UK bushcrafters with firearms...

[Plainsman]

I'm curious as to what you have and use for firearms and what you are able to use them for?

My "ASSUMPTIONS" from hearing things over time that you are mostly able to get shotguns and can hunt small game. (Beyond target shooting.)

So I'd like to hear from actual UK firearm owners as to what you are actually able to get/own and what you use them for?

Thanks!

 

[TeeDee]

Hi ,

I'm sure someone will correct me for a potential error but it has to start somewhere.

We have Shotgun certificates ( SGC ) and Firearms Licences. ( FAL )

On an Shot gun certificate you can possess a shotgun with limited cartridge capacity - a pump can be held on a SGC but it will be limited. Typically it is for Side by Sides, over and unders and single shot.

Typically a SGC will be easier to obtain than a FAL.

On a Firearms licence you also hold a shotgun but it have an extended magazine, or be a box fed shotgun.


Thats a start!

 

[TeeDee]

 

[slowworm]

So I'd like to hear from actual UK firearm owners as to what you are actually able to get/own and what you use them for?

You might need to narrow it down a bit. Subject to a fair bit of paperwork and background checks we can own almost anything for target shooting and hunting but not self protection.

 

[gonzo_the_great]

As TeeDee said.

FAL is actually a Firearms certificate. FAC. (Minor hair splitting, but may avoid confusion).

Getting a SGC you only have to show you are not a danger to the public. You may then have as many shotguns as you want (limited capacity mags and minimum barrel length of 24"). And use them for any legal reason. ie Hunting, pest control, clay pigeon shooting etc.
Self defence is not permitted. If the police suspected that was why you had a shotgun, you would at least lose your licence..

On an FAC you can posses manually cycled rifles (bolt action etc). Semi auto rifles in 22 rimfire only. Muzzle loading pistols. And shotguns that do not fit the limitations of those that need a SGC. (Length, mag capacity etc).
There are also long barreled pistols, that meet certain minimum length/size limits. They are treated as if they were rifles.
In very limited situations, pistols may be allowed for things such as humane dispatch, slaughtering.
Moderators (silencers) are easy to get, they are treated in the same way as rifles. You just state your good reason.
It is possible to posses any calibre of rifle, even 50cal, if you can show membership of a club with access to a suitible range..
Some ammunition is prohibited, such as armour piercing.

To get an FAC you need to show a good reason for needing each gun/item. Such as having written permission to hunt over land, vermin control etc. Or being a member of a recognised target shooting club. Some historical collectors will have an FAC too.
Again, self defence is not an accepted good reason.

All guns need to be securely stored when not in use. All transactions where guns change hands must be notified to the police and recorded on a national database. And ammunition purchases are recorded on your certificate. And ammunition holding is limited to an amount to suit the good reason you gave.

Airguns below a certain power (12ft-lb for rifles) can be posessed in most of the UK without a licence. There are age restrictions on this. However in Scotland an airgun certificate is required for all.
Above the power limit, they need an FAC.

Antique guns, rifles/shotguns/pistols that are chambered for recognised obsolete cartriges can be posessed without any licence. But you may not also posses any ammo or even empty cartriges to fit it.
If you want to shoot your antique rifle/shotgun, it has to be held on an FAC/SGC and is treated like any other licenced gun.

There are lot of special cases and oddeties, but that is the overview.

 

[Toddy]

Folks, this is a family friendly forum that has to be kept 'safe' for members to open in public spaces. That's public spaces in the UK.....like libraries, buses, schools, universities, etc.,

So, any images of firearms are kept to Fair Game. That way people know that if they open that forum, then it's behoves them to be aware of who might be looking over their shoulder, if I make myself clear ?
That's why this thread will be moved to Fair Game.

Your understanding would be much appreciated.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Gonzo covers it well. We also have an explosives licence for black powder (but not smokeless since it's not explosive). Its really not as onerous as it sounds provided you do actually shoot. There's a few areas where we are actually more forgiving than the US - moderators are pretty standard fare, no magazine limits & rifle barrels are 12" rather than 16". If you assume "no semi auto rifles other than rimfire & restricted handguns" you pretty much cover it.

 

[Herman30]

Folks, this is a family friendly forum that has to be kept 'safe' for members to open in public spaces. That's public spaces in the UK.....like libraries, buses, schools, universities, etc.,

So, any images of firearms are kept to Fair Game. That way people know that if they open that forum, then it's behoves them to be aware of who might be looking over their shoulder, if I make myself clear ?
That's why this thread will be moved to Fair Game.

Your understanding would be much appreciated.

cheers,
Toddy

So people in the UK can´t look at pictures of weapons in public places without them getting suspected for planning something bad, if a bystande happens to see?

 

[Wildgoose]

We can, but many choose not to in public as it can be a divisive subject.

 

[Toddy]

Just so

@Herman30
It's not a hard boundary, it's a subtle courtesy.

No issues with folks discussing hunting or equipment, They are very much part of providing food, removing vermin, etc., and many members are actively involved with it as a sport, just please use Fair Game to post.

 

[Broch]

So people in the UK can´t look at pictures of weapons in public places without them getting suspected for planning something bad, if a bystande happens to see?

The reality is Herman, the vast majority of the UK population, and even some in the 'bushcraft' fraternity, don't see a need for firearms or guns at all, and discussing them often leads to polarised views. Far better to chat about them in a clear forum set aside for such topics.

 

[TeeDee]

The reality is Herman, the vast majority of the UK population, and even some in the 'bushcraft' fraternity, don't see a need for firearms or guns at all, and discussing them often leads to polarised views. Far better to chat about them in a clear forum set aside for such topics.

Which in itself is a bit of a shame.

Personal tolerance should be that people can see a subject matter that doesn't interest them and just scroll past or ignore without feeling an obligation and self entitlement to take offence.

 

[Broch]

In answer to the OP:

I only shoot to eat or as my duty to protect our conservation efforts; so -

Air rifle for grey squirrel
410 for grey squirrel
.22 rimfire for rabbit
12 gauge for flying game and rabbit

We don't have rats here but I would use the air rifle for them if we did.

I don't have deer in my wood at the moment but there are Muntjac only 2km away, so I expect I will get them in the next few years. If they become a problem to the coppicing I will probably go up a calibre or two.

Fox, badger, polecat, weasel, stoat are all welcome on our land; we don't have enough carnivores in Britain.

 

[Broch]

Which in itself is a bit of a shame.

Personal tolerance should be that people can see a subject matter that doesn't interest them and just scroll past or ignore without feeling an obligation and self entitlement to take offence.

True, but the only person you can change is yourself

 

[TeeDee]

True, but the only person you can change is yourself

But you don't change or assist in the changing of others opinions by what very much seems to be refusing to discuss a legal and licenced activity.

Hearts ands Minds doesn't have driving discussions subverted to underground discussions where it doesn't get discussed at all.

This is a Bushcraft forum , as a lot of Bushcraft-tism (?) seems to have its origins in frontier type lifestyle and living it seems oddly archaic that those who hold firearms licences and can act in some way as ambassadors and advisors don't want to discuss it.


I'm off out for a meal now , I'm going to of course ask that they remove any mention of vegetarian options from my menu as I personally find the subject matter untasteful ( in both ways... )

 

[gonzo_the_great]

Unless part of shooting sports or land management, the average Brit only ever sees firearms through Hollywood/TV. And possibly the armed police at Heathrow airport. Which leads to pretty skewed veiws.

There are approx 2.1million legally held civilian owned guns in the UK. That is an average of one gun for every 12 households. But UK shooters tend to keep a low profile, due to security concernes and attitudes peddled by the media.
A shame, as the UK shooting community are some of the most upstanding members of society.

 

[Broch]

But you don't change or assist in the changing of others opinions by what very much seems to be refusing to discuss a legal and licenced activity.

Hearts ands Minds doesn't have driving discussions subverted to underground discussions where it doesn't get discussed at all.

This is a Bushcraft forum , as a lot of Bushcraft-tism (?) seems to have its origins in frontier type lifestyle and living it seems oddly archaic that those who hold firearms licences and can act in some way as ambassadors and advisors don't want to discuss it.


I'm off out for a meal now , I'm going to of course ask that they remove any mention of vegetarian options from my menu as I personally find the subject matter untasteful ( in both ways... )

All very true, but I have found life is a lot less stressful now that I have stopped tilting at windmills

 

[TLM]

A lot of people are in for a very rough surprise if the Putinesque situation gets closer.

 

[Toddy]

We are, as a society in general; and mind that we are a very urbanised society, while this forum is kind of biased to country; so unused to the sight of firearms of any kind, except in films, that it just does not sit comfortably.

Let me give you an example.

Glasgow, Central Station, that's one of the two main railway stations in the biggest city in Scotland. Bustling, noisy, full of people.
Some numpties tried to blow up Glasgow Airport, and for the first time in my life I saw armed policemen in Glasgow. In our city, on our streets, in our country, at the Central Station......and the town was silent around them.
Mind the first lockdown, how quiet it was ? that's what the town was like near the policemen and the Central Station.
Glasgow, and Glaswegians, are never silent.
But this ? it was totally alien, it felt so very wrong.

Heaven knows how those policemen felt, they looked very capable, but they looked 'unrelaxed' iimmc ?, but the rest of the folks around were not ready to see armed police.
Besides, it was unarmed civilians that took on the terrorists who tried to blow up the airport, not armed police or soldiers.

Now that's just one example. Imagine an armed police presense at a school ? or the school Jannie armed and ready, like we're told they're advocating in the Americas.....can you imagine your school Jannie, the man who fixes everything from the windows to the tables, sorts out crying kids and playground hassles, walking about with a gun strapped to him ?
I'm pretty sure my school Jannie would have hit an attacker with his coal shovel (coal fired radiators back then) or the window hook, or the big bass broom, but a gun ?
They were for cowboys.

Dinner, pest control, sport, all fine, but cowboys, terrorists, thugs, thieves and drug dealers are the perception for the rest.

Thomas Hamilton's actions might have fired up the Snowdrop campaign, but the reality is that it could not have proceeded without widespread agreement and approval from the general public.

So, working within those parameters, whether we agree with them or not, and there being no reason why firearms ought not be discussed, we just keep things comfortable for everyone.

No one gets slated in Fair Game for owning or using guns, or posting photos, and no one gets in trouble publically for opening anywhere else in the forum (last time we heard about it was from a student in a Uni computer lab. It didn't go down well)

Putin ? ah well, that's a whole other conversation

 

[Toddy]

But you don't change or assist in the changing of others opinions by what very much seems to be refusing to discuss a legal and licenced activity.

Hearts ands Minds doesn't have driving discussions subverted to underground discussions where it doesn't get discussed at all.

This is a Bushcraft forum , as a lot of Bushcraft-tism (?) seems to have its origins in frontier type lifestyle and living it seems oddly archaic that those who hold firearms licences and can act in some way as ambassadors and advisors don't want to discuss it.


I'm off out for a meal now , I'm going to of course ask that they remove any mention of vegetarian options from my menu as I personally find the subject matter untasteful ( in both ways... )

No one's stopping you discussing the topic at all. Just asking that you are aware of the issues other folks face and act courteously about it.

As for the vegetarian option, it's often much more interesting than the meat ones on the menu