Humane Dispatch Pistol

sako85

Well-Known Member
Asking this for a keeper friend of mine.

He already as shotguns and .243 and 7x57 rifle.
His job means he must must take out his employers guests to stalk deer and various friends and paying clients.

Due to some bad shooting, bullets placement etc, etc. he has to occasionally deal with wounded deer aswell as foxes in cage traps.
He would like a .38 2 shot pistol and wondered what his chances were of being granted one.
He thinks the pistol idea is better than lugging a rifle with you and due to the heavily wooded area he stalks easier to kill a wounded beast in tight cover, mostly Fallow but Roe too.

Do you think it is worth him aplying for it? or will he be turned down as police may say he already has a rifle. It is Dorset Police.

Any advice welcome.

Many thanks
 
Your mate has absolutely nothing to lose by trying. And if he has a boss that could back him up, even better.
I wouldn`t want to be stood near him when he`s shooting a caged fox from point blank range with a 243.
basil.
 
I know somebody who has a .32 Walther PP or PPK for exactly that...

Every police force is different, but i doubt any would be keen to grant it...BASC or any similar organization might be able to assist if he is a member..
 
pistols

I would apply for a pistol for humane dispatch and shooting tin cans. If i was in a different job i would apply for one for target use and get a legal rumble going to see if we could test the law and have them legal again.

but in the case in question i would say he has very good reason to apply for one and if he presents his case properly it should go through.

swampy
 
Thanks for that Swampy..

A friend who is a farmer has been after one of the these for a while to dispatched foxes caught in snares and cage traps, but I was never sure if a short barrelled shotgun could actually be legal these days..

Regards,

Peter
 
SF. Providing your friend can show good reason for owning a dispatch weapon he should have no real problem obtaining permission from the Police, however for dispatching foxes in snares I am not to sure if they will give you one just for that.

I must say that Kent Police have always been very good. The previous FA Officer offered me permission for a dispatch pistol some years back, which about 3 years ago I agreed to. The licence was offered for a 32cal 2 shot, which I had trouble sourcing. I eventually had my ticket changed to a 357, but with the proviso of also using and owning 38 special as well as 357 ammo.
I have a good friend in the guntrade who sourced a very nice Colt Lawman revolver, although I had to have 4 cylinders blocked. If your friend needs a contact to source a weapon for him let me know and I will put him in touch.
 
SF said:
Asking this for a keeper friend of mine.

He already as shotguns and .243 and 7x57 rifle.
His job means he must must take out his employers guests to stalk deer and various friends and paying clients.

Due to some bad shooting, bullets placement etc, etc. he has to occasionally deal with wounded deer aswell as foxes in cage traps.
He would like a .38 2 shot pistol and wondered what his chances were of being granted one.
He thinks the pistol idea is better than lugging a rifle with you and due to the heavily wooded area he stalks easier to kill a wounded beast in tight cover, mostly Fallow but Roe too.

Do you think it is worth him aplying for it? or will he be turned down as police may say he already has a rifle. It is Dorset Police.

Any advice welcome.

Many thanks

Hi mate,

Your keeper friend shouldn't have too much difficulty persuading the local firearm officer to permit a revolver for human despatch of wounded fox or deer given his occupation as a keeper, so long as he makes a strong written case supported by the shoot captain or landowner. The points to make during the application process are that he feels that it isn't safe to despatch a wounded deer or snared fox with a rifle (danger of ricochet, difficulty of accurate shot placement at close range, etc) also, there may be circumstances e.g. repeatedly getting in and out of a vehicle when doing the rounds checking snares that a rifle for fox despatch is cumbersome and a revolver is better, or there may be ramblers/ walkers in the vicinity and a revolver is more discreet. There have been multiple precedents in the past few years so recreational stalkers should also be able to get permission readily. I got mine ( for a .38 ) on the first attempt stating the above and also hinting to the local firearm officer that if my request was refused, the next stop would be the courts - which they will seek to avoid at all cost.

Good luck to your keeper friend and suggest he has a word with BASC as they were supportive of my application.
 
i got mine first time 38/357 he wants to ask for as a 38 is like rocking horse **** to get hold of
 
I really fail you see any reason or need for anyone in the UK to have a pistol for anything to do with deer wild, park or farmed.
 
I disagree. A pistol is the ideal weapon for close range RTA despatch. It can be concealed easily until needed, used, then concealed again.

Try being discreet with a stalking rifle or shotgun at the side of a busy road, or with traffic piling up waiting for the incident to be concluded. :rolleyes:
 
The Mole said:
I disagree. A pistol is the ideal weapon for close range RTA despatch. It can be concealed easily until needed, used, then concealed again. :rolleyes:

So can a knife, or if you are being called out every week, a captive bolt, or if you really feel the need a free bullet humane killer.
 
vincy said:
i got mine first time 38/357 he wants to ask for as a 38 is like rocking horse **** to get hold of

Hi mate,

PM me if your mate is still having difficulty getting hold of a .38 as there are a number of section 5 dealers I can put you in touch with in the Kent/Surrey/Sussex areas who always have a reasonable supply. You should be able to pick up a second hand Smith & Wesson M&P K frame .38 or the like chambered for two/three shots for about £220 - £260 without too much difficulty. .38 amm is also readily available and easy enough to load.
 
300wsm said:
So can a knife, or if you are being called out every week, a captive bolt, or if you really feel the need a free bullet humane killer.

You're entitled to your opinion, but given that knives and captive bolts require the animal to be virtually immobilised anyway, and a free bullet killer is virtually a pistol anyway, please tell us why:

"I really fail you see any reason or need for anyone in the UK to have a pistol for anything to do with deer wild, park or farmed"
 
Yes please 300 WSM answer the moles post. Also tell us how you would use a knife or a cash pistol on a beast that is still mobile, has large antlers and is really not very happy at being in pain.

BTW a free bullet humane killer has the barrel cut at an angle so it cannot be accurate at more than a very few yards. Normally they are ported too which makes them v v damaging to hearing as they go off like the crack of doom. Having held a horse or two while they were shot with one of these things I can attest to that first hand.

There are good reasons for people to own and use pistols for humane despatch, the above scenario being just one of them.

My guess is you just don't like pistols. Get over it, they're a tool like anything else we use i.e. a rifle or a knife. However I wouldn't use a knife for killing a deer at 100yds and neither would I use a rifle for gralloching.


z
 
Peronally I am very happy to own a handgun, I much prefer this to a knife :rolleyes:

Perhaps you should try dispatching a Red Stag a client has shot in the rut that has been shot badly and is still able to writh around and is trying to stand but cannot. As you approach you will find a swift turn of the head on any wounded and disabled deer will take care of you if you care to get near enough. A nice set of antlers straight in the femal artery and you can stand there and bleed to death in a few minutes.

Or perhaps the same situation is on the edge of a road, try getting near to a thrashing Fallow Buck, and then try seeing how well you will do when it suddenly turns and spikes you in the groin maybe or stomach, while the public look on.

If you have stalked and managed enough deer in many different environments and faced various situations sooner rather than later you will come up against a problem such as I have explained above.

Owning a handgun if you are a semi or professional stalker is part of the kit as far as I am concerned, and it shows that your local constabulary have the forsight to know that you are experienced and professional enough to be entrusted with it. After all they dont give them out to just anyone do they ;)
 
Clearly yet another topic where there is a range of opinion. :) While I certainly wouldn't relish sticking a wounded deer sporting a full rack with a knife, if it is thrashing about on the ground it is also going to be a neat trick to deliver a decisive shot to the head.

I do wonder why there is a variation in the calibres approved by the police. Some folk talk about using a .32 while others have a .38/357. I know that a .22LR is entirely effective for the job. You would think the extremely sensitive topic of pistol ownership would be one area where they would have some standard policy.
 
Back
Top