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Is it legal to carry loaded magazines to the range? As a sufferer of osteoarthritis in both thumbs loading a magazine does, on occasion, present me with some issues. So its a blessing for me to be able to take my time and load slowly at home the night before a range day and carry fully loaded magazines to the range.

But what would happen if I was pulled over by plod, would they get all twitchy?

Norman

I don't know of any reason why not, but of course there maybe in the annals of successive amendments to the Firearms Act. So long as ammunition is secure I cannot see why cartridges loaded into a magazine present any further risk than cartridges in a box. Like everything to do with the transportation of firearms and ammunition the key word is security. This would seem the common sense view, but I stand to be corrected as I have never given any thought to pre-loading mags myself. There may of course be ramifications if the pre-loaded magazines are inserted into the rifle during transport and unbagging at the range, but I don't suspect you have this in mind.

Yes it's not a problem.

ColinR wrote: if the pre-loaded magazines are inserted into the rifle during transport and unbagging at the range, but I don't suspect you have this in mind.

No way!!

Always thought that a loaded magazine even not in the rifle/pistol constitutioned a loaded firearm.

Happy to be corrected though

bernard93 wrote:Always thought that a loaded magazine even not in the rifle/pistol constitutioned a loaded firearm.

Happy to be corrected though

Loaded air rifle mags are a no no.

The real answer is to ask your club how they feel about it.
Some of the clubs I've been shooting with have reacted with horror to the practice while others have reaffirmed that magazines are really just ammunition containers.

I believe that a loaded mag in your possession can constitute a loaded firearm, but I am not too sure on the validity of this, and may be one of those things that's in the very murky grey areas of the law and will only be sorted if it ever goes to court
I do occasionally have a pre loaded mag when I go stalking for ease and quickness of loading with minimum of noise when I get to my permission and I'm sure plenty of others do the same

Likely hood of ever been stopped is minimal I would say

There may well be someone along shortly that may have a more difinitive answer as to if this scenario is myth and hearsay,legal, or guidance

Duey

A rifle with a magazine on is considered to be loaded whether the magazine is empty or full. The Police won't have any issue with you carrying rounds in your magazines as long as the mags are not on the rifle. Some ranges might though as they often don't allow you to use the magazine, you can only load single rounds. You get into a whole other world of NSPs when you start filling mags so your drills need to be spot on.

Rockhopper wrote:A rifle with a magazine on is considered to be loaded whether the magazine is empty or full.

How can this possibly be correct? For instance: how would firearms with integral magazines be operated under this assumption?