advice please!!

[zeus73]

can anyone tell me if radway green 5.56mm blank rounds have a shelf life of 4 years??? personally i dont think so, but ive just had a visit from the local cops who seized a 200 round belt from me,(*unts)

its stuff ive had for years which was picked up a few rounds at a time whilst hill walking over ten years! they are talking about a possible charge of mod property theft!!???(theft by finding???? are they talking crap or do they have something?? most of it has been found in streams and is useless!! but there scrotums are making a big deal out of it, any advice would be great

 

[EODGUY]

I'll give you my opinion for what it is worth. The typical blank cartridge has a shelf life way beyond four years. That is true with any cartridge. In the very early days of Vietnam I helped load .30-06 ammunition from a depot in the US that was being sent to the Vietnamese Army. It was made in the early 1920's and still fired. Now, the disclaimer though is that shelf life is based on proper storage. If you found cartridges in a stream or in a very moist environment, then all bets are off. Even laying on the ground in a damp climate could affect the cartridge. It could well be that the water seaped into the case and the propellant is degraded. No way to really tell though without actually trying to fire someor download one or two. Moisture in the propellent should not sensitize it, but I would not recommend to anyone else that they put a weapon to their shoulder and fire off a round. The only predictable thing about ammunition is that it isn't predictable. The same with the download. That should be left only to those properly trained and equipped to do so. Good luck. Sounds like the police must have had a very slow day if this was the only thing they could find to occupy their time.

 

[pointblank0]

can anyone tell me if radway green 5.56mm blank rounds have a shelf life of 4 years??? personally i dont think so, but ive just had a visit from the local cops who seized a 200 round belt from me,(*unts)

its stuff ive had for years which was picked up a few rounds at a time whilst hill walking over ten years! they are talking about a possible charge of mod property theft!!???(theft by finding???? are they talking crap or do they have something?? most of it has been found in streams and is useless!! but there scrotums are making a big deal out of it, any advice would be great

Did they come round specifically for ammunition or did they just spot that whilst doing something else?

 

[zeus73]

advice please!,

well the story is..i was out for a meal with my wife, when two drunk halfwits decided to attack me!!, i defended myself and left with my wife(very slightly injured), the police arrived at my home about 30 minutes later (i wasnt home) they kicked in the door supposedly looking for me to see if i needed medical attention( bollocks) they then discovered that i had a collection of deacts and some blank and inert rounds on display, a firearms officer was called to check out the deacts, and all was o.k and legal, then an ex-army jobsworth noticed a belt of 5.56mm blanks which was taken supposedly for public safety??????? when i demanded they be returned they spouted a load of crap about theft of m.o.d property and how i could be charged, despite my explaination, this bladder in uniform kept telling me his lenght of service and how qualified he was to deal with munitions, anyway to save more problems i told them to keep it, which they agreed, although i will be taking the matter further..a lot further!! if it was theft of mod property, they would have to arrest and shut down every surplus store, collector, and internet site in the country......your thoughts please gentlemen?

 

[BMG50]

Blank ammo is not subject to a licence, even in military calibres, you can even purchase 5.56mm for use. Not sure if the VCR act has changed this so only re-enactors, living history buffs can use blank ammo. I know you can buy blanks at the local gun shop, ask your local smith and read up as much as you can about it. As for taking cases of MOD land, could be an excuse or issue but it seems that plod is being very petty. If you have done no wrong, then stand your ground, plods generaly can be very good but they can be bullying a****ols as well and most of them are very ignorant of firearms laws. Last of all watch out for police firearms experts:tinysmile_hmm_t: most gun accidents that happen are police firearm expert related. if you know your subject don't let them twist facts etc.

 

[smle2009]

Hi,
Blanks are not illegal to have,up to and including .50"if you are over 18 years old, but It is illegal to remove "anything"(they do have a list in their bylaws of what cannot be taken,but end with 'or anything'). most of the time if you get caught taking stuff from training areas items are taken away and you get a warning off of the training area(official paperwork is involved) get caught again and you can be arrested,vehical taken away ect.
This is all carried out by the M.O.D. police(Mod plods) but even a serving solder over the rank of corpral can arrest you if on M.O.D property.This is not a civi police matter,but they probably will pass it on to the MOD,if you told them that you found them on MOD proprety then I'm afaid you will have to wait for the possible outcome!
Cheers
Tony

 

[barrym]

Its a military and civil offence to remove any form of ammo from a military area, that is why troops training with either live/blank rounds must give a "Declaration" prior to leaving the area/range.

 

[pointblank0]

Technicaly, it is theft by finding. The civilian Police could arrest you for this if they find it in your house, then grab a statement from a suitable member of the MOD stating that you had no right to remove stuff from their land. This is VERY unlikely as normal police and MOD Police rarely see eye to eye.

If they haven't nicked you for it then nothing will probably come of it. As regards to arguing with the Police to get them back, I would let them go mate. This copper, though there are plenty of very good ones out there, sounds like a knob. If you annoy him too much or try and make his life difficult, he may just decide to arrest you for theft by finding even if he knows it will go nowhere, which could lead to a section 18 search of you house and they may take anything they suspect being from MOD land.
Let the belt go mate, it didn't cost you anything and you could always collect them up again.
All the best,
Rob

 

[zeus73]

thank you for the info guys, i have spoken to the local inspector about this and we have agreed to forget the matter as long as i surrender the blanks, i can have the link back though? i just hate it when they try to talk down to you as if you know nothing about the suject, and this uniformed bladder who insisted he knew all about munitions was getting on my nerves!! in the army no doubt, but which one?? not the british one i bet more like salvation!!!!,...well onwards and upwards

 

[pzgr40]

My advice...... let them keep the 5.56 blank belt and return to the background. They left you keep all the rest of your stuff and didn't even make a report (you lucky man!). If it were a prizeless collection they seized .....yes, than you fight to the bitter end, but a belt of this kind of wortless practice shit is not worth making any trouble for at all, as it's value will not be worth more than a few pounds. God knows what pandora's box you open if you persuade annoying people who have the full force of the law behind them as a leverage against you.:tinysmile_angry_t:

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

I would stick to collecting stuff that is inert. If the same bloke remembers you and thinks you might be worth another tickle in a year or two, then that could be leverage enough to relieve you of everything else that you enjoy. If you find any more blanks then make sure they are fired or don't bother picking them up in the first place.