Gentlemen - a serious question...

[Waterman]

Tac,

I live in Raunds. We should have a chat and a pint one of these days.

Cheers, Bill

 

[Zonie]

I can see that good ole' tac has a real problem.

I'm sure he can import a custom longrifle without a vent hole as was suggested but he wants to shoot the gun as well as look at it.

I did know that any gun that a person wants to shoot in England MUST be proofed at the official government proof house.

While I'm sure any longrifle made by a custom builder in the U.S. would pass the proof test, just having the gun proofed would open the can of worms involving the number of guns he owns.

Just by firing a unproofed gun once he would be leaving himself open to all kinds of criminal charges.

It sounds to me like if he really wants to own a real shootable longrifle he's going to have to give serious consideration to moving to the next County.

 

[ken.clements]

Dear All - a kind soul just PM'd me with an idea or two, for which I'm very grateful. And Zonie - the idea of sending one to myself doesn't work here - it is, after all, a live-firing firearm we are talking about, and has to be sent to licensed dealer here in yUK on importation and fully licensed and proofed before BEFORE I can actually lay a finger on it here in yUK.



The idea of getting a kit is just fine - the problem is that if I want to shoot it, then it has a load of problems just lined up ready to go -

1. A non-firing kit is OK - anybody can have one.

2. A live-firing kit - even though it is in component parts - is counted as much a live firearm as a Barrett .50cal rifle, and is subject to the same importation rules. IOW, it has to go from an FFL to the UK version of an FFL - the RFD [Registered Firearms Dealer].

3. I then have to have it proofed in the Birmingham Proof House, just in case my widow is given the chance to sell it.

4. The other problem is that I already have eighteen guns over here, and my local county limit - imposed by the then new Chief Constable, was set at sixteen. After that, you have to have a 24/7 FFL-standard monitored alarm and building security...

5. So I would have to sell three guns to get my next one.

Gee, now that makes real sense.

The only was I can do it is as some of you suggest - get a non-firing kit without the touch-hole drilled through, in the hope that the new CC is a mite more relaxed about things - after all there is no recorded crime in the last 150 years of anybody being shot with a flintlock rifle...

For sure there is no way on earth that I'm going to sell what I now have - having had to give up 118 handguns in 1997 - even whilst serving as a senior Army officer.

Thanks for all the advice and assistance, and a Merry Christmas and Happy & Prosperous New Year to you all.

tac, mrs tac and the family ig

knowing almost nothing about UK rules (except what I’ve read in this thread) and knowing a little about German Laws (mostly they keep changing them to my sorrow) I have a couple of questions.
Is there a possibility to get some typ of dealers or collectors license to go around this 16-18 gun law? Even if you have to get a alarm (which you probably will have to sooner or later) it probably will also help in any insurance claims should there be a (for example) break-in or some other typ of damage.
Can you have a existing collector help in any way?
Does the renting (at least according to the laws and the papertrail) of a flat in the next county help in any way?

Something else...you were looking for a new rifle, preferably one of quality....there is a internet auction called E-Gun which sometimes has handmade rifles from gunmakers (quality unknown because I’ve never bought one). The platform is as far as I know based in Germany (import / export questions?, proofs of shooting, european questions?), maybe it will help.

 

[TFoley]

Mornin', Ken, thanks for the call. The trouble is that it is NOT the law - it is the local interpretation of the law and has no basis in legality. If I was rich I could fight it in court. Sadly, the desire to build a collection of any kind here in UK is NOT what the law calls 'good reason to own a firearm'. Yes, it is entirely possible to get a dealer's licence - all you need to be is a Registered Firearms Dealer [RFD] and show a minimum of £5000 of turnover. and have full dealership-type security, including gun-store levels of locks, bolts, windows alarms, insurance and so on - just like a full-time gun-store, in fact.

Also, in THIS country, there are no such thing a collectors any more unless you are very seriously rich. I'm not.[/i]

Even if you have to get a alarm (which you probably will have to sooner or later) it probably will also help in any insurance claims should there be a (for example) break-in or some other typ of damage.

I already have an all-house reactive alarm, or else I could not have guns at all.

Can you have a existing collector help in any way?

Nope, YOU, the person is the gun-licence holder. Every gun you own is detailed on that licence.

Does the renting (at least according to the laws and the papertrail) of a flat in the next county help in any way?

Nope, Firearms Certificates are issued in the county in which you are entered on the electoral register. There is no such thing as a 'straw gun licence'. In any case, have you seen the price of property in this country? My $350,000 house - including the backyard - is probably the size of my garage in Ontario

Something else...you were looking for a new rifle, preferably one of quality....there is a internet auction called E-Gun which sometimes has handmade rifles from gunmakers (quality unknown because I’ve never bought one). The platform is as far as I know based in Germany (import / export questions?, proofs of shooting, european questions?), maybe it will help.

Thanks for the advice here, I'll look. As you know, I'm sure, most gun-making countries in Europe have reciprocal agreements with regard to gun-proofing. Only US-made guns, which are not proofed in any visible way - have to be proofed in Europe.

So until and unless I am prepared to sell three guns, I'm stuck.

Best wishes for the Festive Season!

tac
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[ken.clements]

I hate lawmakers that leave no loop holes. I guess the only way is try the multiple personality road = more licenses. I know this doesn’t help much but I realize what a frustrating problem this is....at least all muzzleloaders are license free here, the powder is the difficult problem.

 

[ken.clements]

Nope, Firearms Certificates are issued in the county in which you are entered on the electoral register. There is no such thing as a 'straw gun licence'. In any case, have you seen the price of property in this country? My $350,000 house - including the backyard - is probably the size of my garage in Ontario


this sounds like the texan who said it took him three days to drive around his property...and the new yorker who said who said he also had a car that drove pretty crappy :wink:

 

[doegirl]

While I have no good answer for Tac,(My apologizes), and I sympathize.
Let it be a cautionary tale to all of us who live in a land that is still relative free of such tyranny.

 

[TFoley]

While I have no good answer for Tac,(My apologizes), and I sympathize.
Let it be a cautionary tale to all of us who live in a land that is still relative free of such tyranny.

Thanks, Doegirl, and a salutary warning to all of us, no matter where we live. You have to figure out why a government would want to stop its citizens from being able to defend themselves and the motives of those in government whose idea it is...

...but then, you don't have to think THAT hard.

Now, for the kind gentleman who lives not far from me, please send me a PM again! All my PM's seem to have disappeared overnight into an irretrievable black hole.

Best to all

tac
Supporter of the Cape meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund