Fil

In my experience, the ONLY person that can answer your question is your local firearms enquiry officer. He/She will take the information and submit it to your head of firearms licensing for a definitive answer if they feel further guidance is needed. I am sure they will give you advice and a provisional answer for free. My area will. Best of luck. Sorry. I replied before I saw this. That sucks. My FEO is very open to giving advice before things get official. It's the firearms postcode lottery again 🙄

Pretty sure it's an export import job. I have been involved with exporting arms to the USA and Ireland it's a red tape marathon. Plus the shipping as mentioned. Tracey at PBS International will tell you exactly what is required. She's my go to when I need to get guns to the US or Ireland. But I've never sent any to Canada. Even though I lived there ten years They are based at Gatwick.

👍 And chamber reamers and rimming tools and choke reamers and barrel tube strikers and tin paste and resin and a large torch and ...................

Off the top of my head, don't you need to be a RFD to possess a gun that's (albeit temporarily) been cut down below the otherwise legal minimum length? Yes you do. When you cut the barrel for sleeving you then own a shotgun with a barrel less than 24" which then brings it into a section 5 category. The exemption in the firearms act (which you rightly quote below) is provision for RFD certificate holders to cut the barrels temporarily for sleeving purposes only. Plus good luck in buying sleeving tubes from a bonafide supplier without an RFD certificate. Helstons or Ladbrook and Langton won't supply without one. Mind you, I did have some made for an 8 bore sleeving job by a hydraulic tube manufacturer because I couldn't get them from my usual suppliers. Worked a treat. Yes you do. And you just don't register as an RFD. There's way more to it than that.

As an "RFD" I know that Parcelforce has an agreement with the GTA (Gun Trade Association) and trade members of BASC to carry (at a discounted price) section 1 and 2 firearms from RFD to RFD. As a GTA member I had a circular email from them reminding us all that the Parcelforce agreement is RFD to RFD ONLY. So I would say that it is against the "rules". It is worth noting that Parcelforce will ONLY carry firearms if you are a trade member of BASC or the GTA. Although I see someone found some info that they will carry if proof is given that both are rfd. Royal Mail will not (knowingly) carry firearms. I personally would not deal with that RFD. That just wrong. As Gunman said, they maybe a part timer home rfd and not all follow the rules just to save a few quid. Which in turn puts us all in a bad light. Not saying home rfd's are bad, I was one when I first started out on my own 25 years ago. I would dearly love to know who they are.

This is quite correct and great advice. Unfortunately police forces (like TVP) are enforcing the Home Office security manual onto private owners too. I know because I'm a gunmaker in Wiltshire that borders Berkshire (TV) and used to be in the TVP region. Most of my customers are Berkshire and they are telling me that this is happening to them. Short answer is no. There is no restriction on the amount of shotguns you can own. You may be asked to up your security other than the size of your gun cabinet. I've always been a proponent of not being afraid to ask your FEO "where does it say that in the Home Office guidance?" When he/she says you have too many guns. Or any more than 6 guns you must have an alarm or You have a 3 gun cabinet you can only have 3 despite fitting four in there. Don't be afraid of them. If we let them get away with what they make up then that will be it for others in the future. They (Home Office) have now grouped levels of security required for the keeping of firearms that doesn't just take into account how many firearms you own. It also takes into consideration, where you live, the construction of your house, etc. In a sense I don't think it's a bad thing as at least we have something in writing to go by than the FEO's or force areas making it up as they want it to be. Which used to happen all the time. Remember, in theory you still don't need a gun cabinet......

There is a business I do a lot of repairs for and they just recently called in their FEO to complain about the fact that they were many, many thousands of pounds down in takings from last year and their accountant can categorically prove it was down to lost sales due to the abysmal turnaround of variations and renewals. This shop expanded a few years ago and they have a lot of big money customers. The only adverse effect on my business from abysmal performance is the many guns I'm storing due to expired certificates during the renewal process which obviously has a knock on effect to servicing, repairs, cartridge sales, etc. because the gun owner isn't shooting.

M.e.n.t.a.l i.l.l.n.e.s.s

LOL I was shooting today and a gun had his wife loading for him. He said she comes with me so I don't get moaned at when I get home. For fear of getting banned (and so be it) There are only two sexes. Male and Female. The rest are mental illnesses and I wouldn't want them having access to firearms. There. Said it.

But it doesn't mean that I want to give up my Eley Impax 28g 6's or think that I am going to bow down to the EU and their lead bans when I voted for brexit hoping that our firearms laws were going away from the EU for UK firearms laws dammit!!! LOL

Conor, I admire your full and comprehensive reply. A lot of what you said is what I have heard already from other organisations (such as the GTA) But I didn't want to accept or believe it. And I have to say that I am with you on that. Great post.

We have done the same on waterfowl in the UK since the 90's. Loads got the same perfection. Steel was even cheaper than lead when we were allowed to shoot plas wads. What we are talking about here is non lead on grouse, pheasant etc. We don't/can't use cheap plas wad steel loads. We are now told to use these new steel loads with biodegradable wads which can be as much as 50% more per box than our favourite lead load. We don't shoot game with pumps or autos. So we are looking for an affective, reasonably priced, safe and humane load for our old vintage guns. Bismuth here for me is anything from £400 - £450.00 for 250 cartridges and therefore not an option. Yes I understand your point but we are talking something different.

I've always said and will continue to say that "volunteering" away a bit by bit of our past time is not the way to go. We will NEVER appease those that are against shooting. Anyone who thinks it will is deluded. It will never get my support. And I vehemently disagree with your comment that "Those knocking BASC and other organisations for encouraging a voluntary transition do the future of shooting no favours". Most if not all I speak to on a daily basis in my establishment and in the shooting agree and only give you money because of the compulsory shooting insurance that they require for their shooting syndicate. I have however enlightened them that other groups exist that offer equal shooting insurance that do not allow the chip chip chip away of our past time.

As a cartridge seller albeit not in a big way a lot of estates I supply and individuals have reverted to lead this season. Last two years everyone followed the "transition" but this they have given it two fingers and gone back to lead until forced by law.

It's eye dominance. I never thought I had it until I did my coaching course and then I found out why I was seeing what you do. Seek a good gun coach who really understands eye dominance. Like Anne Litchfield who does the Lantra coaching courses. Too many weekend ticket experts out there. See someone who has been doing it over a number of years.

I get that. And the arrogance of Conor is annoying to say the least. Just like a true BASC rep. I've had my say earlier in the post and that is that but I admire Konor's stand on this.

Spot on!

Thanks. LOL. Spot on about the Turkish guns.

Which was pretty much the exact arrogant reply I got from BASC. Old **** here. One who has over 20 years invested in some wonderful Edwardian guns to hand over to my sons when I hang up my tweed for good. No Purdeys or H&H's.... yet. I'm not of that money before you start saying well stop whining, you can afford Tungsten or Bismuth then. Which is also what BASC said to me in their reply when I stopped my membership. (Yes they did!) I too game shoot on a small budget. I managed to get into a friendly little self run syndicate this season as to buy a day now for me is out of the question due to cost. (£600.00 for a 70 bird day as opposed to £250- 300 a few years back) I clay shoot a bit more nowadays to enjoy my guns. And I don't go game shooting just to kill birds. I know a lot of people that do. They turn up with their chosen implement, shoot what flies over them and go home. I'm not saying that's wrong either. Each to their own. But I have an interest in the history of our shooting and gun making. Many times I have been caught staring at the engraving or the Damascus patterns as they glint in the sun whilst not even seeing that bird whistle by and mates shouting "Wake up"!! I sometimes wonder where my Westley Richards 'Ovundo' has been used whilst I admire it waiting for the drive to start. And when I drop that 'corker' to add to the 25 bird bag with something made in 1910 that makes the day even more worth while for me. Not how many. Now if that's an old **** looking through rose tinted glasses then guilty as charged. I certainly don't want a tool just to do the job when it comes to driven or walked up game shooting. I want to be able to carry on enjoying our gun making history against the same quarry they fired in anger at over 100 years ago. I'm not against modern guns either. I have great fun using a pump on the pigeons. And a custom GD5 Browning 325 on sim days when I have the money for a sim day. I also think the most wonderful gun out there is the older 28" Beretta silver pigeon 20 bore with fixed chokes. It is an absolute joy to shoot. And shoot steel it will. But you may agree (or not) the history and wonder of a gun made in 2003 bears nothing on the history and craftsmanship of a hand made gun assembled over 100 years ago. And I'll happily shoot with an affordable and humane alternative that is suitable for my light weight vintage guns. And I'm not convinced that steel is it. So I am with the Old Farriers, the Konors and the Scully's on this. This is my passion, and my way of life too. And I didn't think my membership money was going towards fighting our corner enough. The give a little to appease "them" and help public image is not my way of thinking. We will never appease an anti. Ever. So fight harder and stop rolling over. It's okay to evolve too. But that takes time.

I cancelled my BASC membership years ago. The sudden Monday morning "lead is bad" statement was the last straw. I am a member of SACS for my shooting insurance and to support an organisation helping to fight for our cause. By no means an endorsement. I'm just saying BASC are not the holy grail they think they are. If your club and permission insist on BASC only then fair enough.

Have you found rust in the meat to be an issue?

Also one of my opinions/questions on the non lead debate. The then BGA, BASC, et al were saying one of the great reasons from moving away from lead would get lots more game into the supermarkets. Wishful thinking IMO. Go back a number of years when no one cared whether game was shot with lead or not (and a lot like me still don't) did we see supermarket aisles brimming with shot birds?? NO! We didn't. There were a few oven ready pheasants a brace of partridge and some pigeons from memory. What makes them now think that just because the bird was shot with non lead the supermarkets will suddenly fill their meat aisles? My opinion is that it has nothing to do with lead. It is about public opinion. The antis would have a field day in the supermarket aisles. If little Phoebe and Harriet are in the milk aisle pouring out all the milk on floor in protest because of the poor cows and their farts destroying the planet then you know what's going to happen if there was all kinds of shot birds on sale. Shot by those nasty people.. Toffs with their guns. It isn't happening. I am not buying the argument that it will introduce more people to game meat.

Holloway made some lovely guns for other makers. You can tell if it had an H followed by around 5 numbers stamped on the small rib/butt piece. For instance H12345. My son showed me a Hardy Bros in the Holts catalogue online going for no money as the ribs were loose. I spotted the H number and told him to buy it and I'd sort the ribs for him. Bargain at £150,00 Beautiful file up on the action. I also had a Dickson BLE made by Holloway. Beautiful gun but I sold it. (Can't keep all of them if you want to stay in business!) Naturally Holloway were great gunmakers in their own right. Also Joseph Asbury was the "gunmakers gunmaker" He made a lot of box lock guns for gunmakers. The tell tale sign of a Joseph Asbury made gun is you will find the initials JA stamped on the barrels in front of the flats. I still see lots in circulation today.

Me too. 28g 6's Impax for me on both. My Coggie Extra Quality Victor has imp/cyl - 1/4 choke and brings them down no problem. Dead I should say too. I also have a H. Clarke Leicester with F/A & 1/2. Brought good pheasant down with that and getting questions from fellow pegs... "What cartridges are you using?" 👍 Totally

I was arrogantly slapped down one time too many by them when I was questioning early on about affects of rust in meat with steel shot or kept pointing out that that Eley VIP Pro Eco wad cartridge they so gleefully paraded around at the time as our saviour is NOT suitable for use in ANY nitro proofed gun as they first declared. 'You don't know what you are talking about' was one reply. (I'm a gunmaker) There are now alleged cases of game being rejected due to rusty shot in meat. I also kept persevering over a couple of days back then pointing out to various reps on FB that the information they are giving is incorrect and in fact dangerous. I was slapped down again until I pointed out that 70mm cartridges are not suitable for use in 65mm chambered guns. A lot of us still shoot 65mm chambered guns so that cartridge is definitely NOT suitable for ANY gun that is nitro proofed. The posts on social media were quickly removed. I then cancelled my membership. I appreciate where BASC is coming from in trying to future proof our sport but any questioning, resistance, or objections including the non believers are treated like covid deniers or anti vaxers it feels. The arrogance towards some of its members was eye opening to say the least. Good luck to them. They'll not see my money again. There are other field sports societies that fight our corner who will happily take my money. My one last say in this: How can an organisation which have been saying for many, many years that it opposes any further restrictions in lead shot (following the lead ban on wildfowl) and can see no reason why to ban lead shot suddenly wake up Monday morning and say that lead is bad we need to go lead free.