The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Meaty wrote:It just strikes me that as shooters we just duck below the parapet too much and dont seem to openly engage in dialogue when something like this comes along to bite us.

Pretty much that.

It's changing though. Slowly.

Meaty wrote:

SevenSixTwo wrote:http://twitter.com/bobby_turnbull
"Campaigning for tougher Gun Licencing Procedures"

[sigh]......

I see CI Andy Hayes is a contributor to this Twit feed and has taken a pop at Gaz as well emrolleyes

I'm used to coppers having a pop at me - perk of the job AND of my hobby...

It would be good if "we" (the shooting world - preferably a governing body) could be nice to Turnbull and bring him round to our point of view, though he seems to have read my article from last year linking ACPO and Labour and rejected it out of hand.

Meaty wrote:It just strikes me that as shooters we just duck below the parapet too much and dont seem to openly engage in dialogue when something like this comes along to bite us.

One of us doing so is a "Gun nut". Thousands are a movement!
We need to stand together collectively or we'll never be taken seriously.
The NRA and similar should be organising this for us, soliciting support from associated clubs, members, MPs, other associations etc. That's the whole point of a National Association.

If poxy groups like the GCN can do it, so can we. We're, generally, hard working, respectable members of our community who tend to shy away from talking about guns in private and in public as there's the sense that we'll be looked down upon.
The fact is that there is millions of pounds worth of shooting equipment in our hands, used responsible every single day. Some individuals own private collections that could buy houses. How many "nutters" can afford, and would spend the money on something like shooting.
It's the responsible, respectable side of shooting that needs to be shown. The leaders, the volunteers, the family-men and women, the workers, the affluent, the religious, those shooting for sport, those shooting for work, those shooting for fun.
If the UK can be shown the true face of shooting, the everyman, they'd be more likely to support - or at the least show indifference to - our sport.

Who is this "HantsChiefAndy"?

Sim G wrote:Who is this "HantsChiefAndy"?

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, ACPO's gros fromage for firearms licensing and top dog of Hants Constabulary. For all we'll instinctively dislike him, he does get on Twitter from time to time and he's probably the only senior constable ever to engage with common-or-garden shooters. He's also (ex officio) behind the new, more sensible Home Office guidance.

Sim G wrote:Who is this "HantsChiefAndy"?

Sorry, I got his name wrong earlier work issues were messing with my concentration on the important things in life!

What with Meaty referring to him as a Chief Inspector, became confused.... I don't "do" twitter.

Question is, the Ch Con Marsh engaged in a political campaign?

Demonic69 wrote: One of us doing so is a "Gun nut". Thousands are a movement!
We need to stand together collectively or we'll never be taken seriously.

Agree wholeheartedly, but its not an easy task. It is hard to reach out to half let alone all shooters and the very diverse backgrounds and demographics within the sport can actually present a challenge to create a collective movement. Ideally we will all set aside differences and unite and support of shooting, but we still have a long way to go.

Demonic69 wrote: The NRA and similar should be organising this for us, soliciting support from associated clubs, members, MPs, other associations etc. That's the whole point of a National Association.

Demonic69 wrote: Firearms UK have been and continue to work to achieve greater unity and cooperation between the various shooting organisations, but nothing will happen over night. We don't have the numbers or finances to get out there and connect with every organisation up and down the country, but we do try to connect and collaborate with established organisations where possible.

Demonic69 wrote: If poxy groups like the GCN can do it, so can we. We're, generally, hard working, respectable members of our community who tend to shy away from talking about guns in private and in public as there's the sense that we'll be looked down upon.

In my own personal view, there is a difference between the likes of the GCN and the shooting community; well ignoring the obvious... such groups are, at least seemingly grass roots efforts, it is memberships and supporters, individuals who do the work, do all the lobbying, campaigning, etc... with shooting my own opinion is that much of the community expects, even demands organisations to do most if not all of this work for them, with some seemingly taking little interest in the sport outside of actually the act of shooting. This is to an extent understandable, but organisations, however big they are or appear to be, only have a limited number of staff and limited budgets; even the likes of BASC cannot do everything.

The established organisations can develop, lead and publicize campaigns, but it is often down to shooters themselves to ensure they're successful. At Firearms UK we try to be directly invovled at the grass roots level and encourage positive action from individual shooters themselves, but its a difficult task, so many expect either nothing at all so take no interest or expect way too much way too soon and quickly get fed up with the pace of things.

Demonic69 wrote: It's the responsible, respectable side of shooting that needs to be shown. The leaders, the volunteers, the family-men and women, the workers, the affluent, the religious, those shooting for sport, those shooting for work, those shooting for fun.
If the UK can be shown the true face of shooting, the everyman, they'd be more likely to support - or at the least show indifference to - our sport.

I agree, as would Firearms UK, but getting shooters themselves to actively engage outside of their own forums or clubs hasn't proved easy. We at Firearms UK try to present opportunities for people to engage and demonstrate the responsible and positive side of shooting, but it takes shooters themselves to take advantage of such opportunities and promote the sport, we; as any organisation can assist, but can only do so much.

We will have opportunities coming up soon to promote shooting, if anyone would like to discuss these opportunities or share any ideas please drop me an e-mail.

Thanks for the comments Erika, it seems like we, at least, are on the same page.
I don't honestly know what the other organisations are doing to promote and defend shooting. I can't say I've seen anything blatantly obvious asking shooters to get involved but I've only been shooting as a sport for a short while and am only an associated member of the NRA and NSRA.
I think, for some people, your current campaigns would be hard to get behind, either due to apathy or disagreeing with your stance. Which is to be expected, you can't please everyone
What are the plans for Firearms UK? Become a national club, with members? A detached organisation supporting shooting? A legal entity fighting for it?
I look forward to seeing your future campaigns and will help if and when I can.

Demonic69 wrote:Thanks for the comments Erika, it seems like we, at least, are on the same page.
I don't honestly know what the other organisations are doing to promote and defend shooting. I can't say I've seen anything blatantly obvious asking shooters to get involved but I've only been shooting as a sport for a short while and am only an associated member of the NRA and NSRA.
I think, for some people, your current campaigns would be hard to get behind, either due to apathy or disagreeing with your stance. Which is to be expected, you can't please everyone
What are the plans for Firearms UK? Become a national club, with members? A detached organisation supporting shooting? A legal entity fighting for it?
I look forward to seeing your future campaigns and will help if and when I can.

We currently only have 2 campaigns, both of which are opposition to the licensing of low powered air guns. In my own experience people tend to make assumptions about what we actually campaign for, but until its on the campaigns menu of our website, its not a Firearms UK campaign; although we discuss and facilitate discussions on almost any topic with a connection to firearms ownership or the shooting sports and actively support campaigns from other organisations and individuals.

We are currently developing 3 campaigns, the details of which remain confidential until launch, but the topics include; the EU, encouraging new people into shooting and pistol ownership. We still actually require a web developer for one of these campaigns if anyone can recommend one. We are delayed by a lack of resources, but are getting there, bit by bit.

The Firearms UK organisation becomes an Association under the law of England and Wales on 1st March 2014. There are no plans to develop a paying membership at this time, however our constitution allows for it. The Association is currently funded by volunteer and supporter donations and the sale of merchandise.