Legal Weapons in the UK (Scotland)

BearStalker

Well-Known Member
I had thought I understood what weapons were legal and not legal, in the UK, but after reading some threads on this site, I am no longer sure. I will give the weapons I have and ask that someone, please, tell me which ones I need to get rid of, before I move to Scotland.

Rifles:

30.06 Springfield, Bolt Action
30.40 Craig, Bolt Action
8mmx57, Bold Action
.303 British Enfield, Bold Action
.22, Bolt Action

Shotguns:

16 Ga, Double Barrel, side-by-side, with external side hammers
12 Ga, Double Barrel, Over and Under

Pistols:

.357 Mag, Ruger Blackhawk, Single Action, Revolver, 7.5 inch barrel
.44 Black Power, Single Action, Revolver, 8 inch barrel
.22 Semi-Auto, Wather, 6 inch barrel
.32 Semi-Auto, Melor, 4 inch barrel

I believe the two Semi-Autos have to go, but I would like to know about the others.

Thank you, in advance

Grant
 
I had thought I understood what weapons were legal and not legal, in the UK, but after reading some threads on this site, I am no longer sure. I will give the weapons I have and ask that someone, please, tell me which ones I need to get rid of, before I move to Scotland.

Rifles:

30.06 Springfield, Bolt Action
30.40 Craig, Bolt Action
8mmx57, Bold Action
.303 British Enfield, Bold Action
.22, Bolt Action

Shotguns:

16 Ga, Double Barrel, side-by-side, with external side hammers
12 Ga, Double Barrel, Over and Under

Pistols:

.357 Mag, Ruger Blackhawk, Single Action, Revolver, 7.5 inch barrel
.44 Black Power, Single Action, Revolver, 8 inch barrel
.22 Semi-Auto, Wather, 6 inch barrel
.32 Semi-Auto, Melor, 4 inch barrel

I believe the two Semi-Autos have to go, but I would like to know about the others.

Thank you, in advance

Grant


Ballistic requirements in Scotland, for deer. You must use expanding bullets only on deer.

The "little" Roe deer regulations:
Minimum muzzle velocity 2,450 feet per second, minimum muzzle energy 1,000 ft/lbs, minimum bullet weight 50 grains.

The "large" Red, Fallow and Sika deer regulations:
Minimum muzzle velocity 2,450 feet per second, minimum muzzle energu 1,750 ft/lbs, minimum bullet weight 100 grains.

Other regulations apply in other parts of the UK.
 
Owning non deer legal calibres isn't something I know very much about but .22lr and .22hornets and many other small bore options are allowed for "vermin" control.

Target shooters will likely come along and tell you whats what in that field but I do know that much more seems to be allowed for paper punching and gong bashing than for deer.
 
I had thought I understood what weapons were legal and not legal, in the UK, but after reading some threads on this site, I am no longer sure. I will give the weapons I have and ask that someone, please, tell me which ones I need to get rid of, before I move to Scotland.

UK FIREARMS LAW (EXCEPT FOR NORTHERN IRELAND) IS ESSENTIALLY UNIFORM. SAME LAW IN SCOTLAND AS IN ENGLAND AND WALES IN RESPECT OF THE FIREARMS. ONLY DIFFERENT LAW FOR WHAT BULLET WEIGHT, SIZE, VELOCITY IS "DEER LEGAL" AND NOT "DEER LEGAL"

Rifles:

30.06 Springfield, Bolt Action OK IN THE UK
30.40 Craig, Bolt Action KRAG? OK IN THE UK. PROBABLY WITH REGARDS VELOCITY NOT DEER LEGAL.
8mmx57, Bold Action OK IN THE UK
.303 British Enfield, Bold Action OK IN THE UK. PROBABLY WITH 215 GRAIN BULLETS WITH REGARDS VELOCITY NOT DEER LEGAL
.22, Bolt Action OK IN THE UK. NOT DEER LEGAL

Shotguns:

16 Ga, Double Barrel, side-by-side, with external side hammers OK IN THE UK IF BARRELS OVER 24" IN LENGTH
12 Ga, Double Barrel, Over and Under OK IN THE UK IF BARRELS OVER 24" IN LENGTH

Pistols:

.357 Mag, Ruger Blackhawk, Single Action, Revolver, 7.5 inch barrel SECTION 5 AUTHORITY. NOT USUALLY PERMITTED. CLASSED AS A "PROHIBITED WEAPON" SINCE 1997
.44 Black Power, Single Action, Revolver, 8 inch barrel OK IN THE UK IF IS A MUZZLE LOADING REVOLVER SUCH AS REMINGTON 1858 REPLICA or COLT 1860 REPLICA.
.22 Semi-Auto, Wather, 6 inch barrel SECTION 5 AUTHORITY. NOT USUALLY PERMITTED. CLASSED AS A "PROHIBITED WEAPON" SINCE 1997
.32 Semi-Auto, Melor, 4 inch barrel SECTION 5 AUTHORITY. NOT USUALLY PERMITTED. CLASSED AS A "PROHIBITED WEAPON" SINCE 1997

I believe the two Semi-Autos have to go, but I would like to know about the others.

SADLY ALL THE HANDGUNS ON YOUR LIST (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BLACKPOWDER REVOLVER IF IT IS MUZZLE LOADING) HAVE TO GO

Thank you, in advance

Grant

Now it also gets complicated! You have to have a Licence for these items. A Firearm Certificate for the rifled arms, including the muzzle loading revolver, and a Shot Gun Certificate for the shot guns. You will need to show adequate secure storage (usually a steel cabinet) for all of them AND for the rifled arms in addition a "good reason" that you need them.

This "good reason" can ONLY be either memberships of a shooting club at which those rifled arms can be used.

A target rifle club even if the rifles are "hunting" rifles rather than, say a 1903 Springfield, and a club at which the muzzle loading revolver can be used. Which may be one and the same club. FOR THAT TARGET SHOOTING YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED OTHER THAN FMJ OR CAST LEAD BULLETS OF NON-EXPANDING TYPE.

Or, for the rifles, "hunting", which may be your own land, or a booked day on an estate, or a rented shooting right over someone else's land. Without that you will not be granted permission to use them for "hunting".

rifles can be given permission by the police for both target shooting AND "hunting" but it is unlikely that they will give it for the 30-40 Krag or the 303 Lee Enfield unless you specifically state that. For some reason the police assume that no-one actually goes "hunting" here in UK with unmodified, iron sighted, ex-military surplus rifles!

That they do, a lot, in the USA I know!

It may also be prudent to join the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Others may say join this, that, or the other but BASC has its own "hunting" that you can book by the day and most police forces accept that as your "hunting" "good reason". It also has a good legal advice team on firearms issues.

Best of Luck!

If it were me I'd stay in the USA if I had the choice! There's no PUBLIC HUNTING LAND here in the UK so unlike in the USA you just can't go out and wander about in state owned forests etc., etc.. You will have to "pay to play" if you want to shoot deer!
 
Thanks for that link Apache, it confirms what I thought... Muzzle loading "black powder" handguns are still OK for target shooting

What you link does not say is... Possession of black powder requires an explosives permit as well as a Firearms Certificate. Possession of pyrodex and smokeless propellants, on the other hand, does not require an explosives permit.
 
The question was "what can I legally hold".

The handguns are a no no I'm afraid. They come under what are known as "section five" weapons, which are prohibited weapons under the firearms act 1988.

The link should give you most of the information you need, if you have the time to sit, read and digest.

All of the rifles are items that CAN be held on a firearms certificate. They are classed as "section one" weapons (again, named for the section of the firearms act that they come under). However, the fact that they can be held legally, does not mean you will be able to hold them.

In British firearms law, we have this concept called "good reason" to hold any given firearm. We also have universal registration and draconian control on the movement of firearms between individuals and by trade.

Before you can legally possess a firearm in the UK, you will require some kind of authorisation to hold. For a resident this will normally be in the form of a firearms certificate, for rifles and similar weapons, and a shotgun certificate for all shotguns, which are classed as "smooth bored firearms with a barrel diameter of less than two inches"

Now, for firearms held under a section one firearm certificate (basically anything with a rifled barrel that's not a hand gun) you will need to prove that you have good reason to hold that particular weapon before they will grant you permission to acquire that caliber of weapon (ok, they usually state the cartridge rather than the caliber, poorly drafted legislation). The particular good reason that you put forward may limit the uses that you can put the rifles to. For example, if you put down membership of a target club as good reason, then you will only be able to use that rifle on a range. If you have land to shoot over then you may get the rifle conditioned for shooting various species of target animal.

To explain the British firearms law would take many a long page. I'm afraid it will come as quite a culture shock to you after the US. What I've put above begins to give you an idea of the hoops you will be forced to jump through. The whole licensing system is the reason many of us have recommended either leaving the guns in secure storage in the States until you've got the relevant certificates, or bring them over and have them stored at an RFD (Registered Firearms Dealer). If the rifles are held legally in Germany then they should have CIP proofing, which means they can be sold in the UK.

My advice is to spnd as much time as you can reading and familiarising yourself with the various documents that govern firearms, their ownership and use in the UK. Any description on here is necessarily going to be incomplete, and in this could be dangerously misleading. Things we take for granted, a US gun user, used to the much less controlled gun environment wouldn't even think of.

Talking to the shooting organisations is also a useful step. It gives you a knowledgable point of reference for those finer points when necessary, and a voice to help you out if things get sticky.
 
Bearstalker,
Your major problem is going to be referees for your firearms certificate and shotgun certificate applications, unless you already have friends living here in the UK, the referees for your applications will need to be UK residents and to have known you personally for at least 2 years.

Ian.
 
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bear stalker as said ou will need to provide good reason for each rifle , if it were me id pick my favourite and sell the rest as i doubt very much you will get to keep all your rifles
 
Bearstalker,
Your major problem is going to be referees for your firearms certificate and shotgun certificate applications, unless you already have friends or family living here in the UK, the referees for your applications will need to be UK residents and to have known you personally for at least 2 years.

Ian.

I wasn't aware that they had to be resident referees, but you are right:

They must be resident in Great Britain
and must not be a member of your immediate family. Registered
firearms dealers, serving police officers or police employees cannot be
accepted as referees, except as set out below
 
I had thought I understood what weapons were legal and not legal, in the UK, but after reading some threads on this site, I am no longer sure. I will give the weapons I have and ask that someone, please, tell me which ones I need to get rid of, before I move to Scotland.

Rifles:

30.06 Springfield, Bolt Action
30.40 Craig, Bolt Action
8mmx57, Bold Action
.303 British Enfield, Bold Action
.22, Bolt Action

Shotguns:

16 Ga, Double Barrel, side-by-side, with external side hammers
12 Ga, Double Barrel, Over and Under

Pistols:

.357 Mag, Ruger Blackhawk, Single Action, Revolver, 7.5 inch barrel
.44 Black Power, Single Action, Revolver, 8 inch barrel
.22 Semi-Auto, Wather, 6 inch barrel
.32 Semi-Auto, Melor, 4 inch barrel

I believe the two Semi-Autos have to go, but I would like to know about the others.

Thank you, in advance

Grant

Hi Grant,

Simply put all bar the pistols can be legally held however, without trying to put a downer on it. I think your on a hidding to nothing trying to bring any fire-arms with you. If you have no experience of our licencing system or laws then you really can't imagine how different it is to yours, there is no second amendment here...

You'd be better selling the lot and just buying what you need when you get here, get a licence and some where to shoot.

Cheers,

Ali
 
I wouldn't be quite so pessimistic sounding as aliS but I would say that it will take time to sort things out when you get to this country and that you will have to be very patient. I know a Norwegian guy who moved here and is now sorted but it took time and he just couldn’t believe the hoops that he had to jump through just to shoot in this country. He came from a land where it is the norm to keep an automatic rifle at home and where he could shoot pistols if so wished. To him the restrictions were ludicrous.
As the other guys have said the rifles and blackpowder pistol can be held on a firearms certificate when you eventually sort that out but it will require full membership of a suitable target shooting club for target shooting. When I say suitable I mean that that club must have regular access to ranges where that particular type of firearm may be used. If any of the rifles are to be used for sporting purposes then the conditions on your firearm certificate need to permit this and that will only be granted when you can show you have access to land.
 
Guess so. Just cant see it happening. Am assuming the time scales are not long here.

Everyone's contributions are sound, and have painted a thoroughly depressing picture.

I'd only add one tiny nitty point on the .44 BP Pistol. The OP will be lucky to find a HOAC Club range where he can touch this off.

A lot of these clubs only have indoor ranges where BP shooters aren't welcome due to ventilation/smoke problems. Not all have restrictions, but use of an outdoor range should go on the wish list:rolleyes:.
 
Come off it Sinistral don't be so negative.:p
Yes ventilation may be a bit of an issue with blackpowder and some clubs that only shoot on indoor ranges, but If the club and the range is approved for blackpowder it shouldn't be a problem. You're giving me at least the impression that blackpowder pistols are discouraged which is far from the case if the club is approved for its use. I personally have no interest in blackpowder but I don't like to see these guys done down. :rofl:
 
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I wouldn't be as negative about this as some others above have posted. I faced a kind of similar situation when going to live in Tanzania (was there for ten years) in that to get a firearms license wasn't really a problem - it just took a very long time, during which time the weapon had to lie in the government arsenal - and you couldn't apply without buying the weapon first. The minimum time was about nine months but my shotgun took a year. Its just a question of accepting that this is so and getting on with it. Importing ammunition (there were no gunshops) took me a year and a half. You see - it could be worse! My advice - accept it and get on with it as best you can.

You are going to a good area to get any sort of hunting - and you have a very good gunshop on your doorstep - McLeods of Tain.

Its not quite true that we have no public hunting land - you can shoot wildfowl on the foreshore (in most cases) without any permit or permission - though I think the Dornoch Firth has a fairly grisly reputation in terms of bottomless mud and fast tides. Not been fowling there myself though.

Cawdor Rifle Club has a black powder pistol section - google it.
 
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