Moving house, what to do with rifles etc.

[David N]

I am hoping to move house by the end of the month. I emailed our firearms department for advice as its a modern house and is timber framed.
Today got a call from them with the recommendation that the shotguns and riffles went to RFD till I sort out my cabinets . had not expected that as I had hoped removing the bolts and forends and locking them in a different part of the house would do. The plan was to do the cabinets as a priority job. He also offered to come over to see if the location i was thinking was ok.

I guess the question is this normal practice?

I thought I would put the cabinets under the stairs but i think it will just be a stud wall and solid floor. Has anyone put on horizontal on the floor and bolted it to the floor? goes this work with scoped riffles?

any advice take with thanks
David

 

[Husky]

I have had a cabinet lying horizontal and bolted to a concrete floor, no problems.

 

[GWP]

Horizontal and bolted to the floor if its not a pain to get in and out vertical bolted to the floor could be better it just has to be secure

 

[GWP]

Dont forget a damp proof membrain

 

[Pedro]

Might have to go to an RFD. Unless you are taking the cabinets and rifles out of the old house and into the new one and securing the cabinets, all in the same day. And obviously the guns and ammo are with you all the time in between. If your rifles fit in with the cabinet upright, they will also when it's horizontal without any problem.

However, if the floor is solid, then securing it upright to the floor and to the stud wall is an option, but see what the FEO says if he's offered to come over on that one.. I bet if you put it lying down, sooner or later stuff will find it's way on top of it to live and it'll be a faff to get open.

 

[Hayduke]

Understairs built in cupboard:
4 x 6" bolts into concrete floor, maybe use resin too
3 x Hollow wall anchors or plaster board spring toggles up one side
3 x Long screws into stud up t'other side of cabinet
Lock or two on cupboard door
Alarm on hoose, do it on day you move.
jobs a good un

 

[JSW]

18mm ply spanning as many studs as possible. coach bolts holds better than in block work

 

[Utectok]

I have a timber frame but plywood and floor bolts sorted it. I actually moved my cab into a different bespoke locked cupboard and the fEo on next renewal said that’s fine. I honestly dont think you need to put them in at a rfd I mean you take your rifles out stalking stay in hotels ect so long as you are secure I can’t see it being a problem. Anyway best take Feo advice now you’ve asked for it

 

[Woodsmoke]

Nothing to say your guns have to be in any sort of cabinet, regardless of what your FLO tells you. The requirement is that they're stored in such a way as to prevent access to them by unauthorised persons. Sure, that usually means they go in a locked cabinet, but if you lock them away and remove the bolts and forends as you plan to you're in full compliance with the law. Firearms departments exist to ensure the law is complied with. They don't exist to make it up as they see fit

 

[kes]

I couldnt bolt mine to the wall as there was an electric meter on the outside at that point so I bolted it to the floor in an upright position and glued it to the wall and floor. Its a Bratonsound 10 gun rifle/shotgun cabinet and weighs quite a bit. No problem from the police at all. Mind we do have a burglar alarm and 2 large dogs ?

 

[Heym SR20]

There is a firearms guidance on s security. Have a good read. Rather than rushing things, might be worth putting the rifles with an RFD and shotguns with a friend who has a SC for a day or two. But all really depends on whether you have access to both properties for a time and how much other junk needs or has to take precedence.

But time to take guns elsewhere etc it’s probably just as well to plan out the move, install any studding, block work etc. Then empty cabinet, remove cabinet, load into vehicle. Drive to new property unload into house, bolt in cabinet, put guns away. Then notify Police of change of address etc. and confirm that guns are stored in locked cabinet.

It may also be the time to think about getting a bigger cabinet, or consolidating into just one and installing this first.

There is a good market for cabinets, indeed ask the new owner of your old place if they want to take them. They may just be going through the same process.

Then sit down with a cup of tea.

 

[Greenmist]

I suppose it takes a firearms owner to really complicate things,

1. Remove guns from cabinet and put in cases
2. Remove cabinet
3. Put guns and cabinet in car and drive to new house
4. Take guns and cabinet from car into new house
5. Fix cabinet in new location and place guns in cabinet
6. Inform firearms dept of new address, you have installed cabinet, are happy with security and don’t feel a home visit is necessary

 

[JamesH]

I suppose it takes a firearms owner to really complicate things,

1. Remove guns from cabinet and put in cases
2. Remove cabinet
3. Put guns and cabinet in car and drive to new house
4. Take guns and cabinet from car into new house
5. Fix cabinet in new location and place guns in cabinet
6. Inform firearms dept of new address, you have installed cabinet, are happy with security and don’t feel a home visit is necessary

Pretty much what I did recently even moving between forces. The new force don’t seem in any rush to come out and inspect despite me chasing them and the issuing force.

 

[25 Sharps]

I have a timber frame but plywood and floor bolts sorted it. I actually moved my cab into a different bespoke locked cupboard and the fEo on next renewal said that’s fine. I honestly dont think you need to put them in at a rfd I mean you take your rifles out stalking stay in hotels ect so long as you are secure I can’t see it being a problem. Anyway best take Feo advice now you’ve asked for it

Depends how many you have, but way enough to secure 1 or 2 short term but if you have, 5,10,20 firearms not so easy to do and fitting the cabinet becomes a rush job.

Better to lodge them at an RFD for a few days to a week.

 

[25 Sharps]

I suppose it takes a firearms owner to really complicate things,

1. Remove guns from cabinet and put in cases
2. Remove cabinet
3. Put guns and cabinet in car and drive to new house
4. Take guns and cabinet from car into new house
5. Fix cabinet in new location and place guns in cabinet
6. Inform firearms dept of new address, you have installed cabinet, are happy with security and don’t feel a home visit is necessary

My new FEO refused to re-issue my FAC when I moved until she had done a visit to inspect my security but in her words I ‘do have rather a lot of guns’.

She’s been good as good ever since though.

 

[25 Sharps]

I suppose it takes a firearms owner to really complicate things,

1. Remove guns from cabinet and put in cases
2. Remove cabinet
3. Put guns and cabinet in car and drive to new house
4. Take guns and cabinet from car into new house
5. Fix cabinet in new location and place guns in cabinet
6. Inform firearms dept of new address, you have installed cabinet, are happy with security and don’t feel a home visit is necessary

I do agree with this but equally your guns are not the only thing you are moving on what can already be a very stressful day, you may have 5-6 van’s full of possessions to move plus family and pets.

 

[25 Sharps]

Nothing to say your guns have to be in any sort of cabinet, regardless of what your FLO tells you. The requirement is that they're stored in such a way as to prevent access to them by unauthorised persons. Sure, that usually means they go in a locked cabinet, but if you lock them away and remove the bolts and forends as you plan to you're in full compliance with the law. Firearms departments exist to ensure the law is complied with. They don't exist to make it up as they see fit

On your next renewal tell your FEO you will no longer be using a cabinet and just splitting and securing your guns to various items around the house. See how far it gets you!

 

[Stalker62]

I do agree with this but equally your guns are not the only thing you are moving on what can already be a very stressful day, you may have 5-6 van’s full of possessions to move plus family and pets.

When I last moved, the most stressful thing was unloading all the firearms into the new house, without my wife counting them...

 

[Overlay]

Best bet,

place everything with a RFD, get the security sorted including cabinets when you can and take a pic of what you’ve installed and text and e mail it to your RFD asking that he or she give you the heads up ASAP on the cabinets so you can get your kit back

moving is a big job, you probably wont want the the extra burden of worrying about firearms get them to a RFD somewhere safe and get the house sorted at your own pace with no FEO’s jumping all over you

 

[VSS]

Realistically, how long is it going to take to attach a cabinet to the wall? An hour at the most, maybe? Just leave firearms locked in your vehicle in the meantime, taking bolts / forends in with you while you sort the cabinet. It's no different from what you might do if you were staying away from home, when you might secure firearms locked in your vehicle for several days at a time.
It seems to be a common trait amongst firearms owners to turn molehills into mountains and get themselves completely knotted up in their own complicated interpretation of the law, when in fact it's really quite simple: "reasonable precautions" are what's required during transit or use, nothing more, nothing less.