Latest on Moderators being removed from FACs

[Heym SR20]

Looks like they will come off ticket by end of May. Will still be an offence to have one if you don’t have a license though.

Update: Government tables legislation to deregulate sound moderators in Crime and Policing Bill

This welcome amendment will have the effect of alleviating police firearms licensing departments of a huge and unnecessary administrative burden, whilst allowing legitimate users of sound moderators to buy and sell them.

www.countryside-alliance.org

 

[GN01]

Do we know what will happen to ones already on your ticket? IE will you still have to register selling one? How will it work doing that? So can I sell one without confirming or seeing their FAC? I assume the onus is on the them not the seller?

 

[hendrix's rifle]

I wonder if they could be posted normally

 

[Mungo]

Have they solved the problem of air rifle mods?

Numerous people (not least @Dalua) have pointed out that the legislation threatens to be more, not less, restrictive?

 

[cjm1066]

Welcome news it will save a lot of pointless brucreacy as they did when they removed expanding bullets from section 5.

 

[Cottis]

I wonder if they could be posted normally

Hope so as this is particularly good timing for me because one of mine has finally started showing enough erosion that I think it is time to replace.

The moderator market could really open up. This should see better efforts to innovate and will encourage the crap makers to fall by the wayside if/when it becomes so easy to replace these little alloy cans. If it is dead easy to just buy them, there is proper incentive to increase quality, as it will result in quick growth/sales and therefore profit.

 

[Dalua]

Have they solved the problem of air rifle mods?

Solved it? They haven't even created it yet!!

Seriously, though - the Countryside Alliance article suggests they're under the mistaken impression that moderators of themselves are currently S1 firearms. They even seem to think that moderators on S2 shotguns are controlled - when they are explicitly exempt.
They do also state
It will not be an offence to possess a sound moderator designed for firearms excepted from Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968, i.e. Section 2 shotguns and sub 12 ft lbs air rifles, without a firearms certificate or shotgun certificate.
Which is a nice idea - but how will this definition work? Mods for sub12ftlb airguns will on S1 airguns. I've used Parker-Hale .22 mods on airweapons in the past, etc.

 

[Heym SR20]

Re the comments above on Air Weapon and Shotgun moderators, the wording from the article I posted above clears this up. See below


“The government’s proposed new law will make it an offence to possess a sound moderator for a Section 1 firearm without also possessing either a firearms certificate or shotgun certificate. It will not be an offence to possess a sound moderator designed for firearms excepted from Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968, i.e. Section 2 shotguns and sub 12 ft lbs air rifles, without a firearms certificate or shotgun certificate. This level of deregulation is exactly in line with the government’s June 2025 proposals.”

I can’t really any issues with this. I suppose there is some crossover with an air rifle silencer can be attached to a 22 Long Rifle, but why would you want to buy a have a a moderator designed for a centre fire rifle if you don’t already have an FAC for a centre fire rifle.

 

[Cottis]

Does this mean we don't have to keep them locked up like we do presently?

I could do with freeing up more space in the natty little lockbox thing at the top of the cabinet. I think I spend more time trying to find the right bolt, mod, ammo etc than I do using any of them.

Having them sitting about offering up their noxious fumes in combo with freshly roasted coffee and the frequent waft of fried black pudding sausages has always felt like a distant dream. What a time to be alive.

 

[Heym SR20]

There is a very simple solution to avoiding all the hassles of keeping rifles secure and having to do lots of paperwork on renewals etc.

Don’t have an FAC and don’t have rifles.

Plenty of people who enjoy stalking go through all their lives not owning a rifle. They stalk with guides using the estate rifle.

These days to get an FAC and buy a rifle and optics you will be looking at spending £3000, perhaps £5000.

At £300 to £500 a day, two or three days a year that is quite a bit of deer stalking over a few years.

 

[Jh1986]

Does this mean we don't have to keep them locked up like we do presently?

I could do with freeing up more space in the natty little lockbox thing at the top of the cabinet. I think I spend more time trying to find the right bolt, mod, ammo etc than I do using any of them.

Having them sitting about offering up their noxious fumes in combo with freshly roasted coffee and the frequent waft of fried black pudding sausages has always felt like a distant dream. What a time to be alive.

I thought about this too, however if you still need to be in possession of an FAC to be in possession of the moderator, then I'm not sure. Technically if my wife picked it up to tidy (put things places where I've now no idea where they are), she'd be in possession

 

[bob_lee_swagger]

Hopefully it'll open up the corridor to import easily from the US where there is a vast array of quality mods to pick from

 

[Jh1986]

Hopefully it'll open up the corridor to import easily from the US where there is a vast array of quality mods to pick from

They still have their export rules though so I'm not sure on that one. I'm hoping so, as with their new changes to moderators the mod market over there seems to have exploded.

I wanted a dead air mask for my rimfire. Couldn't get one for love nor money

 

[12gsnapcaps]

I would still lock up any moderator in the safe irregardless of the law, because it makes practical sense to do so. Plus they're expensive and i dont want to lose them, have them damaged, or have them picked up by a house visitor etc.

 

[12gsnapcaps]

There is a very simple solution to avoiding all the hassles of keeping rifles secure and having to do lots of paperwork on renewals etc.

Don’t have an FAC and don’t have rifles.

Plenty of people who enjoy stalking go through all their lives not owning a rifle. They stalk with guides using the estate rifle.

These days to get an FAC and buy a rifle and optics you will be looking at spending £3000, perhaps £5000.

At £300 to £500 a day, two or three days a year that is quite a bit of deer stalking over a few years.

Very well said!

 

[palmer_mike]

There is a very simple solution to avoiding all the hassles of keeping rifles secure and having to do lots of paperwork on renewals etc.

Don’t have an FAC and don’t have rifles.

Plenty of people who enjoy stalking go through all their lives not owning a rifle. They stalk with guides using the estate rifle.

These days to get an FAC and buy a rifle and optics you will be looking at spending £3000, perhaps £5000.

At £300 to £500 a day, two or three days a year that is quite a bit of deer stalking over a few years.

The more suspicious among us might suspect that this outcome is exactly what the authorities would like.

 

[12gsnapcaps]

I agree with you, but we still have to follow the laws and regulations even if we don't agree with them. The proper way to show our disapproval is by supporting BASC, emailing our MP's and voting at the ballot box.

 

[Scottb123]

Does this mean we don't have to keep them locked up like we do presently?

I could do with freeing up more space in the natty little lockbox thing at the top of the cabinet. I think I spend more time trying to find the right bolt, mod, ammo etc than I do using any of them.

Having them sitting about offering up their noxious fumes in combo with freshly roasted coffee and the frequent waft of fried black pudding sausages has always felt like a distant dream. What a time to be alive.

I think also it will do our mods some good getting some good airflow through them if stored outside cabinet

 

[bob_lee_swagger]

These days to get an FAC and buy a rifle and optics you will be looking at spending £3000, perhaps £5000.

Go and look in the classifieds here. You can pick up a stalking setup for a fraction of that

 

[takbok]

I'm looking forward to DIY moderators when the law changes.