help needed

[jordan]

I have recently been told that when you reach the age of 15 you are allowed out on your own with a shotgun on land with permission. Is this true?

[magman]

it was when i come of age not certain now but one of these guys will no

[rb5037]

At 15 you have to be under supervision of someone aged 21 years or over

 

Or if you are traveling with a shot gun it's got to be in a secure gun cover (but this exemption is not available in respect of air pistols)

 

 

Reading the chart again i'm not too sure, is it 15 and below or if you 15 then it's ok

 

Have a look at the chart HERE

[dunganick]

i believe the law is that you can use a shotgun (if you have a cert) on your own from the age of 14, but you cant use an air rifle until your 17 on your own.

 

there was a response to a similar question to this in the recent Q/A section in either sporting gun or shooting sports, the one with all the coloured boxes

 

i shal try to dig it out at some point

[Cranfield]

To further add to the confusion,....... I believe that you can possess and use a shotgun, on land you have permission over, without supervision, if you are over 15 years of age.

[jordan]

well now im more confused

[Gemini]

Persons under the age of seventeen

 

7.2 Sections 22(1) and 24(1) of the 1968 Act

prohibit the purchase or hire by, and the sale

or letting on hire to, a person under the age

of 17, of a firearm or ammunition. For the

purpose of these sections, the expressions

“firearm” and “ammunition” include all

classes of firearms and ammunition falling

within the definitions of section 57(1) of

the 1968 Act, and not only those to which

sections 1 and 2 apply (see Chapter 2). In

particular, this means that a young person

under seventeen cannot buy a low-powered

air weapon and/or ammunition for it.

7.3 Section 22(5) of the 1968 Act makes it

an offence for any person under the age of

seventeen to have an air weapon with them

in any public place except:

a) as a member of an approved club while

engaged as such in or in connection with

target shooting (Section 23(2)(a) of the

1968 Act); or

while at a shooting gallery where only air

weapons or miniature rifles not exceeding

.23 inch calibre are used (section 23( of

the 1968 Act); or

c) where the air gun or an air rifle (but

not an air pistol) is so covered with a

securely fastened gun cover so that it

cannot be fired;

It is an offence for a person under the age

of seventeen to be in possession of an air

pistol in any public place except as at (a)

and ( above.

7.4 A public place for this purpose includes

any highway and any other premises to

which, at the material time, the public have

or are permitted to have access, whether for

payment or otherwise (section 57(4) of the

1968 Act). For example, a shop or a cinema

would be a “public place” even though it was

private property.

 

Persons under the age of fifteen

 

7.5 Under section 22(3) of the 1968 Act it is

an offence for any person under the age of

fifteen to have an assembled shot gun with

them unless:

a) they are either under the supervision of a

person aged twenty-one or over; or

the gun is so covered with a securely

fastened gun cover that it cannot be fired.

Note: the Act does not require the supervisor

to be a certificate holder, although this is

clearly preferable.

7.6 The Act does not prohibit a person

under fifteen from having a shot gun

certificate. Nor does it exempt them from

the need to have a shot gun certificate in

order to have an assembled shot gun in their

possession in the circumstances described

above. It is for the chief officer of police to

decide whether a shot gun certificate should

be granted to a person under fifteen “without

danger to the public safety or to the peace”,

just as is the case if the applicant was over

15. Each case should always be assessed

on its own merits. It is usual in such cases

that the child’s parents, guardian or other

responsible adult will supervise the young

person and take responsibility for the gun

when not in use.

7.7 Under Section 24(3) of the 1968 Act it

is an offence to make a gift of a shot gun

or ammunition for a shot gun to a person

under the age of fifteen. The effect of this

provision is to ensure that persons under

15 years of age may not be given guns of

their own, which may otherwise tempt them

to shoot unsupervised; it does not prevent

them from being taught to shoot under

supervision. It is in the interests of safety that

a young person who is to handle firearms

should be properly taught at a relatively early

age. It should be noted that the offence is

committed by the giver of the shot gun, not

the young person who receives it.

 

Persons under the age of fourteen

 

7.8 Sections 22(2) and 24(2)(a) and ( of the

1968 Act deal with persons under the age

of fourteen and relate only to firearms and

ammunition to which section 1 of the 1968

Act applies, which (by virtue of the 1982

Act) includes replicas which can be readily

converted to fire. Under section 24(2)(a) such

firearms may not be given or lent to a person

under fourteen (though it is not an offence

by the young person to receive them).

7.9 Section 22(2) prohibits persons under the

age of fourteen from having with them any

such firearms or ammunition except in

circumstances where they are entitled by

virtue of sections 11(1), (3) or (4) of the 1968

Act or section 15(1) of the 1988 Act to have

possession of them without holding a firearm

certificate. These include possession at rifle

clubs, on a miniature rifle range or as a

member of a cadet corps. Except in such

circumstances, it is an offence under section

24(2)( to part with the possession of any

firearms or ammunition to which section 1

applies to a person who is under the age of

fourteen (though it is not an offence by the

young person to receive them).

7.10 Sections 22(4), 23(1) and 24(4) of the

1968 Act also deal with persons under the

age of fourteen and relate to air weapons

(that is, air guns, air rifles and air pistols).

Under section 24(4)(a) it is an offence to

make a gift of an air weapon, or ammunition

for it, to a person under the age of fourteen.

It is not an offence on the part of the young

person to receive the weapon or ammunition

(see paragraphs 7.11 and 7.12 below).

7.11 Under section 22(4) of the 1968 Act

it is an offence for a person under the age

of fourteen to be in possession of an air

weapon, or ammunition for it, except:

a) as a member of an approved club while

engaged as such in or in connection with

target shooting (section 23(2)() of the

1968 Act; or

while at a shooting gallery where only air

weapons or miniature rifles not exceeding

.23 calibre are used (section 23(2)( of the

1968 Act); or

c) while shooting under the supervision of a

person aged twenty-one or over on private

premises (including land), and providing

that the missile is not fired beyond those

premises (section 23(1)(a) of the 1968 Act).

Under section 23(1)( of the 1968 Act it is

an offence for the supervisor to allow the

person under fourteen to use an air weapon

for firing any missile beyond the premises.

7.12 It is an offence under section 24(4)(

of the 1968 Act to part with the possession

of an air weapon, or ammunition for it, to

a person under the age of fourteen except

where they are entitled to have it with

them by virtue of the exemptions

mentioned above.

7.13 Section 24(5) of the 1968 Act provides

that, in proceedings for an offence under any

of the provisions relating to the transfer of

firearms to young persons, it is a defence

to prove that the person charged with the

offence believed the other person to be of

over the age mentioned in that provision and

had reasonable ground for the belief.

7.14 A person under fourteen may not

be granted a firearm certificate in any

circumstances. However, there may be some

occasions where a parent is granted such a

certificate, or an existing certificate is varied,

in respect of a child under fourteen, for

example where the child will be participating

in competitive target shooting. In these

instances, the child would be expected to

provide the primary “good reason” for the

possession of the firearm. Both the parent

and the child would be subject to the

necessary background checks.

 

 

G.M.

 

You’ll have to excuse the smileys. Apparently the board has confused some of the section headings with one of the smiley codes. :*)

Edited March 28, 2005 by Gemini

[jordan]

so could a 15 year old shoot unsupervised on land with permission i couldnt make heads nor tale of that so a simple yes or no is needed

[paulos]

yes, a 15 old can use a shotgun unsupervised, provided he/she has a valid shotgun certificate and permission to shoot on the land. however you cannot buy a shotgun or cartridges until you are 17. you can be given or lent them though.

[Cranfield]

After reading Gemini's post , I have no reason to change my opinion.

 

"To further add to the confusion,....... I believe that you can possess and use a shotgun, on land you have permission over, without supervision, if you are over 15 years of age."

 

jordan, you could always telephone the Firearms Office at your locl police Station, for their interpretation.

[Gemini]

so could a 15 year old shoot unsupervised on land with permission i couldnt make heads nor tale of that so a simple yes or no is needed

7.5 Under section 22 (3) of the 1968 Act it is

an offence for any person under the age of

fifteen to have an assembled shot gun with

them unless:

a) they are either under the supervision of a

person aged twenty-one or over; or

the gun is so covered with a securely

fastened gun cover that it cannot be fired.

 

How much clearer do you need it to be

[Fisherman Mike]

jordan, you could always telephone the Firearms Office at your locl police Station, for their interpretation.

Quite right....If Ive said this once ive said it a Hundred times on this forum....

Talk to your Local Constabulary Firearms Liason Officer...

 

Get to know him and use his services.. I am sure he will only be too pleased to help and you will have few firearm related problems in the future.

 

FM.

[Cranfield]

Gemini, the restrictions you list are for a person under the age of 15 years.

 

Jordans question referred to someone of (ie.over) 15 years of age.

[tucker]

Cranfield

I,m not being picky, but Gemini has answered Jordans question.

By the fact that he has listed the restrictions for under 15s.

Therefore once he turned 15 these restrictions do not apply to him.

 

TUC

[jordan]

cheers lads i would ring him but to be perfectly honest theyve got some citizen doing it in our area not a proper firearms bloke if that makes sense apparently they do not have the resources so they have handed it over to the local volunteers