Ammunition query

Vespa22

Hi just wondering if you have a 243 rifle out in the field and if you are unfortunate to loose some ammunition 3-5 rounds what should be the thing to do?

Cass

Well the obvious answer is not to lose it i the first place, but it does happen. If you lose some make every effort to find it. Re-trace your steps and give it a good search. If it's in a remote area with little to no foot traffic chances are if you cannot find it no one else will. If its in a built up area do everything in your power to find it, but if completely unsuccessful then unfortunately you've done all you can.

It's not ideal but there is nothing more you can do except takes measures to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Vespa22

Yes unfortunately the zip on the cheek rest opened also has a pocket to hold rounds it was in a field in the middle of nowhere but I was still worried obviously I retraced my steps with no success unfortunately, would I not need to report this?as I want to keep everything above board cheers

useurowname

If you're that concerned try get hold of a metal detector.

Cass

There is no legal requirement, afaik, to report this. It happens. If you were concerned enough to report it i'dd imagine the conversation would be short and along the lines of "sure don't do it again". Of course the other side is you get someone on a bad day and they make your life a hell for something that, while i won't say happens frequently as there is no way to know, does happen.

Fix the problem, be careful and move on is the best advice i can give.

grassroot1

Anyone who hasn't lost a round should be put in a glass case as an example to us all.
Learn your lesson like the rest of us and don't let it happen again.

useurowname

I wonder how long it takes them to go dead having been exposed outside ?

grassroot1

Well they are still ploughing it up in France and Belgium after 100 years and it seems they are still viable
Rounds would be unusable (loadable) after a few years I suppose. How long before water would seep in to the propellant I dont know.

Grizzly 45

Civvie rounds aren't built as tough as their military brothers.Hence finding stuff 100 years old still in "workable" condition in France .It depends on a lot of other factors too as to their longevity, but what will happen to those rounds is simply nature will claim them with a few seasons of grass growth and death,rainwater and soil movement they will disappear into the mulch and eventually soil.

cavan shooter

Vespa22 wrote: »

Hi just wondering if you have a 243 rifle out in the field and if you are unfortunate to loose some ammunition 3-5 rounds what should be the thing to do?

identify how you lost it and fix the hole??...eventually it will become expensive if you dont

cavan shooter

grassroot1 wrote: »

Well they are still ploughing it up in France and Belgium after 100 years and it seems they are still viable
Rounds would be unusable (loadable) after a few years I suppose. How long before water would seep in to the propellant I dont know.

Ah Yes ..The Iron harvest I believe

meathstevie

cavan shooter wrote: »

Ah Yes ..The Iron harvest I believe

The Belgian army actually has a facility that can be compared to a small factory near Ypres to deal specifically with those items, especially unstable chemical warhead artillery shells.

Grizzly 45

cavan shooter wrote: »

Ah Yes ..The Iron harvest I believe

About 750 years of harvests to get it all out of the former battlefields.:eek:

SeaFields

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

About 750 years of harvests to get it all out of the former battlefields.:eek:

I was in Ypres for a tour and our guide said basically start digging at any random spot and chances are you'll find something fairly quickly.

meathstevie

SeaFields wrote: »

I was in Ypres for a tour and our guide said basically start digging at any random spot and chances are you'll find something fairly quickly.

Considering that over the better part of four years the frontline from Nieuwpoort on the Belgian coast through the north of France and on to the Swiss border moved no more then a handful of miles in either direction the amounts of all sorts of munitions and equipment still in the soil must be staggering.