We are at the end of the shooting season when for many, the gun is cleaned and put away until next needed. Shooting enthusiasts should be on their guard though, against falling foul of firearm legislation.

Falling foul of the Firearms Act (1968) is a serious matter which carries with it weighty penalties. These vary from six months imprisonment and a £400 fine at the Magistrates’ Court, to a maximum of ten years in jail and an unlimited fine at the Crown Court for the most serious offence, possession or distributing of prohibited weapons.

Shotgun owners must also be sure not to allow their certificates to expire. This could result in the owner being charged with the offence of possession of a firearm without a certificate. This brings with it a six month custodial sentence and or a fine of £400, while the offence of non-compliance with a condition of firearms certificate - for example failing to keep it properly locked up and secure - could result in a six month sentence and/or a hefty £5,000 fine.

Any application to renew a shotgun certificate will almost certainly be accompanied by an unannounced visit from a firearms officer who will inspect storage arrangements there and then. Entry without a warrant is unlawful, but in practice few shotgun owners will turn an officer away. Shortcomings may result in the refusal of the local force to grant a new certificate which might mean, subject to a right of appeal to the Magistrates’ Court, losing your right to keep a gun.

Special measures apply when transporting firearms, where the obligation to keep a weapon secure follows the gun. When leaving a gun in an unattended vehicle you are expected to separate and remove the fore-end.

Further reading

The Home Office has published guidelines, which despite not having statutory authority will certainly be taken into account by the Police when investigating any alleged breach.

The publication Firearm Security Handbook (free pdf download) is compulsory bedtime reading for the estimated 570,000 shotgun certificate holders, each of whom owns on average 2.4 guns!