Meeting with a local Firearms Officer

Sparks

From an anonymous source who met with his local FO last night, the following notes of interest, with my comments in blue italics:

1. The guidance has been delayed because the legislation has gone to the Attorney General over various aspects. (I've been told by the FPU that they're with the Minister's office, which may amount to the same thing; publication was hoped for by the end of this week or the start of next week; and really, if the AG didn't take a peek at this, I'd say we should be worried )
2. The draft copy of the Guidance document he has is almost word for word the same as what was posted by NARGC (Apart from the questions this raised earlier, I'd still prefer to go with the Commissioner's version)
3. All storage arrangements are to be inspected
4. Ammunition: Prove you need the quantity and your OK.
5. All new applicants must do a proficiency course of some description or be able to prove competency in some way. (Again, the question of what course is recognised comes up; and if it's "prove it in some way", I'll just attach a shot target with the group in the ten ring - if they can't specify a means, then why should I go to too much bother? )
6. Main aim of the new licencing is to account for the firearms/encourage people to take old firearms out of cirulation/ limit pistols and pistol calibers.
7. There should be no issue with people who are currently licenced
8. Tick silencer in the box and it will go on your licence as "22 rifle and silencer" (And I'm told by the DoJ that the centerfire moderators will be as little an issue as this in due course (though I'd still rather it was sorted before I went anywhere near it))
9. If a firearm is stolen from your car "you will never get a licence again" ('Twas ever thus - though you'd hope there was a difference between leaving a loaded shotgun plainly visible in the back seat of an unlocked parked car; and having your car stolen with the firearm in a lockbox welded into the boot...)
10. His main worry is farmers and individuals with guns in sheds not active shooters. (I'm wondering if the Nally case had an influence here)
11. If your thinking of changing a gun do it now.

Half-cocked

Sparks wrote: »

If a firearm is stolen from your car "you will never get a licence again" ('Twas ever thus - though you'd hope there was a difference between leaving a loaded shotgun plainly visible in the back seat of an unlocked parked car; and having your car stolen with the firearm in a lockbox welded into the boot...)

And I would hope there would be leniency shown for those who took the trouble to disable the firearm before leaving it locked in a box in the boot - as in removed the bolt from a rifle or fore end from shotgun.

G17

Sparks wrote: »

[*]All storage arrangements are to be inspected

Again.

This could take a LONG time based on previous experience in our area unless a non CPO can call in...........

rrpc

Half-cocked wrote: »

And I would hope there would be leniency shown for those who took the trouble to disable the firearm before leaving it locked in a box in the boot - as in removed the bolt from a rifle or fore end from shotgun.

If something without which the firearm can't operate is removed, then it's not a firearm anymore and can't be used as such.

Sparks

rrpc wrote: »

If something without which the firearm can't operate is removed, then it's not a firearm anymore and can't be used as such.

Only in pragmatic common sense and the real world

Legally, according to the definition of a firearm, if you take out the bolt, you now have two firearms; the component part (ie. the bolt) is classed as one, and the rest of the firearm (which only requires a component part to be added in order to fire) is classed as the other...

Bananaman

I'd say the Gardai won't care - I doubt if the 'stolen firearm' form has a box on it to say 'all reasonable measures taken to prevent' or 'not the fault of owner'.

It will say stolen from safe, person or transport (possess, use or carry). In any case it'll be your last one.

I have always removed the barrel from my pistol so that if somebody brought a kango and dug my safe out I could land into the local station and say they got the rest of the firearm and produce the barrel.

I've always assumed that if that happened I'd never be let have another license as I had a firearm stolen from me but would be happy that the scobies didn't get a working firearm.

B'Man

SpannerMonkey

i have been thinking of changing my rifle to a .223 or i should say getting another rifle and holding on to my .22 so i could do target shooting out to further distances should i try now or wait a while what do ye think

Sparks

Might as well do it now davy.
Well, when I say "now" I mean "in a week or so, when the guidelines get published".

ivanthehunter

davy_b wrote: »

i have been thinking of changing my rifle to a .223 or i should say getting another rifle and holding on to my .22 so i could do target shooting out to further distances should i try now or wait a while what do ye think

The Garda web site has that on covered in FAQ
www.garda.ie

riflehunter77

ivanthehunter wrote: »

The Garda web site has that on covered in FAQ
www.garda.ie

Well spotted ivan