barra69

Well 808, I apologise for my erroneous input although what I said certainly used to be the case. As for being a legislator, well done and I am sure that we all look forward to the results of your labour. However you will understand of course why those of us in the shooting fraternity who suffered from knee jerk reactions on two occasions and who feel bitterly let down by those we trusted to look after our interest feel so disillusioned by the whole process.

Every time I return to the UK I feel that the Government and those that advise, trust us less and less. It is ironic that whilst executing HM Governments policies I can carry side arms amongst the general populace, however I cannot be trusted with the same responsibility as a civilian.

May I also say that I, along with a goodly percentage of the populace refer to those involved with this process as 'they' for a very good reason: for the most part 'they' remain as faceless individuals with whom the population have difficulty in communicating effectively with. I accept and understand that your position may be different however, ask the average sporting shot when he/she got a chance to speak to a chief constable regarding their sport?

Whilst what you say is correct Arthur, it is a rather unfortunate combination of circumstances that have led to UK law in regards to both firearms and explosives being an utter mess. I have spoken in the past to some very senior police officers who freely admit this. When those who know little about the subject are allowed to make or direct law the end result is usually a mess. Reloading is a case in point; it is legal to home reload but not to disassemble the very rounds that you have made. That means that ALL reloaders at some point have to technically break the law!
Explosives too is a mess, we now have a situation where it is 'easier' for contractors to have mechanical peckers breaking rock for weeks at a time, adding to cost, inconvenience and pollution. Why? Simply because there is less hassle than using explosives. Thirty years ago the contractor would have the drills running for a morning, clear the area for a period of time and fire a shot or two: job done.

Does this affect the primary subject of this forum? Yes, those same legislators look at our hobby with suspicion and fear.Every time someone has an incident they will tighten up legislation to the point where nothing can be done. Remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions as those of us in the shooting and explosives world know only too well.

Got to say guys, its good to see realistic car explosions but leave the silly blast incendiary fireballs out of it, it destroys any realism. Hollywood has been doing that for years and it looks stupid. In all the car bombs I have ever witnessed detonating, and I have seen more than my fair share, I have yet to see a fireball.

Very sorry to hear about your brother.
Well done on putting together a fitting tribute for a man who gave his all doing his job. It means a great deal to Service personnel to see their friends being remembered, it lets them know that the public are thinking of them.

I have to say that the reasoning behind the current 'showing of certification' for primers solves nothing but causes legitimate users problems. I purchase primers in batches of ten to twenty thousand and due to my location getting them delivered was not a problem. Now, I have to travel some considerable distance having forewarned the shop, sometimes by months because of the quantity I buy. If the bad guys want to get primers they are not too difficult to make, as was shown when work was done in this department by certain Government agencies in the past. It does not do a thing for keeping the public safe but as is often the case in this country its about being seen to do something, no matter how stupid. I could go on, the issue of expanding bullets is another nonsense; expanding supposedly being more dangerous than non expanding. Having been shot, I can tell you that being hit is what’s dangerous.

As for the composition of most primers; first understand the difference between primary and secondary explosives rather than just high order and low order explosives. Never use fulminates for the reasons given above. Also, if you source old .303 (usually pre-1957 if memory serves me correctly) wash your barrel thoroughly after every range session, War Department ammo was fulminate primed up to this time.