Handgun licences

Chipboard

Have been looking back through the boards for advice on how to go about applying for a handgun licence but the info is dated and obviously fragmented. Can anyone tell me, as of now (beginning of November) what the current state of play is. Can you apply for a licence here or would it be easier to purchase in another country where you have an address and just import it.

Sparks

The current state of play is that it's legal to get a licence here and once you have the licence you can import the firearm without an importation order. You need to get your Section 7/9 authorisation and EU firearms pass as mentioned before. You will have to go get it yourself if it's in the EU, unless you have the Minister's permission; and you may get some questions at customs since they're not quite used to people bringing in pistols yet; but basicly, it's legal and the Minister said so in the Dail.

However; the amendments to the firearms acts may make your now-legal pistol illegal after new year's

les45

Chip, I can put you in touch with a dealer in NI , he can advise you as to type of pistol, cal, etc. You make your decision and you pay your deposit, as normal make a application to your local Garda stn with as much supporting info as you have, ie club membership, details of alarms, shooting interests. I am very fortunate as my local firearms officer is a shooter and he was very aware of my pistol shooting "exploits" so my application took 17 days from application to issue,

woody

Could you PM me the dealers info and I will give him a call or visit thanks :-)

Pull!theother1

Sparks wrote:

You need to get your Section 7/9

Having read some of the other threads to see what a Section 7/9 is, when it is at home, has any one actualy got one?

Has anyone actualy then got a pistol into the country with this permit?

Sparks

The Section 7/9 (I don't know if it should be called a section 7 or a section 9) is something from EU law - it's a letter from the relevant authority (in our case, the local Superintendent) granting permission for the bearer of a firearms cert to purchase abroad any firearm or ammunition covered on the firearms certificate. If you're granted a firearms cert, you are entitled to this permission by law, along with an EU firearms pass.

(I don't know if it should be called a section 7 or a section 9 because it's described in section 7 of the EU directive, but section 9 of the Irish statutory instrument that implements that directive here).

1911 says he's brought in a pistol this way already; but I don't know anyone personally who has. Most ordinary people I know are waiting for these amendments to the Firearms Acts first, though I do know one or two who are planning to bring in entry-level, relatively inexpensive, air pistols as a kind of test case to demonstrate to the DoJ that these aren't a danger to public safety.

Chipboard

I have been into a dealer in NI who said they could order a gun for me subject to me having the necessary documents. They mentioned an importation certificate though, and said that they didnt know if the DOJ was issuing them. In light of Sparks comment about the possibility of them being made illegal in the new year - I think I'll wait until then to see how it pans out as I'm thinking of purchasing a 9mm Beretta and I dont fancy having a €900 gun taken from me.

Sparks

To be wholly fair Chip, you would have adaquate notice that the pistol was going to become illegal - the amendment would have to be passed through the Dail and then the Seanad - it's not going to sneak up on you overnight. You may, however, wind up owning a €900 pistol you can only use up north, or having to store it outside the country for years like Frank Brophy had to with his target pistol, or having to sell it on with a small loss. That's assuming, of course, that we don't convince the Minister that target pistols are perfectly legitimate and not a threat to public safety.

Gun Shy

http://homepage.eircom.net/~ntsai/nrpaiinfo.htm

Hope this helps, its a link to Info on the National Rifle and Pistol Association of Ireland website "regarding importation of firearms into Ireland" and gives very detailed info from their PRO.

This has been posted here on the board before but this is a more detailed version.

2112

I have a cert for a 9mm H&k bought in the north. I applied for and recieved a article 7 autorization, the gardai were very helpful. The dealer in the north isnt sure on how to proceed now and has to get onto the DTI. Hopefully I'll have it next week. The dealer told me that one particular northern dealer is issuing pistols when presented with article 7s. So get your certs and apply for the article 7.

gouda

2112 wrote:

I have a cert for a 9mm H&k bought in the north. I applied for and recieved a article 7 autorization, the gardai were very helpful. The dealer in the north isnt sure on how to proceed now and has to get onto the DTI. Hopefully I'll have it next week. The dealer told me that one particular northern dealer is issuing pistols when presented with article 7s. So get your certs and apply for the article 7.

Best way to proceed is to have the pistol on your European Firearms Passport and then send copies of all (Irish Licence,Article 7and Euro Passport) to PSNI and ask for a Visitor's Permit. Takes about two weeks but you can then go and collect.

civdef

Couriers don't need a firearms licence to transport a gun. Once you have received your Irish licence, and presuming the seller has an export licence, why not just have it sent over?

les45

Had a nice letter from DOJ last week, basically I can import the pistol without a permit but any ammo imports will need a seperate import licence, so I am now applying for a import licence for 100rds of .22, funny that the I.R.A are being "allowed" to keep 10% of their weapons for personal protection, small arms only handguns and sub guns( Sunday Independent 14/11/04) i assume that DOJ will treat these applications and applicants with the same respect as they have for us, such a load of pure S...E, as usual the laws apply to to the decent and honourable people of Ireland only and all others can do as they want!!!!

Sparks

les, why would you need an importation order for the ammo? You can buy .22lr over the counter in Ireland from just about any firearms dealer so long as you have the firearms certificate.

And I saw that article in the SI. Very infuriating, I have to say.

woody

So what your saying is if I buy a 9MM Pistol, I have to have several different import licenses for the ammo.

Myself and my dad are waiting to see what happens before we purchase a pistol as at the moment things seem unclear but if it is a .22LR pistol so be it as the ammo can be easily got here as we all know a small price to pay to start using the weapon as a new hobby

Sparks

Hmmm. Not so sure about the "weapon" bit there woody, the term implies an illegal motive for using a pistol...

les45

Yes Sparks, I am afraid that my comments were aimed at the DOJ, as I have a .22 rifle on a licence! I can purchase and hold .22 ammo, I wonder do I need to colour code the boxs!!!!! just in case I use the .22 rifle Eley Tenex in the Beretta instead of the .22eley tenex that I bought for the pistol in the rifle! or was it the other way around,oh dear , oh dear,!!!!!!

woody

Sparks wrote:

Hmmm. Not so sure about the "weapon" bit there woody, the term implies an illegal motive for using a pistol...

Eh I mean projectile machinery

Sparks

If the DoJ wanted people to hold back on bringing in "the heavy stuff", as it were, then there'd be some sense to that les, but again there's that section 7 thing which says you're authorised to bring in firearms or ammo that your cert permits.
*sigh*
It's all a great big pile of confused red tape. Sooner we sort this all out so we know where we stand, the better.

Irishglockfan

Hmmm Need I say"told yez so" about the ammo import permit a few weeks back???
About the RA keeping "self defence guns".That is Really going to look good if Mc Dowell pushes on for more stringent liscensing of us law abideing and lets that BS go thru.That should be kept for somthing like a media interview .
Just goes to show folks .We are the easy mark in the fight against "crime".

Horeb

Has anyone here actually Purchased, Licensed and Imported a Pistol Yet ??

I am looking at a CZ75 in Prague, since they are just in the EU would that be an issue in regards to importation.

And Secondly do I have to join a pistol club in order to make my application more plausable eventhough I have access to two PDF pistol ranges.

trixter

I was wondering if anyone had a link to the statute that permits pistol ownership and all.. irishstatutebook.ie or whatever it is should have it, but I dont even know the name of the legislation.

I am an avid target shooter, and enjoy 300-600 rounds/day 3 days a week here and was looking at moving to ireland and a toss up for me was NI vs Republic over this very issue.

The more information (of an authoritative and legal nature) I get the more informed decision I could make, and potentially it would help others too.

civdef

It's not so much that there's a statute permitting pistol ownership, as that there isn't one preventing it. Pistols were banned here over the past 30 something years by the simple policy of not granting licence applications for them, a practice which the courts have recently found to be unlawful.

The relevant firearms acts will be found in irishstatutebook.ie.

trixter

I had thought that there was a specific law that prevented it, and that licenses for ownership were limited to shotguns and rifles below a certain caliber (.270 iirc). This makes it more clear, thanks.

Since the license for ownership is a policy thing more than not is there a list of standard guidelines on whom may be issued? ie does it require citizenship (I am an american citizen and it will take a few years after escaping america to become a citizen)? I do not recall that being an issue when I looked on the rifle ownership before, but irish law and policy is something I am not (yet) totally versed in.