Posted on 11/14/2006 1:14:26 PM PST by kiriath_jearim
LIVE ammunition has been found lying in the doorway of a busy high street shop.
The .22 calibre short round bullet was found at the entrance of the 99p Stores in Walthamstow High Street on Wednesday morning, November 1.
[LETHAL: The .22 calibre bullet found in Walthamstow High Street on a market day morning (D6W1001)]
Haroon Khan, who has a firearms licence and is a member of a local gun club, was alarmed to discover live ammunition in a Walthamstow doorway.
The bullet, of Swiss origin, was still in its brass casing, complete with enough gunpowder for it to fire itself.
continued... Mr Khan said that if it had been struck hard enough or exposed to heat it could have gone off.
"This sort of thing should not be lying around. It was live, primed and active," he said. "But rather me pick it up than a little kid.
"How can you feel safe when you are finding things like this on the street?
"To get hold of one of these is not easy. You have to go through a scrutinised search, you need a licence and you have to belong to a club."
Ammunition of this kind would ordinarily be used in a small handgun or pistol, and both can be owned legally under licence.
But to leave strictly controlled goods out in the street would be enough for a firearms licence to be revoked.
The bullet has been examined at a Metropolitan Police laboratory and details about it kept for future reference.
A police spokesman said: "Recovering firearms and ammunition is a priority for the police. We take the same view of ammunition as we do of a gun.
"If it goes bang, it is still lethal."
Police are treating the unattended ammunition as a crime. Mr Khan alerted them at 10.16am, and they arrived at his shop to pick up the bullet at 11.32am.
OMG, not the "street sweeper" .22 short!
"That's a relief. I was afraid they had found a second lethal bullet."
ROTFLMAO!
Probably some. They'd have to hit on the rim, on the edge of some object, rather than a flat street, would be better.
However, not much would happen, be like a largish firecracker, but with some metal shrapnel, as the case would probably fail, rather than the bullet be propelled, with any force at least.
Darn and, here all the time I thought Iran and, their nuke program was so dangerous.
I would love to ride some of these people around in my pick up truck for an hour or two. 30-30 30-06 40-75 22 32 303
Mythbusters proved that a .22 makes a nice emergency fuse for your pickup truck.
FOUND One 22 bullet unfired. Owner may pick up at Pekinhaw Station East. Must be able to identify.
In a fire, the lead part is heavier than the cartridge case part. You could be hit by the brassnot lead. Most just go "pop".
I caused a 7.62X39mm (a much larger cartridge) to "fire" by carefully cutting the case neck at an angle with a Dremel tool. Not carefully enough: the heat ignited the powder, and the bullet stayed in my hand while the case fell behind my chair. Unburned powder was strewn across my work bench, the worst part of the occurrence.
(I collect bullets).
:^)
Bah I didn't need Mythbusters for that! I've done it before!
Actually, I had a 22 Cal Long Rifle round go off in my coat pocket when it shorted across the terminals of a 9V battery I had in the same pocket. There was a loud "pop", and my pocket jumped a little, but that was it.
This sounds like a particular extreme form of hoplophobia, and alarmingly, the afflicted person is member of a gun club and a licensed firearm owner. Such a nervous nelly, I'm surprised he doesn't faint dead away at the sound of a gunshot.
My friend put one in a vice and shot himself in the knee when he hit it with a hammer, luckily he dug it out himself and never told his parents.
He is now a teacher and high school football coach.
No, but if you did that in London, there would be a mass panic, and a huge pile-up of crashed cars.
I dont even know where to begin.
Im surprised they didnt call in the bomb squad, evacuate 5 city blocks and wrap the thing in det chord.
The bullet, of Swiss origin, was still in its brass casing, complete with enough gunpowder for it to fire itself.
"How can you feel safe when you are finding things like this on the street?
HAHAHA! HAHAH! Ohhhh, HAHAHAHA!
WEENIE FINDS .22 SHORT! HAS ATTACK OF THE VAPOURS!!! SWOONS!
The British Lion has become atoothless object of derision.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.