FAC conditions and the law

[Daniel11]

Hi,
Just a legal Query (from someone who doesnt yet have an FAC, but does have some experience with firearms)

What would happen to an individual who used a rifle they held for target shooting at a home-office approved club, for vermin control/ hunting on land that they shot with other guns on? .(I,E they had a .303 for target shooting, and a .243 for deer stalking, but used the target one for the deer stalking?) (Dont worry, im not planning on doing this :) )
I know this would be breaching their conditions, but would they lose their certificate?, is it as bad as possessing an unlicensed firearm?

Yours, Daniel.

[dromia]

Hi Daniel

Welcome to Full-Bore UK.

Why not introduce yourself on the New Members forum.

[Daniel11]

Hi,

Yeah sorry about that, been browsing posts for a long time so it just slipped my mind :) .

[Mr_Logic]

It Would Be Bad.

Breach of fac conditions and yes, if caught = revocation and worse.

[IainWR]

It's the sort of thing that should be easy to fix ahead of the event. The hypothetical FAC holder is a fit and proper person to hold firearms and has good reason to hold them for stalking and has permission to shoot over the land, so getting hunting added as a condition for a rifle already possessed should be trivial. Now I'm making a lot of assumptions about the local Firearms Licensing department, but really, where's the problem?

And of course, he could transfer the gun to the landowners FAC, then borrow it back under S16 ...

[Chapuis]

It's the sort of thing that should be easy to fix ahead of the event. The hypothetical FAC holder is a fit and proper person to hold firearms and has good reason to hold them for stalking and has permission to shoot over the land, so getting hunting added as a condition for a rifle already possessed should be trivial. Now I'm making a lot of assumptions about the local Firearms Licensing department, but really, where's the problem?

And of course, he could transfer the gun to the landowners FAC, then borrow it back under S16 ...

Iain That would be opening up a whole new can of worms. I take it that you are refering to the "estate rifle" rule. Most people don't fully understand the implications of this and get it wrong in one way or another. In fact I believe that ACPO have actually asked for clarrification on how this should be read for inclusion in the revised guidace to police document.

[Blackstuff]

If it was for stalking in addition to the firearms legislation broken, it would assumed that the friend would also be using FMJ ammo as they wouldn't have authority to purchase/possess hollow/soft point ammo, which is a legal requirement for shooting deer = bad idea all round

[Chapuis]

Good point Blackstuff. Also some forces still have this ridiculous notion are safer than others so will only pass land for up tp .243 calibre for instance. So as has already been said it wouldn't be a good idea to use the "wrong" rifle.

[Dombo63]

Slightly different scenario - I have a 303 and 308 for target shooting only on approved ranges while a member of XYZ HO-approved club. If i booked a paid stalk and wanted to use either of my own rifles would I approach the firearms licensing people and ask for a temporary variation allowing me to use the rifle for that purpose and buy appropriate ammo, or just turn up with the rifle in question and use estate ammo?

[Blackstuff]

Slightly different scenario - I have a 303 and 308 for target shooting only on approved ranges while a member of XYZ HO-approved club. If i booked a paid stalk and wanted to use either of my own rifles would I approach the firearms licensing people and ask for a temporary variation allowing me to use the rifle for that purpose and buy appropriate ammo, or just turn up with the rifle in question and use estate ammo?

Interesting scenario! Just getting the stalking condition would probably be the easiest solution*

*postcode lottery aside :roll:

I think you'd have to use the estate rifle AND estate ammo if you went that route but i'm not at all sure on that