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

HH1 wrote:On the subject of LBP......

I have a Browning Buckmark LBP conversion and my Father has a GSG 1911 LBP. So we both have LBP on our FAC's. Does that mean that we can LEGALLY shoot each others LBP at the range or is it only the pistol with the specific serial number on my cert that I am allowed to shoot?

Another scenario, say for example there are several people within a club with LBP's and another member decides that they want a LBP but they are not sure which make/model they really want. They get their cert back with a slot for a .22 RF LBP. Could they try for example other members BuckMark, Alpa-Proj, GSG or Taurus LBP? Especially if one of those LBP's is up for sale?

I suppose you should ask yourself does one of the exemptions apply that allows me to shoot a firearm without holding it on my certificate, if not then the answer has to be No.

HH1 wrote:On the subject of LBP......

I have a Browning Buckmark LBP conversion and my Father has a GSG 1911 LBP. So we both have LBP on our FAC's. Does that mean that we can LEGALLY shoot each others LBP at the range or is it only the pistol with the specific serial number on my cert that I am allowed to shoot?

Another scenario, say for example there are several people within a club with LBP's and another member decides that they want a LBP but they are not sure which make/model they really want. They get their cert back with a slot for a .22 RF LBP. Could they try for example other members BuckMark, Alpa-Proj, GSG or Taurus LBP? Especially if one of those LBP's is up for sale?

In short, no. Strictly speaking the law only allows that individual who has a specific LBR/LBP/s1 shotgun or Long Range Pistol entered on their certificate, can be in possession of it. There is no exemption clause for HO clubs or private premises/land to use, hold, look at or handle, someone else's LBR for at that time, they are in possession of a firearm without a certificate. As with just about all firearms offences, they are of strict liability, hence no defence to it. It doesn't have to make sense, it's the law.

Primary legislation is always broad brush and requires subordinate legislation or case law to tie down the specifics. There has been some, but this has been decreed as non binding. There would possibly be the argument that if a person had an open variation for an LBR and was looking at a friends and ran a cylinder through prior to buying, would it be in the public interest to prosecute? Far too many variables for my liking and I really don't fancy putting myself up should case law result in something favourable...

It's akin to my seeing Section 5 guns at an RFDs

I can look, but if I was to handle them it'd be an absolute offence.

The way around the S.5 restriction is to travel to foreign lands and see how far we have fallen by comparison to the rest of the E.C.