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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too?
      #134059 - 01/05/09 10:56 AM

Read this morning in SPORTSAFRIELD magazine that it is becoming increasingly problematic traveling through the UK on your way to another destination with firearms. States there are some countries, including Zimbabwe and the Sudan, that no firearms may transit the country.

Article also states there is a license that allows some firearms to other countries, called the Open General Transshipment License..but the license does not apply to some popular hunting calibers as .308 or .500 that the UK deems as "munitions of war"..

Says, bottom line, if possible, avoid the UK if possible when traveling with firearms..


Does anyone have more info on this or experiences??

Thx

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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pinotguy
.275 member


Reged: 03/02/07
Posts: 57
Loc: CO
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too? [Re: Ripp]
      #134079 - 01/05/09 12:28 PM

Well I would have had some first-hand experience later this year as I was scheduled to fly through London-Gatwick to Windhoek. However, TIA, Air Namibia has just suspended their service from LGW. As of now, they are only operating out of Frankfurt although they have added an additional flight per week in order to compensate for the two London flights. (FWIW, Air Namibia is making a committed effort to accommodate passengers who had already booked airfare. We shall see how this ends up.)

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tophet1
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Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too? [Re: pinotguy]
      #134083 - 01/05/09 01:04 PM

RIPP,

There is a whole list of ammunition you are not allowed to take through the UK. Mostly military calibres. That and the long standing ban on military calibres for hunting in France and no doubt elsewhere in our shrinking world, it makes me think it is best to avoid hunting rifles chambered for these rounds.

I'm sure these bans are seen by some on this forum as punitive and an infringement on various 'rights' and it most certainly is a gross infringement on our liberties.

I am personally moving to circumvent any possible future inconvenience. I have sold my .308W, and am having built a 7x64 relacement. My .223 will be re-chambered to 5.6x50RWS. My 9.3x62 stands alone.

A cowards way out rather than box on and fight these transgressions ? Certainly. However it is my solution to overcome an inconvenience.

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Mike_Bailey
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Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 2289
Loc: GB
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too? [Re: tophet1]
      #134096 - 01/05/09 05:45 PM

Ripp, if you are just transiting, and I have done it a few times, it is a chore but not a nightmare
with firearms but if I were you I wouldn't bother with ammo, that will be a hassle, shotguns are
easier. HOWEVER if you have to stay the night in UK before flying onwards beware, your firearms
have to be stored somewhere and someone has told me the storage companies charge a punitive rate.
Bramble and Jabali can probably give you more details. If you are coming throughEurope my advice is to transit through Madrid if possible, over 30% of Spanish males hunt so most airports have their own firearms office and officers who are very efficient, 5 mins for me last time to take a .470 and a Marlin .44 through with ammo, best, Mike

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shakari
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Reged: 09/02/03
Posts: 1107
Loc: South Africa
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too? [Re: Mike_Bailey]
      #134107 - 01/05/09 08:28 PM

If you know the rules it's not a problem at all.

The situation with certain calibres is the same with all airlines all over the world but is open to a variety of interpretations and also depends on the degree of knowledge of individual check in agents.

A (very) brief description of the regs are:

All commercial airlines have been bound by the Air Navigation Order, Carriage of Dangerous Goods Act for many years. The name of the individual country is inserted into the title.

This act classifies all firearms into one of 2 catagories. If a calibre has ever been used by a military force anywhere in the world, it's a 'weapon of war' and therefore the airline may not (legally) carry it. If it hasn't, then it's a 'sporting firearm' and the airline may carry it..... which is why you should have the term 'travelling with sporting firearms' entered into the comments section of your booking.

All countries that are members of the European Union have a list of countries to which they may not carry firearms to. Included in this list is Sudan and Zimbabwe.

It should be noted that these are not the complete regulations and there are many more...... esp for the USA.

If anyone needs more detailed info on the situation, feel free to email me at shakari3@mweb.co.za and I'll be happy to fill you in........ don't be in a hurry though as I leave tomorrow for 2 weeks in KZN

--------------------
Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com



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Mike_Bailey
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Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 2289
Loc: GB
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too? [Re: shakari]
      #134113 - 01/05/09 09:13 PM

There are so many oddities though Shakari, e.g. last October, hunting boar in France, one chap
didn't bring his rifle as it was a .308 which he knew was the old Nato round. The police informed him in France that they would have had no objections as long as he had a letter from the people where he was going to hunt saying he was carrying it for "sporting purposes". Also a .30-06 was a
miltary calibre but I have never heard of anyone not being able to carry one ??!! best, Mike

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shakari
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Reged: 09/02/03
Posts: 1107
Loc: South Africa
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT too? [Re: Mike_Bailey]
      #134117 - 01/05/09 10:24 PM

Mike,

It really all depends on the individual airline representative etc. I travelled with a 30.06 for many years without any problems........ but last year, we had a Brit client who called BA a few days before he travelled to confirm he'd be allowed to travel with firearms and they flatly refused to let him take his .308.

I even called the duty Senior Risk Assessor at LHR and even pointed out that just a few weeks before, they had taken the entire UK shooting team with a bunch of 308s on one of their flights.......the bugger still flatly refused to let the rifle travel.

I'd bet a pound to a pinch of the brown stuff that the rule will get forgotten come the Olympics though!

--------------------
Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com



Edited by shakari (01/05/09 10:25 PM)

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JabaliHunter
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Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT [Re: shakari]
      #134126 - 01/05/09 11:09 PM

Quote:

I'd bet a pound to a pinch of the brown stuff that the rule will get forgotten come the Olympics though!


Don't count on it!

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shakari
.400 member


Reged: 09/02/03
Posts: 1107
Loc: South Africa
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT [Re: JabaliHunter]
      #134127 - 01/05/09 11:14 PM

If they don't waive the rule, the UK team are guaranteed to get a shit load of medals.

--------------------
Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com



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Indy
.224 member


Reged: 23/04/04
Posts: 22
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT [Re: shakari]
      #134747 - 07/05/09 11:56 AM

Interesting that the UK violates the rights of foreignors more than Zimbabwe does, at least so far as travelling with sporting firearms are concerned.

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svaneknop
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Reged: 11/10/05
Posts: 18
Loc: Denmark
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT [Re: Indy]
      #134770 - 07/05/09 05:42 PM

I just returned from 5 days roebuck hunt in the UK. Brought my .308W. No problems at all neither with UK authorities nor airline (SAS).

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Mike_Bailey
.400 member


Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 2289
Loc: GB
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT [Re: svaneknop]
      #134771 - 07/05/09 05:51 PM

I'm glad for you svaneknop, it is inconsistent though ! best, Mike

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JabaliHunter
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Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England
Re: Traveling through the UK with Firearms...better off NOT [Re: svaneknop]
      #134774 - 07/05/09 07:16 PM

Hope you had a good hunt - there is a thread started for 2009 roebuck photos. Would be great to see your pics!

There should not be an issue bringing firearms into the UK. The issues are for foreigners transiting the UK on route to specific destinations and for UK citizens flying to certain destinations. The Zimbabwe thing is just our pathetic and weak government's response to the disaster in Zimbabwe. Heaven forbid that they actually get off their backsides and do anything useful...

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