Laws and Licences on Guns in UK.

[mrboom]

OK so I have been thinking about getting an air rifle or a shotgun. What are the laws and licences in the UK. And what would I be required to do to be able to gain these. I would love to be able to go hunting in the wild for my own meat. Any help would be much appreciated.

[desertman]

There is some discussion on air guns on another thread here somewhere....basically anyone over the age of 18 (may be 17) may acquire an air gun with no formalities for shooting on one's own property (and that includes keeping the pellets on your own property) and of course depends on the power output of the gun, if it is over a certain poundage (firing capacity per pound) you have to get a special firearms certificate

Shotguns - definitely require a shotgun licence and be able to keep the shotgun locked up along with the ammo

Anything above shotguns, such as rifles, require a firearms certificate and definitelty have to have a background search on the applicant - when I was a NT warden on Gower back in the 1970's I had a firearms certificate and shotgun licence - I had a winchester repeater rifle - excellent rifle..
The police never bothered me until I handed the rifle in, officially - some time later someone was wounded with a rifle of similar ammo and the police came right around to see me to see where I handed the rifle in...so they do keep tabs on you!
There are certain laws for sunday shooting in various counties in UK...e,g in Glamorgan, you cannot shoot on a sunday unless it is on your own land and then only for vermin - I would check up with the local British Hunting association and the police if you intend to purchase a shotgun etc...

[Triple_sod]

Air rifles are very straight forward, no licence required and you’re perfectly O.K practicing in the back garden provided the pellets stay on your property. There are thousands to choose from but can’t really go wrong with a decent break barrelled springer, should be able to pick one up for £100-£150.

Hunting wise you of course need the landowners permission, it’s not mandatory but good practice to get this in writing, get it laminated and keep a copy when you go out, should you run into trouble. There are legal limits as to what quarry can be taken with an airgun, but for most part these are animals classified as vermin; pigeons, rabbit, squirrel and corvids (rooks, crows and magpies).

To own a shotgun you need to get a certificate, not particularly hard provided you’ve a clean criminal record and no history of mental health issues. If you haven’t it’s not the end of the world, but you have to declare them on the application form and the police get to decide if you’re suitable.

Here’s a few websites going over the ins and outs;

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steve.davi ... ac_app.htm
http://www.shooters.co.uk/applying_licence.htm
http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/goshooting/ ... ation.html

As desertman said you’re also going to need somewhere to keep your gun, the actual legislation is pretty vague but most police forces interpret this to mean a British standard cabinet, securely fitted to a solid brick wall. It also has to be quite discreet , most forces recommend a private room in the house out of view any windows, so basically pantry, cellar or in a bedroom inside a fitted wardrobe.

After receiving your application they’ll send someone out to check your cabinet and have a bit of a nosy see what you’re like. They may make suggestions about your general home security but mostly they’re just there to check you have a cabinet. If he’s happy enough couple of weeks/months down the line you should get your cert.

Just like anything else you need the landowners permission before you go out hunting, also well worth finding a local clay ground and taking some lessons before you start blasting away at the wildlife.

[tigs]

air rifles anyone over 18 no licence required if it fires under 12 ft lb over that a fac is requied .

as for a shotgun http://www.shooters.co.uk/applying_licence.htm

[mrboom]

All posts a great help. Thankyou. Im going to get an air rifle to shoot some rabbits or pigeons. Stick them in a pie. Lol. Any recomendations of what rifles to go for or stay away from.

[bulldogeagle]

depends on your budget, the best air rifle i've got is a Weirhauch(German) bought many years ago, full power but not cheap, however i bought a BSA Meteor in a car boot for £25 got a new spring and new breech seal for it(less than £20) and now i've got a perfectly good gun for rabbitting.

[tigs]

you could take a look here , they can cost a small fortune but they are some of the best i have used http://www.alansairrifles.co.uk/weihrauch.htmit all depends on your budget , if you have never used one for hunting before it might be best to get a second hand one , and as bulldogeagle sometimes you can pick up a bargin .

[BigMacKin]

One of the best and most reliable places for info is http://www.basc.org.uk/ who provide all the legal info you require on their site and if you became a member you get free 3rd party insurance that has definately been a positive for me when seeking shooting permission on private property. There is lots of info on air gunning and BASC are great for providing support when you are applying for shotgun/section 1 license or if you have any problems with the Police firearms department when renewing licenses. There is also lots of info on what you can and cannot shoot and especially with birds which are all protected in the UK with exceptions relating specifically to their status as pests - http://www.defra.gov.uk provides guidance on this and there's plenty of advise at http://www.airgunbbs.com/ too

If you go down the air gun route then I'd suggest you get in touch with a local air gun club and ask if you can pop along. They are usually very friendly and can provide info on the right type of gun, where to buy (it's a bit of a minefield up here in Glasgow) and maybe even give you the opportunity to try a few guns out.

If you are going for a firearms/shotgun license then BASC are definately the people if you are looking for accurate information regarding the law, requirements for security that will pass Police inspection etc but what is a surprise to some people is that the local Police firearms officer is an excellent resource when looking to gain your license. Our local one (and this seems to be common amongst friends who also have licenses) is very helpful and will tell you exactly what he would be looking for in terms of security, firearms types and what you could get licenses for, background checks, costs and time scales. Checking your profile, this might be the department website you'd have to get in touch with: http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/firearms/

Hope this is of some help, Happy Shooting

[mrboom]

Thanks for the help everyone. I have sourced out a few gun stores in my local area. I will be checking them out soon. I have used guns before when i was younger in cadets. However i have never done any hunting. I have been with friends when they have been hunting deer. I'm going to join a club and maybe do some clay pigeon shooting to get some practice before hunting the real things. I will definitely consider a second hand air rifle. I might even rent before buying to work out which type of gun I get on best with.

Also thinking of getting an air pistol as well as an air rifle. Something like a beretta or a desert eagle type design.

I wont be hunting in woods or forests. It will be in my own garden and probably the farmers land (If he gives me permission). I havn't even moved yet. Getting ahead of myself. lol.

Thankyou for the help and advice. Much Appreciated.

[code_red]

I have had Diana, Gamo and Weihrauch rifles in the past and I'd definitely second the Weihrauch rifles, they will last years if you look after them properly.
Gamo's are cheap and cheerful; great starter rifles.
Diana and Weihrauch are both great rifles; Weihrauch is in my opinion the superior rifle; better build quality, great power and accuracy.

I don't have one at the moment but will be looking at getting another Weihrauch as soon as I move back to the countryside

Also if you're looking at getting an air pistol; I had a break barrel one years ago and I wouldn't recommend it, just could not get on with it. Might have been me though as I was only young but as the barrels are fairly short, I found it quite hard to reload it.
The pneumatic pistols look great and seem a lot easier to use but they are nearly double the price. Have a look at the HW75