UK Fire Arms Certificate

Correct, exept for air rifles, proper section 1 firearm need an fac licence which are harder to obtain than a sgc

As a side note - air rifles over 12ft/lbs power (and pistols over 6ft/bs) require a FAC as well....
 
I need to learn another language before I can get my licence :( worth it though as I'll be able to own almost anything :D
 
I remember spending a frivilous afternoon reading up on the legalities of owning .50 BMG sniper rifles in this country.

Totally legal depending on model, but I think there's only about 2 ranges in the country that can accomodate them due to needing something ridiculous like a 4 mile downrange.

Also the costs were eyewatering. I think I saw a second hand Accuracy International AW50 for sale for about £7,000 and another AI .338 AWM for £3500.

Think it was also about £3-5 per cartridge too!
 
Taurus stainless steel LBR

taurus44medium.jpg


these are uk legal

http://www.rimfiremagic.co.uk/lb_revolvers.html

the long barrel and wrist grip get round the ban

i have had the opportunity to fire one of these in .357 cal of this gun at a gun club...... the power and noise i will never forget.

my hand (between index finger and thumb) really hurt afterwards :D

during the same session i also fired a black powder pistol
 
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You can pretty much forget handguns in this country.

I was at a club shoot two weeks ago and got to fire an 1870s Colt .45 gate loading revolver but it was highly modified from its original state, namely an 18" barrel was fitted. This is a firearm you can legally own given the barrel length and that a detachable butt stock can be fitted but you would have to have good reason such as being a competition shooter.

You can own a 5.56 and 7.62mm rifle and indeed these are two calibres I shoot regularly but they cannot be legally fired from semi-automatic rifles and must be manually loaded / cocked after avery shot. The only exemption to this are .22 rifles which can still be owned in semi-automatic.

You must have good reason to own a rifle such as being a farmer, in a club etc.
 
All this talk makes me want to get back in to it, not rifles though, just a shotty again will do. my shotgun cert is valid until 16.10.2011, then I can renew again.

Dont forget you also need BASC membership, which is £50, a secure gun cabinet and if you want a firearm (seperate ammo cabinet) and of course somewhere suitable to shoot, permissioned farm (this will take you a while to get unless you know someone, if your planning on using it with a firearm, make sure its approved by the police, shotguns are usually fine aslong as its enough land.

Getting your first 500acre patch of land feels good :)

But first things first, get to a club, its going to be a long wait.
 
The general public? I thought they were restricted.

They are, to firearm certificate holders

This is the only pics/vids I have of my .17hmr :( as I had a HDD disaster and lost loads of personal pics.

cz.jpg


and


My old baby :( .17hmr Rimfire rifle, 5 shot mag, supersonic rounds, simmonds whitetail classic scope, 6.5 x 20 x 50, Harris bipod, SAK mod.
 
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however, Suppressors are completely unregulated, which is nice. :)

No they're not - If you have a suppressor then it has to be itemised on the certificate.

I thought all shotguns that can hold more than 2 cartridges are banned?
Yer, it's 2 in the magazine + 1 in the chamber allowed on a standard shotgun cert. Anything more is legal on section 1 FAC up to holding 9 I think.
Nope, 3shot semi with sgc and 5 shot with fac

A shotgun on a section 1 firearms certificate has no limit to the number of cartridges it can hold. My old Competition Master (image in sig) held 9 cartridges but there are guns with longer tubes that can hold far more. My shotty is a semi-auto but I'm going to be picking up a 10 round pump in the next year or so when I finally decide what I want.

taurus44medium.jpg


these are uk legal

the long barrel and wrist grip get round the ban

i have had the opportunity to fire one of these in .357 cal of this gun at a gun club...... the power and noise i will never forget.

my hand (between index finger and thumb) really hurt afterwards :D

during the same session i also fired a black powder pistol

I've got one! See my signature again - Both my long revolver and black powder revolver are pictured.

Dont forget you also need BASC membership,
You don't _need_ BASC membership but it won't hurt your cause if you do. I used to be a member but it lapsed long before I applied for my FAC.

The certificates may also restrict the amount of ammo you are allowed to store as well.
There's no 'may' about it - An FAC specifies exactly how many rounds you're allowed to buy and own (the two figures are usually different). For example I'm allowed to buy 1000 rounds of .22RF and own 1100, buy 500 .357 magnum and own 750.

Shotgun cartridges are different. Anyone can own them and there are no regulations on storage until you get to solid slug cartridges and these are not available to people who have shotgun certificates, only those who have a shotgun on a firearms certificate and have a specific reason. In the UK there's only one reason and that's to shoot Practical Shotgun. You have to be a member of the UKPSA, be a member of a club that shoots Practical Shotgun and have passed a two day safety course.

Hope all that helps.
 
No they're not - If you have a suppressor then it has to be itemised on the certificate.





A shotgun on a section 1 firearms certificate has no limit to the number of cartridges it can hold. My old Competition Master (image in sig) held 9 cartridges but there are guns with longer tubes that can hold far more. My shotty is a semi-auto but I'm going to be picking up a 10 round pump in the next year or so when I finally decide what I want.



I've got one! See my signature again - Both my long revolver and black powder revolver are pictured.


You don't _need_ BASC membership but it won't hurt your cause if you do. I used to be a member but it lapsed long before I applied for my FAC.


There's no 'may' about it - An FAC specifies exactly how many rounds you're allowed to buy and own (the two figures are usually different). For example I'm allowed to buy 1000 rounds of .22RF and own 1100, buy 500 .357 magnum and own 750.

Shotgun cartridges are different. Anyone can own them and there are no regulations on storage until you get to solid slug cartridges and these are not available to people who have shotgun certificates, only those who have a shotgun on a firearms certificate and have a specific reason. In the UK there's only one reason and that's to shoot Practical Shotgun. You have to be a member of the UKPSA, be a member of a club that shoots Practical Shotgun and have passed a two day safety course.

Hope all that helps.


You dont have to, but shooting WITHOUT insurance is very frownd apon, if you accidently shoot something your not supposed to, damage land or shoot someone who is walking behind a bush, your in big trouble if you dont have insurance
 
I've never even been asked by my firearm officer about BASC membership :shrug:
 
From what I can see on the Thames Valley Police web site, you need one certificate for Shotguns and another for Rifles etc. Is that right?

you can only have shotguns, with capacities up to three carts on a Shotgun license. <edit> apparently i have been misled. thanks feek!

on a FAC, you can have any and all sorts of firearms up to Section 3 classification.

incidentally, Air Rifles above 12 lb/ft are Section3, without any power limit at all.
FAC air rifles represent a very... affordable way to get into shooting in the UK, with the prices of ammunition being what they are here.
 
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You can own a full blown 50 cal sniper rifle legally in the UK but not pistols.

yes, because using pistols in acts of nefarious crime, which usually involve concealment, is much easier than hiding a Barrett M95 under your trenchcoat.
 
on a FAC, you can have any and all sorts of firearms up to Section 3 classification.


So if I go for a Rifle FAC I can have a Mossberg as well? I am a little confused about the 'justification' element of the application. I can obviously justify a rifle if I am a Rifle Club member, but could you get away with using a shotgun for 'target' practise as well? I don't see how you could realistically?
 
True, but owning a 20ft/lbs air rifle is no where near as thrilling as owning a rimfire, or a centre fire ;)

Agreed :)

Different skill set required for each tho :)

Some people prefer the skill needed for long range shots whereas some prefer the skill required to not only stalk a prey but get VERY close to the quarry in comparison to full bore.... Air Rifles are about 50yds max as a general rule (can be a bit further but not much).
 
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