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Original poster

Children holding firearms licenses

72 replies

TotorosCatBus · 27/07/2021 13:26

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/19469149.100-children-hold-gun-licences-thames-valley-area/

Can someone educate me why children hold gun licenses in the UK?

There's a SEVEN year old somewhere in the UK with one Shock

I understand a 17 yo with one but there's 247 under 13s with a shotgun certificate. ShockShock

OP posts:
Seasidemumma77 · 27/07/2021 13:48

Most of the children I've seen at shooting grounds are far better shots than me.

You have to complete police checks in order to get a gun licence, and I'm sure the police just don't had them out to any old teenager!

Original poster
TotorosCatBus · 27/07/2021 13:52

@pinkyredrose

Sorry clueless here

Probably best not to offer opinions on something you know nothing about.

That's why I'm asking and people are replying so I can improve my knowledge about this.

I logically know that these kids aren't responsible for crimes on the streets but I've no knowledge or experience hence asking about this because my gut reaction is bloody hell.

OP posts:
Mintjulia · 27/07/2021 13:53

My ds shoots clays. He's 13 and has lessons at a gun club. He has his own shotgun licence because it might not always be me who drives him there. It saves faffing about, transferring guns between licences, even temporarily.

Bryonyshcmyony · 27/07/2021 13:57

@RancidOldHag

It's not legal for the u14s to shoot unless under the supervision of a suitable adult over the age of 21 - even airguns (which have controlled sales but do not require a licence) or shotguns (which require a shotgun licence but not a firearms certificate)
Yes. The kids I know shoot on supervised pheasant shoots. Whether you think it's morally wrong or not its perfectly legal.
Original poster
TotorosCatBus · 27/07/2021 13:58

Is there a minimum age for shooting pheasants?

OP posts:
Original poster
TotorosCatBus · 27/07/2021 14:00

@Tenbob

I was shooting before I was 10 but only under adult supervision

But, legally there are lots of things you can’t do without having your own shotgun certificate and firearms license, including having access to the gun safe

If you’re a farming family, it would be helpful, useful to be able to say to your teen ‘can you pop back to the house and grab a gun or some more ammo so I can shoot this rabbit/put this injured sheep out of its misery’ and that would require the teen to have their own licence
Without a licence, the teen can’t even legally know where the keys to the safe are kept, let alone open it

Equally, there isn’t much harm in a sensible team wanting to shoot 150 clays as practice before a competition without close supervision which would again require their own certificate

Or, a teen competing at clay shooting who gets a lift to competitions with another family
If the child didn’t have their own licence, the driving parent would have to complete paperwork to temporarily add the gun onto their licence for the duration of the journey there and back, then more paperwork to transfer it off their licence
All easily solved by the child having their own licence

I can think of half a dozen more scenarios where it would make sense, none of them involve a 13 year old holding up a bank or post office

That's really helpful. I see why transporting a gun/ammo from A to B would be useful.

I don't think that rural teens are responsible for crime on the streets btw. Obviously those guns are unfamiliar to the police

OP posts:
Hen2018 · 27/07/2021 14:03

I don’t think there is a minimum age for shooting pheasants, if you’re supervised. If you were too small, you’d be injured by the gun kicking back.

RancidOldHag · 27/07/2021 14:03

@TotorosCatBus

Is there a minimum age for shooting pheasants?
Yes, the pheasants should be at least 22 weeks old, 24 better
Hen2018 · 27/07/2021 14:10

I’m going to make a pheasant curry after this!

aliensprig · 27/07/2021 14:19

@Hen2018

I’m going to make a pheasant curry after this!
Gross.

OP, the rules for handling and storing shotguns and firearms are strict in the UK. A child shouldn't be able to access the guns or ammunition when not in use, and keys for storage are held by a responsible (and certified) adult. I used to work for a firearms licensing dept and there are many families who all hold certificates - mum, dad, kids, grandad etc. The kids all have to be assessed by a firearms officer first with their parents present and any slight misdemeanour gets your licence removed. Certificates are linked to police records so it's fairly easy to confiscate certs if your teenager decides to smash a shop window or something...

Hen2018 · 27/07/2021 14:20

Why is it gross?

VeniVidiWeeWee · 27/07/2021 14:34

@Hen2018

Why is it gross?
Because this is Mumsnet and no-one is allowed to harm cute and cuddly feathered or furred creaturges, (although spiders are fair game apparently).

BTW my auto-correct changed furred to curried. Spooky!

VeniVidiWeeWee · 27/07/2021 14:36

But didn't change "creaturges".

Hen2018 · 27/07/2021 14:38

I’ve leave my pieces of muntjac until another day then!

Bryonyshcmyony · 27/07/2021 14:43

I love pheasant curry. In fact it's the only way I can eat it really.

Hen2018 · 27/07/2021 14:44

Pigeon also works well.

CatsArePeople · 27/07/2021 15:05

My guess they're for sport or for hunting. Not keen on hunting personally, but for sport - seems reasonable.

eurochick · 27/07/2021 15:22

Lots of the schools round here shoot targets - I see them down at Bisley (the national shooting centre). It's a good discipline - you have to focus, control your breathing, understand the effects of wind and distance (there's some maths involved). Plus you need to keep your nose clean and not do any stupid stuff or you will swiftly lose your firearms licence, as others have said.

NeonDreams · 27/07/2021 15:23

I thought for SURE this was going to be about America. I am shocked that children in the UK, of all places, can own a firearm. What must their parents be thinking/teaching them? Hmm

Hen2018 · 27/07/2021 15:24

@NeonDreams

I thought for SURE this was going to be about America. I am shocked that children in the UK, of all places, can own a firearm. What must their parents be thinking/teaching them? Hmm
How to shoot?
DrCoconut · 27/07/2021 15:28

@Caramellatteplease yes. My ex had a shotgun certificate for a musket.

SW1amp · 27/07/2021 15:34

@NeonDreams

I thought for SURE this was going to be about America. I am shocked that children in the UK, of all places, can own a firearm. What must their parents be thinking/teaching them? Hmm
Of all the days to act surprised that anyone wants to learn to shoot, you’ve picked the day when men and women have won Olympic medals because they learned to shoot 😂😂
NeverDropYourMooncup · 27/07/2021 15:34

@NeonDreams

I thought for SURE this was going to be about America. I am shocked that children in the UK, of all places, can own a firearm. What must their parents be thinking/teaching them? Hmm
Some even have their own swords, too. And can ride horses. And shoot arrows accurately.

It's a prelude to a revolution, I'm sure. A takeover of the country by an army of mini gangster knights and Victorian Cavalry Officers under the guise of sports and valid animal management.

Just wait until the ones who can camp out in all weathers and sail ships get in on the action.

Scrowy · 27/07/2021 15:40

@NeonDreams

I thought for SURE this was going to be about America. I am shocked that children in the UK, of all places, can own a firearm. What must their parents be thinking/teaching them? Hmm
It's pretty normal in rural areas. We just don't talk about it because townies overreact about these things. It's very heavily regulated.

You can legally drive a tractor on the road from the age of 16 too as long as you have passed your tractor test. Given that most modern tractors are large, fast (for tractors) and have huge horsepower I find that much scarier than a 10 year old using a shotgun under supervision.

mineofuselessinformation · 27/07/2021 15:47

OP, if you actually did any research, you'd find that the vast majority of crime is committed with unlicensed weapons (I'm using the term weapon rather than firearm because it's appropriate).
After the Dunblane Massacre, it was estimated that 85% of all firearms were held illegally.
The holders of such weapons are the people you should be outraged at.