A national body.... (not the same old thread)

[Mike357]

Now here is a sensible approach adopted by Canada. Take away the barriers to gun ownership and people do the sensible thing!

http://www.guns.com/2013/11/05/enrollme ... try-video/

[saddler]

Now here is a sensible approach adopted by Canada. Take away the barriers to gun ownership and people do the sensible thing!

http://www.guns.com/2013/11/05/enrollme ... try-video/

Common sense?
UK gun laws??

Never shall the two terms meet again

[Sandgroper]

Now here is a sensible approach adopted by Canada. Take away the barriers to gun ownership and people do the sensible thing!

http://www.guns.com/2013/11/05/enrollme ... try-video/

You have to sit the safety course to be able to apply for your PAL (Possession and Acquisition Licence). I sat the unrestricted test (and passed) in 2008 - I just have to send off the application at some point.

[Sim G]

And Canada has some strange anomalies as well. One licence to possess and acquire another licence to transport the gun anywhere.... including to the range. And some of the security aspects are mind boggling, even during transportation! You can have short barrelled shotguns of any type, but semi auto rifles are restricted to 5 round magazines and handguns 10 rounds. The list goes on....

In essence, my utopia not withstanding, as you look at the UK laws, even in todays climate, I reckon there's more than enough scope to tweak here and there and give us a sound and solid legislative platform that allows us to grow and develop our sport, whilst maintaining public safety.

I note Iain's comments above and wonder, if the BASC and the NRA are working with all of these staff concentrating on legislation, why are we not seeing any wholesale change. Are they concentrating on purely maintaining a status quo and challenging individual cases for individual members within the current legislative framework?

[Sandgroper]

Simon,
Those anomalies are either for restricted or grandfathered prohibited firearms - I don't remember the details as I was only interested in obtaining my unrestricted PAL.

In any the rules regarding unrestricted (longarms) firearms are much less restrictive.

Edit: Non-restricted, rather than unrestricted.

and regarding the transportation of firearms

Q. Do I need authorization to transport my firearms from one location to another?

Any time you personally transport a restricted or prohibited firearm within Canada, you need an Authorization to Transport (ATT) from the Chief Firearms Officer of the province where the firearm is located or where it will be entering Canada. You do not need an ATT for firearms that are being shipped by licensed carrier or for non-restricted firearms that you are transporting yourself.

[Sim G]

But Grant, that's for anything even remotely interesting!!! :lol:

Oh, and you can't be out more than an hour after dark with a handgun. And, should you want to travel to another province, for say an IPSC match, you need a separate transport licence from that province!

But you can gave some lovely 14" Benelli M4's.....

[Sandgroper]

But Grant, that's for anything even remotely interesting!!! :lol:

Oh, and you can't be out more than an hour after dark with a handgun. And, should you want to travel to another province, for say an IPSC match, you need a separate transport licence from that province!

But you can gave some lovely 14" Benelli M4's.....

There's plenty of non-restricted firearms that are fun - https://ellwoodepps.com/hunting/firearm ... ction=1589
but then again the law in NZ is even better!

[IainWR]

I note Iain's comments above and wonder, if the BASC and the NRA are working with all of these staff concentrating on legislation, why are we not seeing any wholesale change. Are they concentrating on purely maintaining a status quo and challenging individual cases for individual members within the current legislative framework?

You are not seeing any wholesale change because such change needs primary legislation and there is not enough political will for change at the level where Parliamentary time gets allocated. That doesn't mean there is no point in reminding people of the need. BASC have spent a huge amount of time recently, through and with BSSC, trying to keep the rewritten Home Office Guidance on track, and in the redesign of the application forms (which I think will make things simpler). I have seen most of the drafts of the Guidance over the past year, and have commented for more senior staff to take to BSSC to put back to the Home Office. But yes, most of what I do is to help at the individual level within the current law.

[Sim G]

You are not seeing any wholesale change because such change needs primary legislation and there is not enough political will for change at the level where Parliamentary time gets allocated. That doesn't mean there is no point in reminding people of the need. BASC have spent a huge amount of time recently, through and with BSSC, trying to keep the rewritten Home Office Guidance on track, and in the redesign of the application forms (which I think will make things simpler). I have seen most of the drafts of the Guidance over the past year, and have commented for more senior staff to take to BSSC to put back to the Home Office. But yes, most of what I do is to help at the individual level within the current law.

Firstly Iain, please don't think I'm deriding the current work by yourself or the BASC, far from it. I left the NRA along time ago, but I am also mindful that had the NRA not negotiated with SSC cards, I would probably not be shooting now...

Anyhow, the point of my hypothetical scenario is one licensing authority, who ever that may be, and, one new piece of primary legislation. I feel for us to face it head on could be the way to go. Firearms legislation always hangs around the periphery of the news and imagine the impetus if the head lines were along "Shooters demand new legislation that supports there sport and protects the public." I appreciate that it's a sh1t or bust scenario, but fortune can favour the brave. For want of a better word, it's perhaps it's about time we got bolshy, instead of "polite". Let us steer the agenda, not continually be relative to it.

[meles meles]

We always recommend badgerin' as a tactic !