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

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Many of you will have watched Parliament TV today, expecting to see the debate on the Offensive Weapons Bill, as today was the much anticipated Report Stage

However the debate did not take place, which was somewhat unusual, as debates were timetabled up until 10:00pm, but ceased at 7:30pm.

A statement on the Parliament website reads as follows:

Remaining stages

The remaining stages of this Bill have been postponed due to time pressures in the Chamber. They will be rescheduled in due course.

The House will debate amendments, some of which would introduce offences for possessing corrosive substances on educational premises. Other amendments would remove the proposed ban on rifles over 13,600 joules at the muzzle but require tougher safety measures.

The following article indicates that perhaps other factors were also at play.

Please be aware that we will be submitting a formal complaint to the BBC about the following article, as it contains several glaring inaccuracies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45867682

What does this mean for us?

Well, its possibly a glimmer of good news, at the very least it gives us a chance to contact those MPs who have still not signed Sir Geoffrey’s amendment and request their support. I have been advised that there are at least five pro-shooter MPs who have not yet signed this amendment, one of which is a rifle shooter! The more names, the better our chances.

As it’s been delayed it is not too late for you to request the support of your MP (assuming their name is not already on the list below), if they need technical assistance in understanding any of the blatant propaganda sent out by the NCA to the Home Office (which has been relayed onto MPs) then let me know. There are many ridiculous myths being banded around, and we need to debunk them.

The current list of signatories to Sir Geoffrey’s amendment are as follows:

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown [R]

Mr Jonathan Djanogly [R]

Mr Philip Hollobone

Adam Holloway

Mr Steve Baker

Martin Vickers

Sir David Amess

Sir Henry Bellingham

Sir Paul Beresford

Sir Peter Bottomley

Sir William Cash

Chris Davies

Richard Drax

Mark Garnier

Richard Graham

Bill Grant

Simon Hart

Sir Oliver Heald

Gordon Henderson

Sir Bernard Jenkin

Daniel Kawczynski

Jeremy Lefroy

Sir Edward Leigh

Sir Oliver Letwin

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger

Craig Mackinlay

Sir Nicholas Soames

Sir Robert Syms

Ross Thomson

Bill Wiggin

Sammy Wilson

Kate Hoey

Douglas Ross

It may look like we are making good progress, and hopefully we are, but it’s not time to rest just yet.

If you or your MP has any queries or concerns, please let me know without delay.

Many thanks & keep up the good work!

Chris Stevenson

Chairman, FCSA (UK)

www.fcsa.co.uk

toffe wrapper wrote:
22 clubs treated different, yet again one rule for us another rule for you.

Actually its not that simple with small bore clubs. You still need to do your declaration and usually be sponsored by a member. Also, quite a few use the small bore route to go over to full bore down the line. Consider it as a useful loop hole of sorts

Individuals can come in "off the streets" and try shooting, they just have to be suitably vetted via a declaration and have an invitation to the various guest shoots. Some control is important in my opinion. I dont want to be stood on a line of 30 about to run down a range with a loaded (but not ready ) rifle knowing the buffoon next to me has done their training on call of duty

toffe wrapper wrote:Full bore clubs can't let people in off street, plus other restrictions on new members. Its all in guidance for HO approved clubs.

OK, but we're talking about a different thing altogether, miniature rifle clubs.

22 clubs treated different, yet again one rule for us another rule for you.

Well, they are different. Get over it.

Not sure what miss information I listed please clarify what was miss information. other than 22 clubs can allow any one to play with a firearm. Where full bore clubs can't

Not sure the misinformation comment is directed to me. Full bore clubs are different in the potential range and energy of the ammunition. Same as air rifle clubs are treated differently, because they are all different. So just because 22MR clubs can do something you cannot do at a full bore club you want it banned. This is very much a "well, if I can't you can't" thing and make you sound spoilt and a bit miffed that you might be missing out.

"Let's restrict something that is not a problem, it won't affect me so there's no reason not to."

The ability for fairground worker to buy firearm or ammunition with out licence.Not been a problem.
The crime rate increasing when fairs are in town.all the crimes with .22lr rifles? I think not, and the police would be all over firearms incidents if they happened.
Back door to firearms with out a licence.Not back door, it is perfectly legal, no loophole, no getting round the law, it is abiding by the law. Only for the legitimate users.

All fact

Please try it, I challenge you. Go get planning or a range, go get insurance and go find someone to sell you rifles and ammo (making sure that you comply with the firearms act with regards to safe keeping etc. - just because you don't need an FAC doesn't mean you can ignore the rest of the Act). It is not as easy as everyone makes out and individuals with no intention of running a range or club cannot get them form reputable sources (and if it is from disreputable sources then you won't even need to pretend to run an MR range). The sale of the firearm and ammo needs to be logged if from an RFD or police notified if from an FAC holder so there is some traceability, just not as restrictive as the haters would like.

If we are talking about the "dangers" of an individual being able to "walk in off the streets" etc

Lets not forget that the same individual can "walk in off the street" and hire a car / van / truck.......or fill a can with petrol etc etc etc

beacher, that's a common sense post!

All those "what if's"......yeah, you can always find reasons NOT to do something - it's a UK thing.

What if the Government actually stopped letting the useful idiots / problems in to begin with?

my my its all techy on here

lots bang on about a single nation wide firearms policy with all being equal, most can't stomach one.
A firearm is a firearm and I not advocating banning any. Just a loop hole that affects so few with potential for bad, its a easy win for Gov't with out banning any thing.

The bill didn't happen yesterday BTW.

toffe wrapper wrote: Just a loop hole that affects so few

This piece of law has been in the Firearms Acts almost unmodified since day one (S1(8)(i) Firearms Act 1920). There are definitely thousands, almost certainly tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of people who legitimately enjoy target shooting using firearms and ammunition held, in accordance with the law, under this longest-established of all the exemptions to the need under the Firearms Act for a FAC.

In the modern climate the theoretical ability to use this to subvert firearms from the legal system to illegality is under scrutiny. Given the ongoing St Leonards murder case, that's reasonable. It does, however, look as though the real issue highlighted by St Leonards is security at rifle ranges generally.

Also, it's worth remembering that S11(4) applies to ranges. Home Office approval, and its privileges, apply to clubs. While there is overlap, they are two different things.

And finally, a Showmen's Guild exemption certificate, like an NSRA exemption certificate, has no legal value.

RE: Stolen .22lr rifle/St. Leonards shooting.


Interesting to note the rifle was stated in the press as being an M4 Assault rifle.

Lewes Crown Court heard Savage allegedly tried to gun down police officers when they attempted to arrest him but fortunately the firing mechanism on the assault rifle jammed.

at close range with a M4 semi-automatic rifle after refusing to accept their relationship was over

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... rifle.html

1066 wrote:RE: Stolen .22lr rifle/St. Leonards shooting.


Interesting to note the rifle was stated in the press as being an M4 Assault rifle.

Lewes Crown Court heard Savage allegedly tried to gun down police officers when they attempted to arrest him but fortunately the firing mechanism on the assault rifle jammed.

at close range with a M4 semi-automatic rifle after refusing to accept their relationship was over

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... rifle.html

The Times went for the standard lazy lie that it was an "assault rifle". They neglected to mention it had the "shoulder thing that went up"

Remember when its integrity was such that if it was in The Times you knew it was true?
Those days are long gone.

They're still using the same old guide pinned on the newsroom noticeboard: