Jump to content

Incident with a shotgun in public - what would you do?


Raja Clavata
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 81
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Look at it from a random non shootong Joe public's point of view who is not used to seeing a firearm, just driving along a road minding his own business when a person walks out of a house onto a public road with a gun. To him there will be absolutely no reason for someone to have a gun in their hands on display in the street. There could be a phone call going to the police who in turn will send a firearms team looking for them.

They may not have broken the law but having a gun on display coming from your house could be looked upon as putting your personal security at risk as a potential burglar now knows you have a gun in the house, possible reason to revoke a licence.

From my firearms department they even warn you about putting pictures of yourself using your firearms on social media, if your guns were stolen and it could be demonstrated that your lack of common sense was a contributing factor then your licence is gone, end off

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Rob85 said:

Look at it from a random non shootong Joe public's point of view who is not used to seeing a firearm, just driving along a road minding his own business when a person walks out of a house onto a public road with a gun. To him there will be absolutely no reason for someone to have a gun in their hands on display in the street. There could be a phone call going to the police who in turn will send a firearms team looking for them.

They may not have broken the law but having a gun on display coming from your house could be looked upon as putting your personal security at risk as a potential burglar now knows you have a gun in the house, possible reason to revoke a licence.

From my firearms department they even warn you about putting pictures of yourself using your firearms on social media, if your guns were stolen and it could be demonstrated that your lack of common sense was a contributing factor then your licence is gone, end off

Yes indeed, but it would appear that nobody else has bothered to inform the authorities, or if they did the authorities don't care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just out of curiosity did this happen within a town an estate or mabe in the countryside where this happens all the time even if it is on shoot day and you got to cross the road to shoot other side any member of the public driving through the lanes might see you with a in this case a shotgun many a driver have seen me crossing the road with my rifle going from one side of farm to other 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Yes indeed, but it would appear that nobody else has bothered to inform the authorities, or if they did the authorities don't care.

My son didn't even see it and he was directly behind me.

 

Just now, Rim Fire said:

just out of curiosity did this happen within a town an estate or mabe in the countryside where this happens all the time even if it is on shoot day and you got to cross the road to shoot other side any member of the public driving through the lanes might see you with a in this case a shotgun many a driver have seen me crossing the road with my rifle going from one side of farm to other 

semi-rural but certainly not in the countryside - about a mile or so from Brentwood Town centre on an A road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It certainly does seem strange that so many think it's fine to be on the front of your house with an unslipped gun, just because its another shooter doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to things.

And if the op didn't like the look of the fella then fair enough, what's to say he hasn't just burgled the house and is walking out with the gun?

Legal or not its damned bad practice. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Mice! said:

It certainly does seem strange that so many think it's fine to be on the front of your house with an unslipped gun, just because its another shooter doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to things.

And if the op didn't like the look of the fella then fair enough, what's to say he hasn't just burgled the house and is walking out with the gun?

Legal or not its damned bad practice. 

I don't think he would have burgled the house with his mate he decides not to put his gun in his case and his mate thought i better because of safety and what sort of look have you got to have to be able to own a shotgun

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I won't name names or go into specific details but I reported something to the local firearms dept recently which wasn't right.

Turns out it's not the first time it's been reported either.

I don't care if it makes me a 'snitch' in the eyes of some, hopefully it's prevented a far more serious incident happening.

At the end of the day you have to act how you think best, and do what sits right with your conscience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Farmboy91 said:

I won't name names or go into specific details but I reported something to the local firearms dept recently which wasn't right.

Turns out it's not the first time it's been reported either.

I don't care if it makes me a 'snitch' in the eyes of some, hopefully it's prevented a far more serious incident happening.

At the end of the day you have to act how you think best, and do what sits right with your conscience.

You're only a snitch if you're in hot water yourself and provide information about another person to offset the punishment you are due. People throw phrases around without even knowing the correct use of them.

You're spot on about the conscience side of things too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

You're only a snitch if you're in hot water yourself and provide information about another person to offset the punishment you are due. People throw phrases around without even knowing the correct use of them.

You're spot on about the conscience side of things too!

I think if something to be said, especially to the police it's better coming from another shooter rather than a member of the public or possibly an anti because for example I only gave the facts, an anti might not. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 02/11/2020 at 22:44, southeastpete said:

Maybe just post a note saying it alarmed you a bit, and as a fellow shooter you didn’t take any other action, but the next person might and he’s probably lose his guns. I’m sure he’d get the hint.

That would seem a sensible course of action, best sending the note anonymously via Royal Mail to avoid personal confrontation.   

Any report to the authorities would go down in statistics as another "firearms incident".   A police car (possibly even an armed response vehicle) might be sent to the man's house, or a distorted account might appear in the press or on local TV, all unwelcome publicity for the rest of us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Rob85 said:

Another perspective on this, picture what would happen if you decided to walk across London bridge with a gun over the crook of your arm. I think Scotland yard would take a rather dim view of it.

Another perspective which is completely irrelevant!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Another perspective which is completely irrelevant!

Why irrelevant? It's a public street like any other, the difference is it has suffered a terror attack, imagine how the police will react to a call about a person walking with a long gun over London bridge. I don't see why they should react differently in a smaller town. Being the cause of an incident on a public street because you were carrying an unslipped gun will not sit well with your FEO no matter how much you tell them you were not breaking the law. In today's age of social media you can bet hour backside you would be recorded by someone while the firearms team have you on your knees with your hands up.....trust me that would go viral! People have had a licence refused because the FEO didn't like where there cabinet was, they don't want guns in plain sight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 04/11/2020 at 04:01, Mice! said:

It certainly does seem strange that so many think it's fine to be on the front of your house with an unslipped gun, just because its another shooter doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to things.

And if the op didn't like the look of the fella then fair enough, what's to say he hasn't just burgled the house and is walking out with the gun?

Legal or not its damned bad practice. 


Let’s not generalise, we as shooters don’t need that. 
 

If I walk out of my house (which  I do on a regular basis) with a gun not in a slip am I a bad person? No, I’m surrounded by hundreds of acres of our own land, not a soul around. 
 

Not relevant to the OP but we need to stop making rules up. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, D_shooter said:

Let’s not generalise, we as shooters don’t need that. 
 

Where have I generalised??

Your not telling me you've never looked at someone and thought I don't like the look of him? I certainly have, it's got nothing to do with shooting. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My thoughts are this - you either deal with it at the time, in person of via and agent ie the police or you don't deal with it at all as its nothing to worry about. I wouldnt post on a forum for views as you'll get as many different ones as you can count and none were there and none know the circumstances. None will provide evidence to a court wither way and then you have to question the point of the exercise. 

Clearly it wasn't worth stopping for at the time and dealing with either yourself of via the police so its a non issue. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Mice! said:

Where have I generalised??

Your not telling me you've never looked at someone and thought I don't like the look of him? I certainly have, it's got nothing to do with shooting. 

You said “It certainly does seem strange that so many think it's fine to be on the front of your house with an unslipped gun, just because its another shooter doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to things.”

and “Legal or not its damned bad practice. 

 

I was not referring to your comment on how someone look’s as that isn’t a legal requirement of a SGC holder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst having my lunch at work the other day, a chap sitting in the far left hand corner licked his knife. 

 

Should i report him to the MD for doing an unsafe act or take all the knives out of the canteen in case he does the same thing again ???

Or just carry on eating my lunch safely on my own ??? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, D_shooter said:

You said “It certainly does seem strange that so many think it's fine to be on the front of your house with an unslipped gun, just because its another shooter doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to things.”

and “Legal or not its damned bad practice. 

 

I was not referring to your comment on how someone look’s as that isn’t a legal requirement of a SGC holder.

Fair enough 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I carried some wildfowling kit into my driveway the other day including my unslipped semi auto as the slip was outside already (drying). As soon as I opened the door and started taking a step it felt very wrong and so I turned around, put the gun back inside and went to fetch the slip. Normally the gun is slipped as soon as it leaves the safe, this was a freak occurrence. I would be tempted to send the letter and give them a second chance. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...