Are you up to speed on airgun laws? Can a parent, friend or relative buy a youngster an airgun? Here’s a query we recently received from a concerned parent. Q: Can my ex-husband buy an air rifle for our nine-year-old? Is it legal? My son seems a bit young for…
Gun ownership
Gun ownership comes with many responsibilities.
You need to ensure that your shotgun/firearms certificate is up to date and that your gun is kept securely, according to the law.
You need to be fully aware of the shooting safety rules and follow the all-important shooting etiquette.
Make sure that your gun is safe for use by maintaining it well.
Gun laws change from time to time as new ruling is brought in and you need to be sure you are up to date with what is happening.
If you’re a novice, we have advice on buying your first gun, whether new or second-hand and making sure your gun mount is its best.
Read our articles here which cover the important aspects of gun ownerships, from how to buy a gun, how to apply for your shotgun licence and firearms certificate, the best way to keep your gun secure and the legalities.
Charging a PCP air rifle using a cylinder: here’s how to do it
There are a few ways of charging a PCP air rifle. You can of course use a stirrup pump, which is probably simplest. But this can be a hard grind, particularly if you’ve let the air pressure get low. A much easier option is an airgun charging cylinder. (If you’re…
Caring for your air rifle in cold, wet weather
Today’s performance fabrics such as Gore-Tex mean that we can stay outside in wet, freezing temperatures for longer than ever before. But what about caring for your air rifle in cold and wet weather? What do you need to know about maintaining it, so that it continues to perform well…
Firearms licensing system on the verge of collapse due to Covid
Late last year, North Yorkshire Police announced that it would not accept new firearm and shotgun certificate applications and instead will focus exclusively on renewals. Now Thames Valley, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Hampshire Police have adopted the same policy. Based on reports from readers, a number of other forces…
Moving house and your gun certificates – what you need to know
When you’re moving house you want everything to run as smoothly as possible. But what should you do if you’re a gun owner? What are the legalities to obey concerning a firearms or shotgun certificate when you’re moving house? (Read the law on moving gun cabins to a different location.) I…
At what age can I apply for a shotgun certificate?
One of the commonest questions I get through Sporting Gun is from youngsters wanting to know what the minimum age is for getting a shotgun certificate.
How to adjust trigger-pull weight
The ideal weight of a shotgun trigger is usually a setting of about 4lb – anything under 3lb is dangerous and anything more than 5lb is a handicap. So if want to lighten your shotgun trigger, how do you adjust trigger-pull? (You might also like to read about trigger ‘freeze’…
How to keep your guns and rifles truly secure
The Home Office reported this year that there are almost 1.4 million legally held shotguns and 600,000 other legally held firearms, which are mostly Section 1 rifles, in the UK. Of those, 5,000 have been reported stolen since 2011 — that is 500 thefts a year on average. Firearms used…
FAQs about shotgun certificate applications
Q. How much does a shotgun certificate cost and how long does it run for? A. A certificate is valid for five years, after which it must be renewed if you wish to continue to possess shotguns. A new certificate costs £79.50 and renewal is £49. Q. How old do…
Should the firearms enquiry officer have taken a picture of my gun cabinet?
Q: A while ago I started learning to shoot and now I have been granted my shotgun certificate. I have bought a gun cabinet and installed it. I keep ahead of firearms law and the rules on gun cabinets.However I have a query. I recently had my interview at my…
Is it legal to borrow or lend a gun?
Key advice on borrowing and lending guns At the start of the shooting season you may be shooting with friends who have recently ventured into fieldsports and don’t yet own a shotgun. So what’s the law if you are going shooting with a friend on a formal shoot and the…
Antique firearms law changes 22 September 2021
Owners of firearms which were previously classed as antique will require a firearms licence for them from Wednesday 22 September 2021 when the antique firearms law changes. This follows legislation passed earlier this year on 22 March with the passage of the Antique Firearms Regulations 2021, which gave the definition of…
Antis publish searchable map of gun owners
The website, which Shooting Times has been asked by authorities not to name, has in the past ‘doxxed’ those involved in hunting and the badger cull, publishing home addresses and phone numbers. However, the deliberate promotion of the information taken from Guntrader marks a huge escalation of its attacks on…
What’s the right shotgun bore for you?
What should you do if you want to buy a shotgun which will be used mainly for vermin control (pigeons, crows, magpies and rats), together with rough shooting and the occasional crack at clays. A reader asked me a question about choosing shotgun bore a while back, recalling that a…
Can I have a gun cabinet in a static caravan?
Is there any way you are allowed to have a gun cabinet in a static caravan?
Best gun safes: for keeping your firearms securely and legally
Which are the best gun safes around? The law says that guns must be stored in a lockable gun cabinet that meets British standards and is fixed to a secure structure. Do the best gun safes have to look like gun safes? Not really. What the gun cabinet looks like…
Storing guns in the attic: is it legal?
I’ve recently got into shooting and have applied for my shotgun certificate. I know that I need a gun cabinet and I’m thinking of storing guns in the attic in it. Is this a good location – after all it’s discreet and out of the way. Will the guns be…
Is it legal to carry a shotgun on a motorcycle? And where should I store my shotgun during the shoot lunch?
If you’re a motorcyclist rather than a motorist, is it legal to carry a shotgun on a motorcycle when you’re going to and from a shoot? What if you had an accident, the gun got dropped on the road and was picked up by a member of the public? Would…
Changes to antique firearms regulations
With the passage of the Antique Firearms Regulations 2021, British law includes the definition of what constitutes an antique firearm for the first time in legal history. Previously, there was no such definition, with the law relying on the common or usual meaning of the word ‘antique’ — in other…