Can you shoot in UK?

[tac]

​

I often encounter a lot of ignorance about just who CAN shoot, and what, in the UK. This is not the fault of the person asking, but a reflection of the fact that there are many spurious 'myths and legends' about shooting sports here. This is an excerpt from a paper produced for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) - an apolitical organisation, broad details of which can be found here - https://basc.org.uk/ This organisation in no way detracts from the efforts of the UK NRA and NRSA - the National Rifle Association and National Smallbore Rifle Association respectively - two more apolitical organisations each with tens of thousands of members. Many people are members of both, as they shoot in both areas of the shooting disciplines. Heading - New research shows shooting generates £2 billion for the economy, boosts conservation and provides jobs. Shooting is worth £2 billion a year (Gross Value Added*) to the UK economy and provides significant conservation benefits according to the results of independent research released today by leading shooting and countryside organisations. The figures are outlined in a new report – The Value of Shooting – conducted by Cambridge-based Public and Corporate Economic Consultants (PACEC). It is the most comprehensive research into the economic, environmental and social contributions of shooting ever undertaken in the UK. The Value of Shooting reveals that shooting supports the equivalent of 74,000 full-time jobs. People who shoot spend £2.5 billion each year on goods and services, bringing income into rural areas, particularly in the low-season for tourism. The research shows that an established shoot generates local economic benefits for businesses in a radius of up to fifteen miles. The figures show that the amount spent on shooting (£2.5bn) equals almost 10% of the total amount spent on outdoor recreation in a year, which has been measured at £27bn by the Sport and Recreation Alliance**. Shooting is involved in the management of two-thirds of the UK's rural land area. Almost two million hectares are actively managed for conservation as a result of shooting. Nearly £250 million a year is spent on conservation and habitat management which benefits a wide range of wildlife. People who shoot put in 3.9 million work days on conservation every year – the equivalent of 16,000 full-time conservation jobs. At least 600,000 people in the UK shoot live quarry, clay pigeons or targets and existing industry information shows that there are at least 1.6 million individuals who shoot live quarry with an airgun.

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[Andy54Hawken]

Please reply within forum rules.
Divisive comments , serve no purpose and are against forum rules.
Andy

 

[bradsteen]

​

I often encounter a lot of ignorance about just who CAN shoot, and what, in the UK. This is not the fault of the person asking, but a reflection of the fact that there are many spurious 'myths and legends' about shooting sports here. This is an excerpt from a paper produced for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) - an apolitical organisation, broad details of which can be found here - https://basc.org.uk/ This organisation in no way detracts from the efforts of the UK NRA and NRSA - the National Rifle Association and National Smallbore Rifle Association respectively - two more apolitical organisations each with tens of thousands of members. Many people are members of both, as they shoot in both areas of the shooting disciplines. Heading - New research shows shooting generates £2 billion for the economy, boosts conservation and provides jobs. Shooting is worth £2 billion a year (Gross Value Added*) to the UK economy and provides significant conservation benefits according to the results of independent research released today by leading shooting and countryside organisations. The figures are outlined in a new report – The Value of Shooting – conducted by Cambridge-based Public and Corporate Economic Consultants (PACEC). It is the most comprehensive research into the economic, environmental and social contributions of shooting ever undertaken in the UK. The Value of Shooting reveals that shooting supports the equivalent of 74,000 full-time jobs. People who shoot spend £2.5 billion each year on goods and services, bringing income into rural areas, particularly in the low-season for tourism. The research shows that an established shoot generates local economic benefits for businesses in a radius of up to fifteen miles. The figures show that the amount spent on shooting (£2.5bn) equals almost 10% of the total amount spent on outdoor recreation in a year, which has been measured at £27bn by the Sport and Recreation Alliance**. Shooting is involved in the management of two-thirds of the UK's rural land area. Almost two million hectares are actively managed for conservation as a result of shooting. Nearly £250 million a year is spent on conservation and habitat management which benefits a wide range of wildlife. People who shoot put in 3.9 million work days on conservation every year – the equivalent of 16,000 full-time conservation jobs. At least 600,000 people in the UK shoot live quarry, clay pigeons or targets and existing industry information shows that there are at least 1.6 million individuals who shoot live quarry with an airgun.

That was quite informative; thanks for sharing! Good to know the UK is not entirely devoid of shooting sports. On that note, if I ever move there I'll have to make one of these...

Belt-Fed Bullpup Lever-Action Rifle Chambered in .44 Magnum -

Recently, I came across a YouTube channel called ADF Projects and Designs which has published a video showing their latest project - a belt-fed bullpup lever-action rifle! Yes, it is a precise description of this firearm's action/layout and it's a functional firearm even though it looks like a...

www.thefirearmblog.com

 

[DirectDrive]

I didn't get the "divisive" takeaway from tac's post.
I have however, been guilty of having fun (blunderbuss comments and shooting around cows comments) with this subject of just what the UK people can shoot.
The Brits seem to be making do (as per tac's post) with their firearms restrictions and the silly comments from elsewhere (like mine) must be annoying.

 

[gsparesa]

Interesting. I was led to believe that the only thing the Brits shot was bull at the pub. Anyone up for stalking a stag?

 

[bradsteen]

I didn't get the "divisive" takeaway from tac's post.
I have however, been guilty of having fun (blunderbuss comments and shooting around cows comments) with this subject of just what the UK people can shoot.
The Brits seem to be making do with their firearms restrictions and the silly comments from elsewhere (like mine) must be annoying.

I'm sure there's a large contingent of Brits who would like nothing more than to have the same firearms freedoms that we do.

 

[tac]

That was quite informative; thanks for sharing! Good to know the UK is not entirely devoid of shooting sports. On that note, if I ever move there I'll have to make one of these...

Belt-Fed Bullpup Lever-Action Rifle Chambered in .44 Magnum -

Recently, I came across a YouTube channel called ADF Projects and Designs which has published a video showing their latest project - a belt-fed bullpup lever-action rifle! Yes, it is a precise description of this firearm's action/layout and it's a functional firearm even though it looks like a...

www.thefirearmblog.com

Interesting. I was led to believe that the only thing the Brits shot was bull at the pub. Anyone up for stalking a stag?

Funny you should say that. The four of us shooting this morning at our little gun club of 550 members - four of whom are in Team GB - have just under 90 rifles between us. Add a few of the handguns that we can easily have, mostly BP, and that's another 18.

The guys over on the 25m range, booming and banging away with their practical shotgun, usually have around half a dozen guns each, too.

 

[tac]

I'm sure there's a large contingent of Brits who would like nothing more than to have the same firearms freedoms that we do.

Yup. And me, too.

 

[dangerranger60]

The one really great thing about the internet is it has allowed me to meet shooters from all over the world.
If I were to just listen to our news media they would have you believe that all guns are banned un the UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, etc... DR

 

[tac]

Yup, taken earlier this year, shows one THIRD of the shooting line at Century Range, Bisley - one of 17 ranges on the 400 acre site of the National Shooting Centre and home of the NRA/NSRA -

 

[bradsteen]

Have to ask, is there a sizeable firearms lobby in the UK? Any hope for restrictions to be lessened in the future?

 

[tac]

Have to ask, is there a sizeable firearms lobby in the UK? Any hope for restrictions to be lessened in the future?

There is NO lobby for firearms in the UK. Unlike the USA, firearms ownership is not a guarded RIGHT, ensured by the wording of a written constitution.

Here in UK, ownership of firearms is a paid-for privilege - not expensive, by any means - an FAC last five years and costs $£80 - but a privilege nonetheless.

The UK has NO written constitution, so there is no political agenda on which to 'hang' firearms as an electable point. One thing I CAN tell you is that the first politician of ANY colour who stood up and addressed the Home Secretary via the speaker asking for a relaxation of any current laws would likely be looking for an extreme censure by the party leadership. There simply is not the will in Parliament to change anything regarding shooting, especially after the events of a couple of weeks back, where a 9 y/o girl was shot dead in her own home by a gunman chasing a drug dealer. To you and me it is obviously a criminal occurrence, but the backlash will be felt throughout the shooting community. Twenty-six years after the Dunblane massacre the general public might not be aware that here in mainland UK ALL cartridge-firing handguns were made 'prohibited weapons'. Oddly enough, for the next 14 years, handgun crime climbed......

The 1689 Bill of Rights, on which your Constitution is closely based, only mentioned in passing the provision for PROTESTANTS to be able to protect themselves from the wiles of Roman Catholics, seen, at that time, to pose a very serious threat the the British way of life.

 

[bradsteen]

There is NO lobby for firearms in the UK. Unlike the USA, firearms ownership is not a guarded RIGHT, ensured by the wording of a written constitution.

Here in UK, ownership of firearms is a paid-for privilege - not expensive, by any means - an FAC last five years and costs $£80 - but a privilege nonetheless.

The UK has NO written constitution, so there is no political agenda on which to 'hang' firearms as an electable point. One thing I CAN tell you is that the first politician of ANY colour who stood up and addressed the Home Secretary via the speaker asking for a relaxation of any current laws would likely be looking for an extreme censure by the party leadership. There simply is not the will in Parliament to change anything regarding shooting, especially after the events of a couple of weeks back, where a 9 y/o girl was shot dead in her own home by a gunman chasing a drug dealer. To you and me it is obviously a criminal occurrence, but the backlash will be felt throughout the shooting community. Twenty-six years after the Dunblane massacre the general public might not be aware that here in mainland UK ALL cartridge-firing handguns were made 'prohibited weapons'. Oddly enough, for the next 14 years, handgun crime climbed......

The 1689 Bill of Rights, on which your Constitution is closely based, only mentioned in passing the provision for PROTESTANTS to be able to protect themselves from the wiles of Roman Catholics, seen, at that time, to pose a very serious threat the the British way of life.

So if confronted by an aggressor of some kind where avoidance is not possible - someone breaking into your home or threatening you in the street, for example - is there any legal option of self defense?

 

[tac]

So if confronted by an aggressor of some kind where avoidance is not possible - someone breaking into your home or threatening you in the street, for example - is there any legal option of self defense?

Both occurrences are so unlikely here, TBH. Somebody might TRY to break into my multi-23/7/365-monitored alarmed house, but it would be so incredibly difficult to do without being noticed. As for being attacked in the street, why would anybody do that? Unless you go to places where the mere sight of you is enough to get you attacked, and TBH I don't ever go to places like that, again, it is so unlikely.....

Even so, I'm pretty old, but I'm 5' 11" and built like a brick outhouse, and you'd have to be some kind of crazy to take me on, because I'm going to put your elbows in your ears, AFTER you've pulled your index finger out of your eye socket, that is..


In UK law you are allowed to defend yourself any way you can, with whatever you can find to do it with. As a number of people have found out over the last few years, they can die from injuries inflicted on them by homeowners using their own weapons on them. 'I was in fear for my life and that of my wife and child, so I wrenched the tire lever out of his hands and stuck it in his eye.' Okay, fella, sounds good to me, you can go. But first, we have to charge you with murder - as he died - but you'll walk'. and walk they do.

About five years back a bunch of gypsies took on a farmer and his wife in the rurals not far from us. On breaking in they were met with a hail of shot from the legally-owned shotguns held by the homeowners - both county-level skeet and clay shooters. The away team got shot to s***.

In court the baddies got handed down between 8 and 10, with the judge saying - 'let this be a lesson to you. If you insist on invading the homes of country people with the means of defending themselves against your predations, you can expect to get shot.'

 

[bradsteen]

Both occurrences are so unlikely here, TBH. Somebody might TRY to break into my multi-23/7/365-monitored alarmed house, but it would be so incredibly difficult to do without being noticed. As for being attacked in the street, why would anybody do that? Unless you go to places where the mere sight of you is enough to get you attacked, and TBH I don't ever go to places like that, again, it is so unlikely.....

Even so, I'm pretty old, but I'm 5' 11" and built like a brick outhouse, and you'd have to be some kind of crazy to take me on, because I'm going to put your elbows in your ears, AFTER you've pulled your index finger out of your eye socket, that is..
View attachment 1271423

In UK law you are allowed to defend yourself any way you can, with whatever you can find to do it with. As a number of people have found out over the last few years, they can die from injuries inflicted on them by homeowners using their own weapons on them. 'I was in fear for my life and that of my wife and child, so I wrenched the tire lever out of his hands and stuck it in his eye.' Okay, fella, sounds good to me, you can go. But first, we have to charge you with murder - as he died - but you'll walk'. and walk they do.

About five years back a bunch of gypsies took on a farmer and his wife in the rurals not far from us. On breaking in they were met with a hail of shot from the legally-owned shotguns held by the homeowners - both county-level skeet and clay shooters. The away team got shot to s***.

In court the baddies got handed down between 8 and 10, with the judge saying - 'let this be a lesson to you if you insist on invading the homes of country people with the means of defending themselves against your predations, you can expect to get shot.'

Interesting; thank you for clarifying.