Question on UK fiream laws for collectors

[OxfordAndy]

Sorry if it seems harsh Peter but I don't really see what point 5thBatt is making.

.....in the absence of any cogent comment from 5th batt, I interpret his post to mean that, by doing my best to understand and to stay within the law, I am doing something that he finds objectionable.

What can be objectionable about trying one's best to be a responsible and law-abiding member of the shooting community?

[Peter Laidler]

I can see the point that Kiwi 5batt and many others are making or just thinking, but they live in another world when it comes to owning and using firearms! I bet that they look in at the UK and our sometimes absolutely absurd system - the cradle of democratic law and all that - and wonder why the servants of democracy are doing the dictating............

[OxfordAndy]

Peter, understood and agreed.

Must be doubly confusing for anyone who thinks EU legislation provides a pan-European framework for all member states.

I have freiends and colleagues in Finland, Germany and France who still enjoy their pistols and self-loading centrefire rifles.

[PrinzEugen]

There's a few members of my club who seem to insist on doing things to test the police's mettle - eg making their own gun cabinets, attaching them to massive wooden beams (instead of brick walls), putting too many rifles in them etc. On the face of it they're not doing much wrong - using their own skills and so on, however the police don't like that. If you buy an approved cabinet they 'know' it'll be ok, if when they come round you're receptive to everything they say and seem keen to obey the letter and the spirit of the law, then you're fine. Not rattling their cages by doing your 'own thing' is a good idea - and whatever overseas members think, it's just the way things are over here - rightly or wrongly. At the end of the day they're fulfilling their role, as they see it, by making sure the public at large is protected. And, most importantly, covering their own ar*es should anything untoward happen to your gun collection!

[bouletbill]

Hi , don't know if I'm missing something here , can't imagine why a Brit would think UK doesn't allow milsurp rifles ! The whole ethos of the target clubs was to improve civilian marksmanship prior to doing military service because they had struggled a bit in that long-range match Vs the Boers . Consequently nearly all UKNRA competition required mil-spec .303 rifles (with a few mods) right up until about 1970 . . . and still very popular .

[PrinzEugen]

Recently reading C Shore's With British Snipers to the Reich (recently discussed elsewhere in another topic), I was put in mind of this thread which I read a certain section. Perhaps this indicates things haven't changed quite as much as we think!

He wrote, when describing his beloved P14, which he failed to be allowed to purchase from the army: "Throughout and particularly after the cessation of hostilities, I was greatly incensed by the way in which any man being a red-hot firearms enthusiast was looked upon as a potential criminal."

[rgamba]

Agree with you PrinzEugen - I think most people in the UK think owning firearms is a real problem with the authorities - it definitely does not give the impression that they are happy you have a firearm (milsurp or not). Yeah, you can search the internet and do the research to find a way of doing it but for the average person, that reads the press or only does superficial research, the whole procedure seems very unfriendly - although from what I hear I seems that it's not. Maybe this is what the authorities are looking to accomplish.

[Alan de Enfield]

Agree with you PrinzEugen - I think most people in the UK think owning firearms is a real problem with the authorities - .

I disagree - I think that the majority of the UK Public :
a) have no idea what is involved in purchasing / owning a firearm,
b) think it is far too easy to get a firearm.

This tends to raise its head whenever there is a shooting 'incident', only this week the video of a drunken lawyer threatening Police with a shotgun was released by the Coroner - he was shot by 7 Police Marksmen (he was hit 5 times).

This incident on top of the two recent 'mass shootings' makes the public believe that any 'mad man' can easily get hold of a firearm

[enfield303t]

Would really like to hear what it takes to build a "safe room". Would someone PLEASE describe what must be done ie. construction, materials etc.

Thanks

[Gingercat]

Would really like to hear what it takes to build a "safe room". Would someone PLEASE describe what must be done ie. construction, materials etc.

Thanks

Hi

Have a look at this 2005 'Firearms Handbook' guide via this link:

[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Firearms Security Handbook 2005 | Home Office

Regards

Mike