How many guns in a cabinet?

benji459

Member
Does anybody know the laws on how many guns you can in your cabinet? I.e is 5 guns in a 4 gun cabinet allowed as long as they fit in there?
many thanks
 
Hi I'm sorry im new too all this forum stuff and did not realise!! I'm very keen into my shooting and have been brought up shooting. Live in somerset. My favourite shooting is stalking and duck flighting. Am also a keen fisherman and have fished for England on many occasions one of which was when I was captain of the England youth world squad in Czech republic. So if anyone out there is also into fishing it would be good to get to know you so maybe we could 'catch' (sorry for the
pun!) up and organise a fishing a stalking weekend between us.
cheers
 
Welcome! In answer to your question, technically I doubt there is a limit, but I guess if the police know you have a 3 gun cabinet and you claim to have 15 guns all store securely, they may question your facilities and pay you a visit.... I've had more than the prescribed amount of guns in a cabinet perfectly safely, but more often than not, especially with rifles, you can't fit as many as they claim in anyway (at least not easily and without risking damage)
 
my FLO doesn't like it if there's more guns in the cabinet than it should hold ie 4 in a 3 gun cabinet

I've heard of this phenomenon in some places, but as long as you can get the door shut and locked, I can't see that what the FEO likes or not should be a particular concern to anyone enforcing the law.
:)
 
I've heard of this phenomenon in some places, but as long as you can get the door shut and locked, I can't see that what the FEO likes or not should be a particular concern to anyone enforcing the law.
:)

As above ^
My FEO is quite happy provided I can shut the door! Can stack them nose to tail if you like!
I have a 3 gun cabinet, and also a small 2 gun breakdown cabinet used mostly for ammo and bolt storage, and I fit in 2 scoped rifles and 5 shotguns.
 
In Hampshire been told you have to have the right cabinet for the amount of guns.
Wont let you top and tail them to get them in.
 
In Hampshire been told you have to have the right cabinet for the amount of guns.
Wont let you top and tail them to get them in.

WHY? Whats the logic behind this thinking.
Adequate security should be their concern not any damage that you may cause to your property wedging them in. Does a 7 gun cabinet offer any greater degree of security than say a 4 gun cabinet.:cuckoo:
 
All this cabinet capacity is a load of BS!! you are not obliged to keep your firearms in a cabinet, the firearms act states only that adequate means must be in place to prevent unauthorised access to your firearms, nothing about using a cabinet and absolutely nothing about having to use cabinets of BSI standard.

Ian.
 
I'm sure I've written this somewhere before. . .
I got my first shotgun in 1994, it was kept in a DIY wooden MDF box secured to the wall of a walk in cupboard. . Hardly the most secure of places but nevertheless it passed with flying colours.

My security has been updated somewhat since then :D
 
what makes a 4 gun cabinet a 4 gun cabinet?

if I can get 9 guns in a cabinet and shut and lock the door then surely it has become a 9 gun cabinet? no?

stupid thought process by an organisation looking for things to do

I have two cabinet, one is a 3 gun and one is a 4 gun according to the manufacturer. (the same blokes who built the Tardis)
both have at least double that inside them not counting spare barrels etc

tell any FEO to do one if they suggest you need a bigger cabinet.
if it fits in and locks, it is up to you what you put in them
 
I had a visit a few years ago and had 8 shotguns in my four gun cabinet and FEO (Hampshire) was happy but did mention that I probably couldn't get any more in.

In Hampshire been told you have to have the right cabinet for the amount of guns.
Wont let you top and tail them to get them in.
 
All this cabinet capacity is a load of BS!!

Obviously, but it seems to be coming a bit of a 'theme' with some licensing offices. At my last renewal I was asked about the capacity of my cabinets. A number of friends have also had the same question at their renewals. I suspect it is simply a 'flavour of the month' thing so FEOs are going through the motions, some probably with more rigour than others. When I asked an FEO what was going on he simply sighed and stated that as long as you could shut the door and throw all the locks he would be happy.
 
I think that they also base the security level on how many you can hold the cabinet use being the basic measure ie if you trip a certain number they would like to see the property and or the cabinet alarmed (obviously depending on other factors as well)

any body actually paid to get a copy if the BSI std they use was told it only has to resist entry for 15mins to pass etc
 
I am one of those supporting the theory that if I can get the door shut and locked it does not matter a jot how many are in it.
The problem is the human input of information on the firearms computer-----if a record shows you have a 4 gun cabinet and you have more than 4 guns the computer flags up the fact that IT believes the security requirements are inadequate and in need of further investigation. In the old days you purchased a 4 gun cabinet and then suddenly those well known manufacturers advertised the same cabinet as 4/5 capacity (which confused the computer - or the operative). As you know cabinet manufacturers, or some of them, are describing the 4 gun cabinet as a 4/6 gun (so more confusion for the computer). As a result of all this confusion, it is easier for FLDs to listen to what the computer says and we all know if that is the case, 'common sense' will never prevail.
 
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