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.410 " shot pistol" legalities.


coneyhunter
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Ive recently been considering putting in for a folding falco .410 " shotpistol" although not a pistol in the traditional sense of the word it has 18 inch barrels and as a result it cannot go on my SGC.

 

I would wish to put it on my FAC but at the moment only have authorised use on a range or in my local gunclub, all my live shooting is done with shotgun, i am a pest controller by trade and would wish to own the gun for humane dispatch purposes, for example a trapped fox or to shoot rats in an enclosed space ( large barns etc).

 

Would this count as a good enough reason to own one?

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Ive recently been considering putting in for a folding falco .410 " shotpistol" although not a pistol in the traditional sense of the word it has 18 inch barrels and as a result it cannot go on my SGC.

 

I would wish to put it on my FAC but at the moment only have authorised use on a range or in my local gunclub, all my live shooting is done with shotgun, i am a pest controller by trade and would wish to own the gun for humane dispatch purposes, for example a trapped fox or to shoot rats in an enclosed space ( large barns etc).

 

Would this count as a good enough reason to own one?

 

Your best bet is to ask your flo but hazzarding a guess I would say no, as stated your fac is for range use only and humane dispatch can be easily done with a standard or hushpower shotgun. It would deliver the same result as a shot pistol would and for shooting rats in a barn, I know a couple of people who have a shot pistol for humane dispatch and thats all they can use it for shooting trapped or wounded animals.

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Give it a go and see....a professional 'red' squirrel ranger I know has one for shooting greys he traps.If you're a professional pest controller I think that justifies your 'good reason'.The SRA may be able to help,they seem to be quite successful at gaining pistols for humane despatch.

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I am also a full time pest controller & I have a .410 shot pistol, which I use for despatching trapped pests & vermin etc, but it also states on my FAC I can shoot vermin in & around buildings, which I was doing on the weekend, shooting rats up a tree which had taken refuge from the dogs while we were smoking them out. I have an open FAC, plus I have SGC with a few .410 shotguns on it, one with a moderator on. These .410 shot pistol are not much use beyond five metres, as the spread of the shot is too great for any accuratecy. If you have a FAC & you have a good reason to own a .410 shot pistol, they cannot refuse you, it is your right. When I first applied for mine a few years ago, the FLO tried to persuede me to have a .22rf pistol instead, saying the Police armourer reccommend that I had it. But I refused & stuck to my guns (no pun intended) saying it is safer to use a .410 shot pistol than a .22rf pistol & how many trapped foxes do the armourer shoot, the FLO said fair comment. Within two weeks I had the go ahead to purchase a .410 shot pistol.

Edited by PredatorPCS
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I am also a full time pest controller & I have a .410 shot pistol, which I use for despatching trapped pests & vermin etc, but it also states on my FAC I can shoot vermin in & around buildings, which I was doing on the weekend, shooting rats up a tree which had taken refuge from the dogs while we were smoking them out. I have an open FAC, plus I have SGC with a few .410 shotguns on it, one with a moderator on. These .410 shot pistol are not much use beyond five metres, as the spread of the shot is too great for any accuratecy. If you have a FAC & you have a good reason to own a .410 shot pistol, they cannot refuse you, it is your right. When I first applied for mine a few years ago, the FLO tried to persuede me to have a .22rf pistol instead, saying the Police armourer reccommend that I had it. But I refused & stuck to my guns (no pun intended) saying it is safer to use a .410 shot pistol than a .22rf pistol & how many trapped foxes do the armourer shoot, the FLO said fair comment. Within two weeks I had the go ahead to purchase a .410 shot pistol.

 

If this was going on you SGC you would be correct but considering it would be going on a FAC you are wrong, it is not your right to own any section 1 firearm you need to provide good reason and need for your FAC unlike your SGC where clay pigeon is good enough to posess such a license.

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If you read the police Firearms guidance:

 

Section 4 of the 1997 Act allows the

possession and use of shot pistols in calibres

.410 and 9mm rimfire, provided that such a

pistol is “subject to a condition that it is only

for use in connection with the shooting of

vermin” (see Appendix 3 for the exact

wording of the condition which covers these

circumstances). This exemption was intended

mainly for pest controllers who may need to

use a firearm of this kind in farm buildings,

farmyards and similar areas where use of

a conventional shot gun would be

inappropriate, for example fruit cages

or near release pens.

 

From page 73

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Luckyshot, if you bother to read my post correctly you will realise that it is what I said, that I have got a open FAC & I can prove I need the firearm. THEY CAN NOT REFUSE YOU, IT IS YOUR RIGHT. It seems to me you have NO experience in owning this type of firearm.

 

Check again it is not your right to own any firearm but it is your right to own a shotgun. tTey can refuse you and if you go stating it is your right to own one no doubt they will.

Edited by Luckyshot
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Check again it is not your right to own any firearm but it is your right to own a shotgun. tTey can refuse you and if you go stating it is your right to own one no doubt they will.

 

 

luckyshot

 

I think you are being a little pedantic regarding the word right.

 

I think what predator is saying is that if you are a good chap and have a good reason to have one then the police would be unable to refuse your application. I would loosley term it as my right to have one and I have never in the 50 years of having a fac had the police get snotty with me regarding what I consider my rights.

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luckyshot

 

I think you are being a little pedantic regarding the word right.

 

I think what predator is saying is that if you are a good chap and have a good reason to have one then the police would be unable to refuse your application. I would loosley term it as my right to have one and I have never in the 50 years of having a fac had the police get snotty with me regarding what I consider my rights.

CharlieT

I think you hit the nail squarely on the head.

 

Cheers.

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  • 8 years later...

My opinion (which I suppose is worth what you've paid for it 😂) is that a professional pest controller would have a very good argument that the threshold of "good reason" has been met. It would be very tough to argue that a shortened .410 shotgun offers much threat to public safety. 

If you're told "no, [an other firearm] is sufficient and you can use that" then please remember that its not up to them to decide what is or not the right firearm to use. They only have to establish "good reason", and that's different. Otherwise we'd all be using the minimum approved caliber to stalk deer etc. 

Also "in and around buildings" is a very silly condition. That may be part of the original good reason, but why try and apply it as a restriction? How would that make anyone any safer!? How close to a building would I have to be? 

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