How Many Pistols?

dc99

Hi,

I've been shooting for about 7 months now and am really getting into it. I go to the range most weeks at least 2 times per. Entered 1 competition, but intend to hopefully partake in 3 or 4 (looking at the NASRPC calendar) next year.

I am thinking of getting a second pistol to have a bit or variety or to have a change in shooting practice. or even to have a back up gun in case my 'main' gun is out of action for a shoot.

Could I have difficulty in licensing a second Pistol? I had no problem at all in the first (just time taken to process). Or would most 'dedicated shooters' have 2 (or more??) pistols.

Thanks,

Liam

Witcher

Just wanting another one isn't really a valid reason.

You need a reason for each so..pistol 1 is for GP40 and pistol 2 is more suited to T&P etc.

Don't say that the second one is a better fit for your hand or such or he'll say 'Grand, give up the other one then if it's not right'.

cw67irl

There are lads with 6+ pistol licences no reason why you cant have 2!!

dc99

Hi,

Yes, but as last poster said - do i need a good reason (other than target shooting etc) to possess two or more?

Like is it usual to have more than 1 pistol? I know it can be usual to have more than one rifle, but there are so many different applications for different calibre's of rifle (that aren't open to us in .22lr pistol land...)

Like is there anyone picking up this thread that has more than one pistol and how did that work for them?

ta

Cass

I had 3 .308 rifles at one stage. My reasons were:

• Hunting (light stalking setup)
• Short/medium range target shooting (standard stock, short barrel, 24")
• Long range target shooting. (full 18lb, 32", custom setup)

To a Superintendent they are all .308 rifles. I had to show why the different barrel length, designs, usage, etc were vital for the discipline/use i had in store for each gun. That coupled with the range membership, etc proved enough and i got watch one as i applied.

While pistols are viewed in a different light than rifles the same reasons, as Blay outlined above, stand true. I don't shoot competitive pistol, and not in .22lr so excuse the ignorance on some points. If you can show that one pistol with a certain grip,, and barrel is good for one, but not for another discipline then a second gun is required as trying to have one gun for multiple disciplines is simply not feasible..

Witcher

You need a reason for any firearm, you'll see lads with two shotguns..one for game and one for clays or a clay shooter might have one sporter and one trap gun.

The second gun has to do something that the first one doesn't or isn't perfectly suited to.

Doesn't really matter how other people have got on in the same situation because everyone's super is different. There are lads out there that can't get one pistol and others have six as cw67irl said.

You'll have to come up with some credible reason and approach your firearms officer to see how the land lies on it.

dc99

Hi,

Ok, I can see the process, which is what I wanted when posting the original question.
I have a gun at the moment that is ok. but I took part in a couple of different competitions . one of which was a T&P - my yoke was not the best at that, but with the GP 40 I think it would have been the biz (I didn't compete in a GP40 that day, but an familiar with the course of fire and Would think that the kneeling or sitting position (I'm correct in this being in the course of fire??) would suit my present one better.

As a matter if interest-can you change pistols in the middle of a competition? use one for the 25m then another one for the shorter range?

This is all good stuff guys. thanks for the info.

Liam

ntipptop

hi dc99
what are you shooting with at the moment

dc99

Hi, a GSG 1911, great gun, but want to get more into competition targets...

ntipptop

did you have much trouble getting licence for it
i had alot of trouble failed to licence a walther p22, grey area of the law!!!!!
i just applyed again for a 22a

dc99

No, no trouble at all, just took nearly the full 3 months, but This happened during the renewals at the begining of last year (2013) .

Whats the 22a like?

Sparks

If you were shooting at a high level internationally (say, where the Irish Sports Council would be talking about World Class performance, if they hadn't got their heads wrong about target shooting at the moment), then "I need a second pistol in case the first one fails" would be a valid reason -- but that second pistol would need to be identical to the first, in every respect (and that's a lot of work, btw - matching grips like that and ensuring the two guns perform the same way on the range sounds simple, but isn't). So getting a second pistol just for variety is simply not a runner in Ireland at the moment. Your best bet in Ireland to see if something shoots better for you, would be to try other peoples pistols on an authorised range whose insurance/authorisation/home rules don't prohibit that (it's legal under section 2(4)(d) but some ranges are limited above and beyond what's in 2(3) and 2(4) unfortunately).