Home Office Guidance 2012 issued by Home Office

Why do they feel the need to write in a dialect that only Solicitors and Dalua can make sense of?

FFS!!!
 
New Chapters published

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firearms-law-guidance-to-the-police-2012

  • Chapter 8- Antique firearms
  • Chapter 9 - Historic handguns
  • Chapter 10 - Firearm certificate procedure
  • Chapter 11 - Shotgun certificate procedure
  • Chapter 12 - Assessing suitability (formerly fitness to be entrusted with a firearm)
  • Chapter 13 – Good reason to possess a firearm

Key changes to note are:

Chapters 10 and 11 cover the processes for the grant etc of firearm and shotgun certificates. Emphasised importance of ongoing risk assessments and the importance of taking a risk-based approach. It is silent on who should pay for GPs fees. PCCs have been added to the list of those not suitable as referees or counter signatories.

Chapter 12 has been completely rewritten and the title has changed from ‘Fitness to be entrusted with a firearm’ to ‘Assessing suitability’. These changes address the concerns from HASC and the IPCC that the same considerations of fitness in relation to firearms are relevant when considering whether someone applying for a shotgun may pose a risk to public safety. Chapter 12 also includes the new section on domestic violence subsumed from the seperately published domestic violence guidance published on 31 July.

Chapter 13 has been amended to include ‘any other lawful quarry’ condition which states that once initial “good reason” has been established for the possession of a firearm, there is no requirement for “good reason” to be demonstrated for additional quarry species, providing the firearms are not underpowered for the species. This will reduce administrative burden on police licensing departments. The chapter also now addresses the issue of armed guards and ‘home loading’ of ammunition.
 
Interesting that they do not consider the .204 as suitable for fox, whereas the .17rem and .22Hornet is.
 
Interesting that they do not consider the .204 as suitable for fox, whereas the .17rem and .22Hornet is.

Obviously they simply haven't considered it. There are a good many calibres that aren't mentioned all you can do is compare like with like and use it as intended i.e. guidance.
 
"This allows, for example, a deer stalker or vermin shooter to zero with their rifle on a range or other suitable land and to do sufficient training and testing with the expanding ammunition. It does not allow them to taken part in target shooting or any competitions using expanding ammunition."

When the HO guidance was redrafted they could have made it more explicit that you have to use a target to practice or zero on. What they state is ambiguous and implies that if you shoot at a target on the range this could be illegal. As experienced shooters we all hope that we understand what the law requires of us but what about an inexperienced police officer without a specialist knowledge of firearms law? I hope that BASC sends this one back to the HO, it could save a lot of unnecessary and unwelcome arguments with the police. atb Tim
 
Obviously they simply haven't considered it. There are a good many calibres that aren't mentioned all you can do is compare like with like and use it as intended i.e. guidance.

​Ah but it is listed as suitable for vermin only not fox.
 
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