Q: Why don’t cartridge makers stick to an internationally agreed colour code for different bore sizes as used to be the case (12-bore were red, 16-bore blue and 20-bore yellow)?…
Bill Harriman
What gun for a novice shooter – who’s also a big, rugby playing lad?
Q: I have recently taken a real interest in shooting through my girlfriend’s family. I will be looking to get myself a gun for next season and was wondering what…
Banned from shooting for life?
Q: I am currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for manslaughter (there was no element of violence in this offence and the court accepted that there was no intention to…
Can I break my gun down into parts to store it?
Q: I need to buy a gun safe for my house, but I don’t have room for a full-size cabinet. I will therefore need to break my gun down into…
Can I shoot pest species in my inner-city garden?
A: Always be very circumspect about shooting pests in your own back garden. You do not want armed police attending because some nosy neighbour has called to report that there is someone firing a gun out…
Do I have to tell police when I move my gun cabinet?
A: Firearm security is the responsibility of the certificate holder not the police. Read condition 4(a) on your certificate. Police involvement is limited to advice only. You don’t need to tell police when you move…
First invitation to shoot – what now?
A: Congratulations on receiving your invitation to shoot. However, before you mount a gun to shoot at any sentient creature, you need to have plenty of practice at clays. Go to a good…
Don’t discount second-hand side-by-side shotguns
A: English boxlock shotguns represent fantastic value for money because they are rather unfashionable at the moment. The Italian over-and-under carries all before it. A boxlock made between the wars or just after World War II…
Cohabiting? What’s the law on shotgun licences and gunsafes?
A: It always makes practical sense for cohabitees to have each other’s shotguns listed on both their individual certificates. If that is done, there never can be any question about either party having access to…
Should you always buy a gun from a dealer rather than privately?
A: I always think it is a good idea to buy a gun from a dealer rather than from a friend or private person’s advert. Admittedly you will be paying for the dealer’s profit, but…
Loading for some friends – is it legal?
A: There is nothing in law that says you may not reload cartridges for other people as a favour. The only proviso is that you must have a firearm certificate that authorises you to possess…
Annie Oakley: the greatest Shot of all time?
If you asked me to say who I thought was the greatest Shot of all time, I would have no hesitation in saying Annie Oakley. Her skill and feats of accuracy have become legendary. However,…
Fixed chokes or screw-in chokes? What’s best?
A: Personally, I don’t think that most of us shoot well enough to get any real benefit from choke. Consequently, I would always go for fixed chokes and ones that were…
Own an airgun? Planning on visiting Scotland?
A: The Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 comes into force on 1 January 2017. After that date, a visitor to Scotland who wants to bring his or her…
Can my wife use my gun cabinet for her shotguns?
A: Every firearm and shotgun certificate carries a statutory condition which states that: “(a) The firearms and ammunition [or shotguns] to which the certificate relates must at all times (except in…
Airguns and visiting Scotland
Q: Now that the Scottish Parliament requires residents to include airguns on their firearms certificate (FAC), how do other UK citizens fare when they take their airguns into Scotland? Presumably, the…
W.J. Jeffrey & Co
Q) I have just acquired a 12-bore side-by-side non-ejector in fair condition. The maker is W. J. Jeffery & Co Ltd, 9 Golden Square, Regent St, London W1. It is…
A Verney Carron Helice
Q) I have been given a Verney Carron side-by-side 16-bore Helice 33 shotgun,No. 0441. It appears to have a “fixed” foreend so I am unable to remove it to see…
A welcome report
Bill Harriman examines the Government's response to the HAC's report into firearms control
A lincoln Shotgun
A: The Lincoln range of shotguns was made in Italy for the Lincolnshire firm of David Nickerson (Tathwell) Ltd. They are robust, well-made and offer good value for money. They…