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Hi,
A forum member suggested I might post a thread outlining the legislation surrounding firearm related legislation here in the UK to give an idea of how complex and onerous firearm ownership is in this country.
Although we can own gas or air powered rifles or pistols without licence, there are basically four types of authorisation in relation to the ownership of firearms:
Section 5
Section 7.1 & 7.3
Section 1
Shotgun
Section 5 authorisation is normally restricted to dealers who export or have valid reason to possess full or semi-automatic guns with the exception of .22 S/A rimfire rifles which are Section 1 , so Section 5 is not really relevant to everyday shooters.
Section 7.1 & 7.3 relate to the possession of breech loading heritage firearms that are not of modern manufacture. These are subject to exceedingly tight restriction on their use and storage location and are usually shot behind closed doors at authorised ranges only. To obtain authorisation, you must prove that you are a genuine collector or a historical researcher etc with many hoops to jump through before they are rarely granted.
Section 1 is by far the most common licence granted and is authorised by means of a Firearm Certificate (FAC) which remains valid for five years.
When applying for a Firearm Certificate in the UK you must specify the type and calibre of each firearm wanted together with a justification for each listed firearm. The justification is normally full membership of an approved shooting club suitable for the requested firearms. Approved clubs only grant full membership when an applicant has demonstrated regular probationary attendance and completed the requited training which usually takes between 3 and 6 months. If you own or have access to land and wish to use the firearm for hunting / vermin control etc, this is recognised as good reason and a certificate should be granted provided the land is approved by the police authority for the safe use of the requested firearm. The more firearms requested is also limited by the security /safe storage arrangements in place with quite sophisticated requirements needed for holdings of more than 4-5 guns.
Should you wish to replace one of the guns possessed with another of the same calibre, this can be done without cost, but does require some form filling and the replacement of the FAC with a new one which reflects the updated content. If the number of firearms requested is to be increased, you must apply for a "Variation" to the FAC which almost entails all the checks and measures associated with the initial grant, including a visit from the local Firearms Enquiry Officer. In addition to the above, we now have to provide a letter from our GP (Doctor) affirming that there are no medical reasons to refuse the application. This has to be provided at your own cost at a fee determined by your practitioner and can vary from £30 -£100.
The Grant and renewal of an FAC from can take weeks or sometimes many months depending on the efficiency of the local police authority. In the event that you might be in possession of the firearms listed on your FAC after the expiry date for any reason, you must lodge your guns with a Registered Firearms Dealer until the renewal process has been completed.
There are severe penalties for any contravention of these laws including seizure of the firearms and even imprisonment for the worst cases.
Shotguns require the issue of a Shotgun Certificate and are subject to many of the same checks and balances that are required for the grant of a Firearm Certificate.
I forgot to add that we must also keep an endorsed record of the use of each firearm listed on the FAC to be produced at time of renewal as evidence of regular use. If the recorded use is less than around three times each year, the firearm could be removed from the list of authorised firearms on the certificate.
To summarise, we must have among the strictest firearm regulations in the world without a commensurate decrease in the number of firearms offences which are invariably committed with illegally possessed firearms.
Brian
A forum member suggested I might post a thread outlining the legislation surrounding firearm related legislation here in the UK to give an idea of how complex and onerous firearm ownership is in this country.
Although we can own gas or air powered rifles or pistols without licence, there are basically four types of authorisation in relation to the ownership of firearms:
Section 5
Section 7.1 & 7.3
Section 1
Shotgun
Section 5 authorisation is normally restricted to dealers who export or have valid reason to possess full or semi-automatic guns with the exception of .22 S/A rimfire rifles which are Section 1 , so Section 5 is not really relevant to everyday shooters.
Section 7.1 & 7.3 relate to the possession of breech loading heritage firearms that are not of modern manufacture. These are subject to exceedingly tight restriction on their use and storage location and are usually shot behind closed doors at authorised ranges only. To obtain authorisation, you must prove that you are a genuine collector or a historical researcher etc with many hoops to jump through before they are rarely granted.
Section 1 is by far the most common licence granted and is authorised by means of a Firearm Certificate (FAC) which remains valid for five years.
When applying for a Firearm Certificate in the UK you must specify the type and calibre of each firearm wanted together with a justification for each listed firearm. The justification is normally full membership of an approved shooting club suitable for the requested firearms. Approved clubs only grant full membership when an applicant has demonstrated regular probationary attendance and completed the requited training which usually takes between 3 and 6 months. If you own or have access to land and wish to use the firearm for hunting / vermin control etc, this is recognised as good reason and a certificate should be granted provided the land is approved by the police authority for the safe use of the requested firearm. The more firearms requested is also limited by the security /safe storage arrangements in place with quite sophisticated requirements needed for holdings of more than 4-5 guns.
Should you wish to replace one of the guns possessed with another of the same calibre, this can be done without cost, but does require some form filling and the replacement of the FAC with a new one which reflects the updated content. If the number of firearms requested is to be increased, you must apply for a "Variation" to the FAC which almost entails all the checks and measures associated with the initial grant, including a visit from the local Firearms Enquiry Officer. In addition to the above, we now have to provide a letter from our GP (Doctor) affirming that there are no medical reasons to refuse the application. This has to be provided at your own cost at a fee determined by your practitioner and can vary from £30 -£100.
The Grant and renewal of an FAC from can take weeks or sometimes many months depending on the efficiency of the local police authority. In the event that you might be in possession of the firearms listed on your FAC after the expiry date for any reason, you must lodge your guns with a Registered Firearms Dealer until the renewal process has been completed.
There are severe penalties for any contravention of these laws including seizure of the firearms and even imprisonment for the worst cases.
Shotguns require the issue of a Shotgun Certificate and are subject to many of the same checks and balances that are required for the grant of a Firearm Certificate.
I forgot to add that we must also keep an endorsed record of the use of each firearm listed on the FAC to be produced at time of renewal as evidence of regular use. If the recorded use is less than around three times each year, the firearm could be removed from the list of authorised firearms on the certificate.
To summarise, we must have among the strictest firearm regulations in the world without a commensurate decrease in the number of firearms offences which are invariably committed with illegally possessed firearms.
Brian
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