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Original poster

Is it too easy to get a shotgun certificate in the UK?

38 replies

TheTallOakTrees · 16/08/2021 08:42

I have just watched a story on the BBC where a lady suggested it was too easy to obtain a shotgun certificate.
I will say I have no knowledge on this subject but assume there are people on MN that do?
Is it too easy to obtain one?

OP posts:
GallowwayGirl88 · 16/08/2021 10:18

My husband has one - he does clay pigeons. To renew his they did home visits, background checks on him and everyone in the house, doctors report and an interview.

I’m not sure what the script was when he first applied - that was when he was a minor (maybe 15?).

Zzzzzzxxx · 16/08/2021 13:39

My husband shoots (targets) it’s not easy to get a license at all in my opinion. Also there can be spot checks.

Saddlesore · 16/08/2021 14:11

My husband and I each have a shotgun licence. There's a bit of paperwork involved, a visit from a police officer to assess the security of storage, plus face-to-face questioning on safety, procedures etc. When we moved to a different county, we had to go through all that again. It also requires a doctor's assessment, eg that the holder hasn't been diagnosed with depression or the like. It's the same procedure if you need to renew the licence. So, in my experience I don't think it's "easy" to obtain a licence, but it does rely on robust checks by all police and doctors.

RollaCola84 · 16/08/2021 14:24

My partner has one for clay pigeon shooting, he also assisted a friend with sorting out storage and sale recently when the friend's father died. Its a straightforward enough process but I wouldn't say it was too easy. It may vary between police forces though.

The issue here for me is the returning of the firearm after it was confiscated following a violent offence. That feels very wrong to me

Hont1986 · 16/08/2021 14:28

It's not a particularly easy process but I do think we should end gun licences for hobby sports. It means anyone can get a gun licence, and then a gun, basically just because they want one.

Chemenger · 16/08/2021 14:29

I have been a referee for someone applying for their gun licence. The police phone me every year for a chat when it comes up for renewal. It's for a long standing colleague and friend that I have known for 40 years. This year he put someone else down and the police phoned me to find out why I had been dropped. I've been asked about his mental state, his attitude to safety and his general approach to rules and regulations in the past.

DynamoKev · 16/08/2021 14:40

I would say it's about right.

Unfortunately we cannot uninvent guns.

Obviously the vast majority of people who hold legal guns use them responsibly.

Way more people die every year as a result of people driving irresponsibly - not a direct comparison, but it's all about risk.

RollaCola84 · 16/08/2021 14:51

@Hont1986 so people involved in hobby sports shouldn't be allowed to pursue them because of the behaviour of a tiny minority ? Maybe we should ban cars and motorbikes because some people race them.

DynamoKev · 16/08/2021 14:54

[quote RollaCola84]@Hont1986 so people involved in hobby sports shouldn't be allowed to pursue them because of the behaviour of a tiny minority ? Maybe we should ban cars and motorbikes because some people race them.[/quote]
Yeah, and Horses.

Hont1986 · 16/08/2021 15:01

@Hont1986 so people involved in hobby sports shouldn't be allowed to pursue them because of the behaviour of a tiny minority ?

Yes, correct. The death and destruction caused by a tiny minority needs to be weighed against the happiness and utility enjoyed by the large majority.

So for me, I think restricting guns from hobbyist shooters would be fair, on balance. Obviously other people might decide not.

Cars and motorbikes and horses are the same, just weigh the risk vs the reward. Cars and horses certainly would be kept, on balance, because they give so much utility and convenience compared to their risks. Motorbikes, maybe! I do think there is a decent argument to say that they are too dangerous for the general public to drive and so should be restricted further to professional police drivers or whatever.

HelloChompy · 16/08/2021 15:09

@RollaCola84

My partner has one for clay pigeon shooting, he also assisted a friend with sorting out storage and sale recently when the friend's father died. Its a straightforward enough process but I wouldn't say it was too easy. It may vary between police forces though.

The issue here for me is the returning of the firearm after it was confiscated following a violent offence. That feels very wrong to me

My husband has one, he shoots clay pigeons. There was quite a long process for him to get his, he had to put down a character reference, his doctor was contacted and we had a home visit by the police to assess if the gun was stored securely and an interview. Interestingly, not sure if it is just our force, but I am fairly sure the renewal was done online. Not sure if the referee was contacted again or the doctor, but we didn't have another home visit.

Like @RollaCola84 I am really surprised by the retuning of the license. When we were visited it was made clear to my husband, in no uncertain terms, that if the police were ever called to the property following a disturbance, the gun would be confiscated and he would never get his licence back.

Unhomme · 16/08/2021 15:10

On average 5 people a day lose their lives in the UK in car accidents.

On average 0.6 people per year are killed in mass shooting deaths in the UK (1 incident in 10 years).

Whilst the Plymouth case is tragic, its not the norm.

RollaCola84 · 16/08/2021 15:14

@HelloChompy my partner has a home visit to check storage every time and always at least a quick chat with referee. Not sure about the doctor though.

carltonscroop · 16/08/2021 15:16

Do you actually mean shot gun licence?

Or firearms certificate?

Because you could, I suppose, abolish shotgun licences, and require a firearms certificate for all weapons, and youncouid make air rifles licensable too.

But the amount of crime committed using legally held weapons is tiny, so I'm not sure it would make any real difference to likelihood of crime

HelloChompy · 16/08/2021 15:34

@RollaCola84 that is interesting. I remember the letter coming a long time ago, saying he could renew early as they had a backlog of applications, which he did. Maybe they are still working their way through then as this letter was pre covid....

MsAwesomeDragon · 16/08/2021 15:37

My fil had a couple of shotguns. He was a gamekeeper for a living, so needed them. I don't know what sort of checks they did for him to be licensed, but I don't think they were enough. He was an alcoholic, abusive man and I always worried for mil's safety when he was around (he worked away a lot and she was safe then)

SionnachRua · 16/08/2021 15:43

I think we're seeing the topic being redirected to restricting gun access instead of increasing mental health funding and combating radicalization because it's less costly. I'm not pro gun ownership - I'd never have one myself - but I don't think it's the problem area to focus on. The Plymouth case is horrendous but if he couldn't have a gun, he'd have used something else.

Theunamedcat · 16/08/2021 15:44

What she was pointing out was a licence and a certificate are two different things and two different procedures

He had a certificate which I believe didn't cover the firearm he used so in this case its irrelevant

Hont1986 · 16/08/2021 15:45

if he couldn't have a gun, he'd have used something else

If he'd used something else, that little girl might be alive.

SionnachRua · 16/08/2021 15:47

Currently, the UK ranks 4th in Europe for human fatalities from dog attacks (so we're not even accounting for serious injuries there)...should dogs be banned? If we're aiming to preserve humans from dangerous things, that seems sensible.

...of course, I'm not advocating a dog ban. Just interested in what the answers will be.

SionnachRua · 16/08/2021 15:48

@Hont1986

if he couldn't have a gun, he'd have used something else

If he'd used something else, that little girl might be alive.

I'd like to think so but another incel named Alek Minassian killed 10 with a car. If these people want to kill, they'll do it - cars, knives etc etc. Unfortunately they've plenty of options.
Hont1986 · 16/08/2021 15:51

...of course, I'm not advocating a dog ban

We already have a dangerous dogs ban. It isn't enforced nearly enough though.

BigPyjamas · 16/08/2021 15:51

Shotgun licenses are as described: paperwork involved, decent checks, solid questioning. As someone who has shotguns in the house I think they're about right. Shotgun stored securely, key hidden, ammunition stored elsewhere etc.

My DH is looking at getting a rifle for shooting in order to protect crops. For a firearms license he needs to prove a number of things including having proof of the reason that he is shooting, and ammunition is cross referenced when purchased, the amount purchased has to broadly tally with your purpose.

I'd say the checks here are rigorous.

Hont1986 · 16/08/2021 15:53

If these people want to kill, they'll do it - cars, knives etc etc.

That's true. But this guy didn't use a car or knife, he used a gun, which made it easy for him to kill people. If he'd had a knife, that father would have had at least a small chance at saving her.

ChainJane · 16/08/2021 15:53

It's very hard to get a shotgun certificate in the UK - well, in England/Wales/Scotland, it's a little easy (but not easy) to get your hands on a gun in Northern Ireland obviously, the laws are slightly looser there (eg handguns are allowed and self-defence is allowed as a reason for getting a gun).

To get a shotgun on the mainland you need independent referees to give reports on what they think of you (which you won't see, to enable them to be freer), plus your doctor will be asked for their opinion. If you have suffered from depression or have ever had an alcohol problem you won't get a certificate.

The problem I think is that police forces are in charge of issuing certificates which means there isn't a set standard you have to meet countrywide.