Irish gun laws

KC1997

hi. can some explain to me do I or do I not need a training licence before I can get gun licence

Sparks

You don't if you're over 16 years of age, but you do have a competency requirement in the licence (it's up to your Superintendent as to how you satisfy that). The training licence is just one way to meet that requirement.

KC1997

il be 16 this year but i want to get the licence sooner . I was told i could be put on under my dads licence and he could train me is that possible or whats the story about

Sparks

That's how the training licence would work; you'd have a training licence, your dad would have his own licence and you'd learn using his firearm.

You can't be just 'added' to someone's licence, it doesn't work like that in Ireland or the UK.

juice1304

If you have a training licence you can only use your fathers firearm under his supervision.

KC1997

and then how long would i have the training licence before i can get my own licence and is there aa restriction on calibre

Sparks

There's no defined length of time that you have to have the training licence for; but you have to be over 16 for the full licence.
And there's no restriction on calibre above what the normal licence has - ie. whatever the Superintendent will grant a licence for.

KC1997

Alright thanks answered most my questions

tac foley

Sparks wrote: »

That's how the training licence would work; you'd have a training licence, your dad would have his own licence and you'd learn using his firearm.

You can't be just 'added' to someone's licence, it doesn't work like that in Ireland or the UK.

In the UK we don't have 'training licenses'.

This is an Irish thing/invention.

Instead, we have three to six month probationary membership of a target-shooting gun club [with tests along the way], or mentoring for a year or so in the case of game shooting. Mind you, not many folks want to go game shooting, and by that I mean deer/feral hogs without having been exposed to it before. Slightly chicken and egg, but you have to remember that most of the 67 Million people who live here do so in cities and large towns, and are not exposed to shooting of any kind, let alone clumping across the uplands in the p&ssing rain with a ten-pound sporting rifle and wet breeks.

tac

Sparks

tac foley wrote: »

In the UK we don't have 'training licenses'.

Correct.
Also correct is that you can't be added to your dad's FAC in the UK, because that's not how it works.
I said the latter and not the former, but thanks for the look at the UK system, as I'm sure it applies (or a very close replica of it) for our NI readers.

tac foley

Sparks wrote: »

Correct.
Also correct is that you can't be added to your dad's FAC in the UK, because that's not how it works.
I said the latter and not the former, but thanks for the look at the UK system, as I'm sure it applies (or a very close replica of it) for our NI readers.

Correct, in the UK it is YOU that has the license, with all the guns that you have on it.

The system in Northern Ireland is the same, with three notable exceptions -

1. ALL airguns, whatever the m/e, are treated as firearms - on the mainland, this only applies to airguns over 12ft lbs.

2, Handguns of all types are licenseable, unlike mainland UK, where they are generally prohibited. On mainland UK, only BP handguns - loose-loading cap and ball or muzzle-loaders - are permitted, and a rather odd category of handgun called 'long-barrelled revolver/pistol.

3. There is a policy of permitting certain persons who have a high-risk life-style - prison officers, judges, and others - to carry a concealed handgun for self-defence. There are currently just under 3000 of these CCW permits in use in Northern Ireland. This situation does NOT apply to any other part of the UK.

tac

Vstorm

Is there anywhere in Ireland I can do handgun training.

bravestar

Vstorm wrote: »

Is there anywhere in Ireland I can do handgun training.

Do you mean a safety course so you know how to safely handle a .22lr pistol?

Or do you mean something else?