Gun lending rules

Q: When a person lends a shotgun to a non-certificate holder on 
a private shoot, must the gun be 
on their certificate?

Loans of shotguns and gun lending on private premises is now regulated by 
the Policing and Crime Act 2017. Section 130 of the act merely states: “A person (‘the borrower’) may, without holding 
a certificate under this act, borrow a rifle or shotgun from another person on private premises…” (my emphasis). Therefore the law permits the borrowing of any shotgun, whether or not it appears on the lender’s certificate.

Since the law permits a shotgun certificate holder to borrow a shotgun for up to 72 hours without the gun 
being shown on his certificate, it follows that a shotgun temporarily borrowed in this way by a certificate holder may then be lent by him to a non-certificate holder on private premises.

72 hour rule

For example, a father may borrow his friend’s 20-bore and allow his son 
to use it to shoot on private land. He must, of course, be present with his son while the gun is being used, and he must either have authority to allow others to shoot over the land or be authorised in writing to lend the gun 
by someone who does, such as the 
shoot owner, tenant or manager. He must return the gun to its owner within 72 hours.