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Thread: Lead ban & Muzzleloaders

  1. #1
    keith66 is offline Optimisic Pessimist Fella
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    Lead ban & Muzzleloaders

    There has been much about the coming ban on lead shot online but Im wondering if i have missed something.
    Muzzleloaders & antique breechloaders too are a small part of shooting sports & common sense would indicate a derogation on their behalf to allow their continued use.
    Old muzzleloaders & guns with damascus tubes may be used to target use or hunting but none will be suitable for steel shot .
    So a lead ban effictively kills off muzzleloading.
    Im curious if the MLAGB has put input into the consultation?

  2. #2
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    Indeed - antique guns, muzzle loaders and small bores have seemingly all been overlooked. Whether it’s assumed we can just use bismuth or similar I don’t know, or whether (cynically) our ‘needs’ are forgotten in the hope these categories will be reluctantly ‘sacrificed for the good cause’ I don’t know. .410 factory lead loads are expensive enough as is. As those who shoot them know, steel is a no-go for all these guns, so really that leaves home-loading carts with bismuth for small bores, expensive factory bismuth or home loads for older pre-1954 proofed guns and bismuth for the front-stuffers. For those not in the know, the UK Proof houses say don’t use standard steel loads in guns nitro proofed before 1954.

    Steel shot needs very thick shot cups/wads or else the barrel is scoured and written off, so it fundamentally can’t be used in muzzle loading guns. The physics of things prevent the necessary thick-wall wad being used in a small bore - there’d be little room for shot. Anyway, previous experiments on the fantastic fourten shotgun resources website (now archived) shows that steel doesn’t pattern well in small gauge anyway.

    There doesn’t seem to be any comment re lead shot on the MLAGB website.

    Bah humbug!
    Last edited by ashf9999; 18-10-2023 at 12:31 AM.

  3. #3
    keith66 is offline Optimisic Pessimist Fella
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    Makes you wonder if the MLAGB have even heard of the lead ban?

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    Well it may be buried away somewhere. I’m sure they’re more than fully aware.

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    I'm assuming we did all respond to the consultation and made all these points at the time?

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    Quote Originally Posted by steve medlock View Post
    I'm assuming we did all respond to the consultation and made all these points at the time?
    Well I did, yes.

  7. #7
    keith66 is offline Optimisic Pessimist Fella
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    I did too, but when only 3000 shooters reply to the consultation it isnt enough. All we can do now is reply to the Hse consultation & see what happens.

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    angrybear started a thread a week or so ago, I have not read the full report (Its massive) as i am no longer a powder burner but it may hopefully have some mention or answer in the report for you. Col.
    https://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread...for-a-lead-ban

  9. #9
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    There’s nothing obvious on the website about their (mlagb) stated position, but there may be in forums. Whilst they did respond to the HSE and are mentioned in the report, it’s more to do with estimated usage, what the competition regs allow and mentioning of alternatives, plus technicalities for lead swaging into ml revolver cylinders and the associated safety. I also saw the report the day it was published by the HSE, but you don’t get to see the submissions from individual organisations. Safe to say the likes of the WWT were still very much pushing for a lead airgun pellet ban, by virtue of the fact non-toxic pellets are available (so ignoring the issues re performance, power and ricochet other shooting organisations and red squirrel protection group specifically bought up).

  10. #10
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    I have sent my views to my local M.P. I even had a typical non-committal reply but I am still concerned. Just out of interest I have tried a lead free alternative (Bismuth/Tin) but apart from being fiercely expensive compared to straight lead it worked okay. Not that I would want to go down that road...

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