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Guide on Firearms Licensing Law 2013

This document provides consolidated guidance on firearms licensing legislation. This guide is not intended to be a definitive statement of the law, but a cohesive explanation of the often complex area of firearms licensing.

This replaces the previous guidance published in 2002.

Firearm and Shotgun Certificate Fees

As a result of work by BSSC, BASC and the GTA, the Home Office have set up a Firearms Fees Working Party to discuss and decide:

Which aspects of Police work should be paid through the fee for a Firearm Certificate and Shotgun Certificate.

Which aspects of Police work should be paid by HMG.

There is an acceptance by the Home office that full cost recovery is not appropriate as is the case at the moment, so the question is where the dividing line should be drawn.

The Working Party will meet quarterly.

There will be no interim fees increase while the Working Party is working.

New Application Forms for Firearms and Shotgun Certificates are expected to be introduced from 1st December 2013 and should make the task of completing simpler.

There is expected to be a trial on the e-Commerce approach to using the internet to apply for Firearm and Shotgun Certificates in the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Staffordshire and North Yorkshire next year to test the feasibility of online applications which will of necessity involve simplifications to the application process.

A review by HM Inspector of Constabulary into the divergent processes adopted by the UK Police Forces regarding applications for and renewals of Firearm and Shotgun Certificates is expected to take place next year involving a limited number of Police Forces.

(Per NRA web site news dated 14^th Oct 2013)

NRA Range Conducting Officer - Status

NRA RCO qualification lasts for 6 years after last renewal/successful course completion.

If you have a NRA RCO card then please check it to ensure it is still valid. There is only a certain amount of grace period for renewal. Otherwise the full course will have to be completed again.

The relevant NRA web page is here for course details. The RCO renewal form (2013) is here.

English Eight Club and Irish Rifle Club Autumn Meeting

The English Eight Club and Irish Rifle Club held their autumn meeting over the weekend 28/29 September. A high pressure over Norway resulted in pleasant conditions with only a brief spot or two of rain on Saturday and thin high cloud giving warm sunny conditions. The wind was fresh from the east all weekend requiring a handful or more of minutes of right hand wind depending on whether one was in the immediate shelter of the trees alongside target 50. As is often the case in the autumn, the wind appeared quite steady for those who could hold tight groups.

Seven Scots and the entire "other Euro" membership (hint: there are three!) of the NRCofS competed. Saturday turned into a Mike Baillie-Hamilton benefit day with him winning the first two ranges and the day with 223 ex 225 and a huge V count of 37. Only Bill Taylor and Nick Tremlett with 74s at 1,200x denied him a clean sweep of all three ranges. Overall Ashley Abrahams was just a point behind with others in hot pursuit. On Sunday Hugh Butcher had one of the 8 possibles at 1,000x followed by one of the 5 possibles at 1,100x to move into contention. A mere 70 at 1,200x though left him third on the day and fifth overall. Our senior citizen, Allan Campbell-Smith, shot very steadily for ninth overall. Meanwhile Mike was not giving much away - just a point at each of 1,100x and 1,200x - to ensure the overall win. Kate Fitton also had a super day and pipped Mike by a single V for the Sunday and to finish 2nd for the weekend.

As always wardrobe malfunctions affected a few - Kate's partner and our vice President each had telescope mounts break. At least Mark had his early enough that he could fix it and retire for the winter on the back of two nice range shoots. A few regulars were not shooting as the meeting clashed with "Palma selection" - whatever minor event that might be.

As usual thanks are due to the stats crew (three generations of Hisseys), chief organiser Bill Taylor and ROs Dougie Watt and John Killian for making things run smoothly. The quality of marking was high and much appreciated though as a footnote Mike's heart beat probably rose a few notches when his last shot was initially marked clear after a long inspection. However his challenge did unearth a downwind hole in the cooking bull line - phew!

Full Results on the English VIII web site

To all Scots and interested Match Rifle Shooters:

HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE CLUB OF SCOTLAND

Rosemary Meldrum has completed her manuscript of the History of the NRCofS, after more than ten years of research and writing. It is a remarkable piece of work, covering the club’s entire history in great detail from the beginnings of Match Rifle and the Elcho Match in the 1860s through to 2008, with an epilogue extending to 2012 and Scotland’s series of four consecutive Elcho victories. Perhaps unusually in accounts of full-bore shooting, it provides extensive and fascinating coverage of the development of shooting in the late nineteenth century, drawn from the many notices in the press at the time when rifle-shooting was a prestigious sport that attracted much public attention.

The narrative is organised into chapters by periods of captaincy, with a section containing some elegant descriptions of the captains themselves—excluding those still living! The problems and challenges faced by the early captains seem very little different from those encountered today. Text and illustrations are followed by numerous appendices that include complete details, for the entire period, of all aspects such as members of the VIII, the officers of the club, membership numbers, shooting venues, winners of club crosses and trophies, Scottish winners of NRA trophies, rules of the Elcho, target dimensions etc etc. Most of this does not exist in a single coherent form anywhere else.

Early discussions with an editorial and production agency in Cambridge indicate that the work will make a book of about 250 pages. Produced in paperback to an attractive and professional standard, in a print-run probably of about 50 to 100 copies, it is hoped that the price to individuals can be in the region of £30 to £35, with publication in 2014.

The purpose of this notice is to gauge the level of interest among shooters. If you think you would be likely to buy one or more copies could you please, without prejudice at this stage, contact Mike Baillie-Hamilton, Captain or to Joanna Campbell-Smith, Hon Secretary. We hope that the book will appeal to shooters of all nationalities as well as to Scots.

Police Scotland

Contact details updated due to the reorganisation of the Scottish Police Service

Combined Clubs Spring Meeting

On the Friday prior to the Bisley Spring Meeting 14 members attended a one day training session. Individual technique coaching for some of our newer members was followed by coached team shooting at 1,000x and 1,100x. Our regular three wind coaches were all hard worked but so too were several other members in the hope of broadening our wind coaching pool. The stiff 10 o'clock wind mostly required double digit wind corrections and made a surprisingly cold day for mid May feel even colder. A light hearted "guess the wind" competition was held at intervals through the day with Mark Crichton Maitland being judged the winner of the bottle of wine with a perfect score - albeit of only three bulls. A most convivial pub dinner was consumed in the evening.

Over the weekend 17 Scots competed in the Combined Clubs Spring Meeting. Conditions remained almost unchanged from Friday through both Saturday and Sunday. A short blast of rain on Saturday afternoon slightly spoilt what was otherwise an enjoyable and testing weekend. Scores were low with only a single possible achieved in wind which varied up to 20 minutes in strength for some shooters. Unfortunately it also has to be recorded that the standard of marking varied from fair to very poor with new NRA markers under training. On the Saturday Jim McAllister led the field from Martin Brown despite the latter having a difficult shoot with a tyro partner. On Sunday Mike Baillie-Hamilton, the Scots captain, led the Scots but was pipped by both Gareth James of Wales and Nick Tremlett the English captain. When the weekend scores were added up Gareth James was the overall top scorer and winner of the Welsh Rifle Association Aggregate. Jim McAllister was top Scot and winner of our magnificent Eight Cup ahead of Mike Baillie-Hamilton and Angus McLeod. Top Englishman was Nick Tremlett in fourth place. Jim also won our Ranken trophy, open to allcomers, for the 1,200x aggregate. As well as the top scorers, Colin Hayes and Hugh Butcher can be commended for their 71s at 1,200x on Sunday and Zoe Woodroffe was only a handful of points off being top lady.

Our thanks go to the English VIII and in particular Hissey, father and son, for organising the meeting. Full results are available at English VIII web site.

NRA - Changes to Safety Procedures and some other rules

Along with the latest edition of the NRA Handbook, a revised version of Bisley Range Safety Regulations has been issued. While some changes are purely administrative or to remove anomalies, there are others that directly affect conduct on the range. This note is an informal explanation of the more important changes. ...

Bisley Bible - Para 122
Inspection of Firearms and Magazines a Firer’s responsibilities

In the latest revision of the NRA Handbook (2013 Bisley Bible),
there are significant changes to safety procedures.