Pistol ownership questions in the UK....

[Holds Tight]

I know that general pistol ownership in the UK is very restricted but how do your world class handgun shooters or team members practice?

What happens during the Olympics or Commonwealth Games?

I'm asking because our club is TRYING to revisit the firearms laws here in Bermuda.

[Porcupine]

There is no general exemption for sporting use, regardless of the level at which you compete. So Britain's handgun team are not allowed to possess handguns in the UK - they must train abroad. I understand that Switzerland is popular for this since it is very easy to own guns as a non-resident.

During world sporting events such as the commonwealth games and the olympics, the Home Secretary grants temporary exemptions for competitors (foreign and domestic) to bring their guns into the country and compete with them. I think I am right in saying that they are not, however, allowed to keep them in their accommodation etc - they are kept under lock and key somewhere (police amoury? range complex? I don't know). I don't think there is even the opportunity to practice in the lead-up to the competition, though I may be wrong, and I have heard that competitors are, ahem, 'under guard' during the events just to make sure they don't run amok with their single-shot Hammerli .22... Who knows though, that may just be an urban legend.

[Chapuis]

Porcupine you are pretty much spot on with regard to secure storage facilities for compeditors at events such as the commonwealth games. For the Manchester games which were held at Bisley the NRA stored the pistols and transported them to and from the range in an"armoured" landrover so compeditors only actually saw their pistols on the range. This obviously didn't go down well with most compeditors and some even petitioned their respective shooting organisations to prevent the U.K. from hosting international pistol events again.
Quite frankly it was a bloody disgrace and the intended arrangements for the olympics won't be much better.

I just wish that I could afford to compete in pistol events overseas but even if I was good enough there would be no way that I would represent my country following the way that pistol shooters have been treated by successive British governments, both Conservative and Labour. In fact at one time I even said that there is no way that I would ever serve in our armed forces again for a country that doesn't trust us. The matter is now accademic as I am now too old to serve.

[rox]

Section 5 licenses are issued to allow national squad members to possess and train with handguns, although several still live and/or train abroad. As for storage during CG etc. it's pretty normal for armoury facilities to be provided by the host on the range site, as well as areas and facilities for cleaning and maintenance. It would be ludicrous to allow athletes to take their rifles, shotguns, pistols etc. out of the range or into to the athletes village; that would be a disgrace from a security point of view. There are plenty of opportunities for practice. In Delhi I shot for 10 or 12 days before the start of competition. We were guarded - along with the bowls players, hockey players, and all the other athletes and officials - I don't think it had anything to do with us running amok!

..

I know that general pistol ownership in the UK is very restricted but how do your world class handgun shooters or team members practice?

What happens during the Olympics or Commonwealth Games?

I'm asking because our club is TRYING to revisit the firearms laws here in Bermuda.

[Porcupine]

It would be ludicrous to allow athletes to take their rifles, shotguns, pistols etc. out of the range or into to the athletes village; that would be a disgrace from a security point of view.

Why would that be ludicrous or a disgrace? That is the situation with regards to firearms brought into the UK by foreigners temporarily when they are section 1 or 2. Unless I am mistaken, if you come to the UK to hunt, compete or shoot recreationally under normal circumstances you are allowed to bring in your own gun, shoot, keep it at your accommodation, and purchase ammunition. I have never heard of this causing an issue. Of course there might be private rules in force at the actual olympic village which ban firearms, but that's different - a competitor could choose to stay in a hotel so that he or she could practice dry firing there.

[rox]

It would be ludicrous to allow athletes to take their rifles, shotguns, pistols etc. out of the range or into to the athletes village; that would be a disgrace from a security point of view.

Why would that be ludicrous or a disgrace? That is the situation with regards to firearms brought into the UK by foreigners temporarily when they are section 1 or 2. Unless I am mistaken, if you come to the UK to hunt, compete or shoot recreationally under normal circumstances you are allowed to bring in your own gun, shoot, keep it at your accommodation, and purchase ammunition. I have never heard of this causing an issue. Of course there might be private rules in force at the actual olympic village which ban firearms, but that's different - a competitor could choose to stay in a hotel so that he or she could practice dry firing there.

The security operation surrounding an event like the Olympic or Commonwealth games is absolutely huge, and as world multi-sport events with a massive TV impact they are tempting terrorist targets. The security operation for the London games will probably eclipse the scale of anything we've seen before in the UK. It is totally different to having a few individuals attending a competition or going hunting. Access and transport to venues, accomodation etc are incredibly tightly controlled, so it's totally impractical to allow people to move freely with personal firearms. As a competitor I want my equipment stored at the range to avoid the risk of damage in transit, as happened when departing from the last CG. I also want my equipment secured at the range so it is inaccessible to anyone else. If you need to be training at your accomodation then I'd say you've left it too late. After several years of preparation you want to gently acclimatise and familiarise with the range, and the rest of the time relax.

[ptheta]

I think it makes sense for the security arrangements for such a high value target as the Olympic games to be so strict.

What I think is extremely sad is that only those people in the team are allowed to practice with the correct firearms. I can't see how that fosters a spirit of competitiveness when no one else is allowed to join in. It certainly makes a mockery of all that nonsense about inclusiveness.

If you don't have a vibrant club scene you have nothing to feed prospective new talent up the ladder. I think that's rather the point though.

[rox]

What I think is extremely sad is that only those people in the team are allowed to practice with the correct firearms. ...

If you don't have a vibrant club scene you have nothing to feed prospective new talent up the ladder. I think that's rather the point though.

Agreed. I suppose the only way to get to that level in UK handgun sports is via air.

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[the running man]

I think it makes sense for the security arrangements for such a high value target as the Olympic games to be so strict.

What I think is extremely sad is that only those people in the team are allowed to practice with the correct firearms. I can't see how that fosters a spirit of competitiveness when no one else is allowed to join in. It certainly makes a mockery of all that nonsense about inclusiveness.

If you don't have a vibrant club scene you have nothing to feed prospective new talent up the ladder. I think that's rather the point though.

that's all part of the plan I'm sure,no new blood and let it fizzle out. The whole shooting thing at the olympics sickens me,as it does most on here. Turfing out wooliich barracks,building a new range,tearing it dwon after! Why they never went to bisley is a disgrace and an embarrassment,I'm with the sportsmans association on this issue,boycott all the shooting events,all the shooters,all the ro's all the volonteers,then it won't be able to be run,this will expose to the whole planet the disgusting situation surrounding this highly suspicious affair. And our treatment as shooters in this country.

[ovenpaa]

I am in total agreement, quite why it never went to Bisley is beyond me, as you say it is a highly suspicious affair.....

Actually it would be nice to hear the NRA side of things, I am sure they worked very hard on this and they seem to be very quiet about the whole affair which would suggest that they could still be working on things in the background.