Posted: 3/2/2008 2:32:46 PM EDT
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A friend at my local club has aquired a long barrel revolver ( if it fits the criteria for a rifle why is it not called a rifle?) When he applied for the variation to have it as a spare slot he was specificaly told that no one else appart from him was allowed to fire the the gun. Not even another FAC holder. Has anyone else encountered this type of restriction. I know of a club not far from me where they have a club gun LBR for anyone to shoot. Thanks in advance Cheers Taffy |
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According to ACPO guidelines, Long barrelled Pistols (LBR's and buckmarks), Section 1 shotguns, and .50BMG rifles must not be owned as clubguns, and can only be used by the person who has them on their FAC. There is no geniune reason for this, ACPO just don't like these particular guns. I know of clubs who have these as club guns, since their constabulary havn't paid attention to the guidelines, but strictly speaking, this shouldn't be the case. The way round this is to get a Taurus with a shoulder stock, so it is classed as a "Revolving Rifle", and hence the restriction doesn't apply (these will be availiable shortly). |
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Thanks for the info Tyga....it just seems a strange restriction. Not that all UK law is sensible...  If I'm capable and trusted enough to own and fire a .303/.762 etc etc why could I not be trusted to fire someone elses rifle....just because the calibre is different. Daft Taffy |
Personally I think this was a bit of an own goal. As you point out, they meet the requirements of a rifle. However, manufacturers and distributors marketed them as 'long pistols' to try and delude the disenchanted pistol shooters. It was clear what they were about but it drew the unwelcome attention of the Home Office, hence all the silly rules which have had different interpretations placed on them by different licensing authorities.. I bought my Buckmark LBP under a vacant slot for a .22lr rifle, but following my recent renewal it appears as a 'Long Barrelled Pistol' |
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A guy at my club has a .44Magnum LBR and a Thomson Centrefire, all stored at home and on his ticket. Guidlines are made for the guidance of men and the instruction of idiots. Most FEO's would look at the individual circumstances and apply the guidelines appropriately. 
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I don’t believe that this is strictly true. There is a misinterpretation of the guidelines from the home office which some forces seem to read into incorrectly link Section 13.43 is where the confusion is drawn. 13.43 Under section 44 of the 1997 Act, a person whose only reason for possessing a rifle or muzzle loading pistol is for target shooting must be a member of a target shooting club approved by the Home Office or the Scottish Executive Justice Department. The applicant is not confined to shooting only under the auspices of that club and many applicants will wish to shoot with other clubs or independently. However, membership of a particular club will generally be the core of the applicant’s “good reason” and the focus of much of their shooting activity. In some cases however, the “good reason” for certain firearms may be activities in a club other than the one nominated club. Long-barrelled revolvers, long-range pistols and section 1 shot guns do not fall within the three Home Office categories of approval for target shooting clubs, and therefore they cannot take advantage of the free club certificate issued to Home Office approved clubs. They can however be held on an individual’s firearm certificate as long as they have the facilities to use the firearms for target shooting. A call to Staffordshire Firearms department cleared this up, they stated that this pertains to free licences for clubs which weapons can be placed upon for probationers to use. if a LBR or S1 SG was to be used as a club weapon then the variation would be chargeable. I believe 50 Cals are classified differently due to their muzzle energy. Section 18.2 is clear that ANYONE who attends a homeoffice club to practice target shooting can in fact use another members firearm. 18.2 Members of a rifle club, miniature rifle club or muzzle-loading pistol club approved by the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers may, without holding firearm certificates, have in their possession firearms and ammunition when engaged as members in, or in connection with, target shooting (section 15(1) of the 1988 Act as amended by section 45 of the 1997 Act). It should be noted that section 15(1) does not stipulate that the firearms must be club firearms. It is lawful for a member of an approved club to possess temporarily a firearm belonging to another person for target shooting as a member of the club. Members may not purchase or acquire firearms or ammunition unless they have been granted firearm certificates and the exemption does not cover the use of firearms for purposes other than target shooting. The case of R v Wilson (1989) held that possession of firearms and ammunition must only be in connection with the club’s activities, and does not give members a wider authority. Again I asked this specific question to Staffs fireams licencing .... Could I allow other members of the club to use my LBR and was told yes this was fine. Hope this helps and doesn't open up a can of worms..... hinking.gif |
That's quite interesting actually.... I have never seen the actual guidelines, but was just told the information in my above post by my firearms licensing manager... |
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However, it is against evidence such as this that you would have to fight against, this was written in Jan 2000 for the Home Affairs committee. LONG-BARRELLED PISTOLS Since the 1997 Acts there has been growing interest in the use of revolvers with long barrels for target shooting. These are essentially ordinary handguns, but their long barrel means that they exceed the length of firearm prohibited under the 1997 Acts. The first such design, the "Buntline" was based on a design of the Victorian era for a pistol with a detachable stock, but more modern versions have now been put forward. These should be distinguished from long-range pistols, which are target shooting weapons generally using rifle actions. These guns are subject to full control under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 and thus may be possessed only on the authority of a firearm certificate issued subject to "good reason". No national shooting organisations appear to have developed shooting events for these weapons to date. More recently, it appears that pistols with a somewhat shorter barrel and a "wrist support" to extend its overall length have been developed, though their legal status has yet to be tested. There is no evidence that these weapons are more of an immediate threat to public safety than other weapons subject to certification. They are difficult to conceal and apparently somewhat unwieldy to use. While these are closer in appearance to some types of pistol used for long-range target shooting disciplines, their ballistic characteristics are apparently similar to other types of centre-fire revolver. However, there are two obvious causes for concern. The first is that the sawing-off of the long barrel, while illegal, would improve the usefulness of the gun both for conventional use in target shooting and potentially in crime. The prospect that a certificate holder could obtain a modern revolver of the kind prohibited under the 1997 Acts simply by a few minutes work with a hacksaw is disturbing. The second point is the potential use of these items. While disciplines for muzzle-loading pistols have long been in existence, and in the case of pistol-calibre carbines were swiftly organised by reputable national organisations, the long-barrelled pistol has no such "niche". The acquisition of these weapons may be motivated in some cases by a desire to own and use a "handgun" rather than a desire to take part in legitimate target shooting sports. However, there will always be limits to the process of seeking to refine the scope of any controls. The definition of "small firearm" adopted in the 1997 Acts was intended to remove any scope for disputes as to what might be regarded as "handguns" or "pistols". Having set such a boundary it seems sensible to maintain it unless there is clear risk to public safety. Items of this kind must, however, be kept under close scrutiny and the police will continue to consider carefully what "good reason" might exist for individuals to own such items. Thankfully, many of the points mentioned in the above text have been negated, but some will never be  |
I know means I have to mention them again, but I've run a UKPSA sanctioned comp. for LBR/LBF once a year for the last three years now and will hopefully be organising another in November sometime. How old is the above statement Paul? I wonder if the powers that be would reword it as the highlighted text is no longer the case? Doh! just re-read it. I don't think my eyes are working properly, must have been that 500 yard run down yesterday which I nearly died on!!! |
I wonder who could possibly want one............?
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That was not an intended advert!!!! Many people will have then in stock when they are availiable |
Correct, These particular firearms were singled out as 'should they be banned' firearms in the recent 'Consultation Paper'. Translation: Next time they need a Ban for a PR stunt, HMG will ban one or all of these classes of firearms. |