It seems the Security Department at British Airways has interpreted the regulations to exclude a number of popular hunting-caliber firearms, such as the .308 and .500, which are considered "munitions of war," from the general license to certain countries. For this reason, BA refused to take a hunter's .50 cal rifle to Ethiopia recently. This action, and the materials provided by BA on the transit ban, is what prompted our initial report.
We went back to BA Security who sent a list of calibers considered munitions of war and a list of countries to which BA will not ship them. We have posted those lists to the homepage of our web site under the E-mail Extra Bulletins in the left-hand column. (Look for Clarification On UK Firearm Transit Ban.)
In an e-mail from SCI London, we were told they would be checking in with the head of aviation security at BA about this, as the airline usually does not adopt more restrictive policies than required by law. However, misunderstandings about the application of the law have occurred in the past. We are waiting to hear what if any further clarification there is on this........(continued)
