 

Of course bullets are only dangerous loaded and made up into a cartridge - unless you put them in a catapult

 

Again ask the feo.

 

Am I wrong in thinking that primers themselves are not a restricted item under the firearms act.

Although, it has been deemed necissary to show a fac to purchase them, much like a SGC has to be produced shotgun cartridges, neither are restricted items and as such do not have to be locked up in your safe.

[TONY R]

 

Am I wrong in thinking that primers themselves are not a restricted item under the firearms act.

Although, it has been deemed necissary to show a fac to purchase them, much like a SGC has to be produced shotgun cartridges, neither are restricted items and as such do not have to be locked up in your safe.

I think you are right i did not think primer security went past health and safety rules, they dont want storing in a mettal cabinet thats for sure, wooden locker vented and locked is how i store primers . Primers together are a bomb enclose it in steel is not a great idea in my opinion.

[robbiep]

I only buy primers 2 or 3 hundred at a time (my local stockist is 10 minutes drive from my house). Also always stored in original packaging, so the 'bulk ignition' is not a recognised problem either

 

The NRA guidance you quote is specifically aimed at not decanting from original packs, which is where the bulk ignition is a major risk.

I believe it came about because someone had decanated a few thousand primers into a powder tub to save on space, static occurred for one reason or another, and it all went boom.

[Scully]

I don't understand the logic regarding primers not being stored together as they are stored together as part of completed rounds.

We started a fire in a small digger bucket once many moons ago inside a building and threw in an assortment of bodged homeloads of rifle and pistol rounds to see what would happen. There was a bit of fizzing and the odd pop, but no heads were found any further than 6 inch away from its case.

[kent]

Bulk detonation. Of primers is very serious indeed

Heck I keep large and small rifle primers and shotgun primers by the 1000 each. Imagine if they were all in a metal box ( or bomb shell as that is what you will have)

[robbiep]

Bulk detonation. Of primers is very serious indeed

Heck I keep large and small rifle primers and shotgun primers by the 1000 each. Imagine if they were all in a metal box ( or bomb shell as that is what you will have)

Yes. But bulk detonation of primers generally happens when they are not being stored in their original boxes, but have been decanted and stored 'en mass'.

 

I've got 5-600 rounds of 22LR ammo, about 200 rounds of 223 and a further 150-200 rounds of 308 in my ammo cabinet. In the event of a serious house fire, I'm pretty sure they'd go up with a lot more force than 300 primers, stored in their original packaging.