Firearm License Ireland

ethanandrew

Hey there, i'm a 21 year old living in the west of ireland. I'm looking to get into range shooting but i'm not sure how to go about it.

I'm wondering do i need to have a firearms training license first or can i go ahead and apply for a firearms license?

Does successfully getting a license also depend on the firearm being applied for? i'm currently looking at the Walther HAMMERLI TAC R1 22LR.

If anyone can help this would be greatly appreciated, thank you for your time,

-Ethan

Cass

ethanandrew - Hey there, i'm a 21 year old living in the west of ireland.

Welcome to the forum.

ethanandrew - I'm looking to get into range shooting but i'm not sure how to go about it.

Join a range, its as simple as that (no dickishness intended). You find a range, local to you (for convenience sake more than anything else) and you join up. You don't need a firearms license to join, and being a member will help your application.

If you check out this thread you'll find a list of ranges by county. Simply find one, or two, that are close to you, provide for the type of shooting you wish to do and then go have a look. If you like it, join up.

As for the firearm, that is a little more work, but nothing complicated. If you follow this link to another thread and read posts 5, 6, and 7 it will outline in detail the various steps from choosing the right firearm, to applying, and some helpful tips on what to look for and what to avoid.

ethanandrew - I'm wondering do i need to have a firearms training license first or can i go ahead and apply for a firearms license?

Under 16 you need a training license, someone who is already licensed and a few other things. Post #3 here will explain it in more detail. Of course a training license has no upper age limit so anyone of any age (minimum 14) can get one, but if over 16 you're better off with a full license.

As you're older than 16 then you can apply for a full license. The process is outlined above in one of the links I provided.

ethanandrew - Does successfully getting a license also depend on the firearm being applied for? i'm currently looking at the Walther HAMMERLI TAC R1 22LR.

It shouldn't, but it can.

What I mean by that is the law says once you are of age you can apply for what you want, however An Gardaí will factor in your age, experience and make a judgement on whether the firearm is most suited, you have good reason for wanting it, and other factors which may prevent you from getting the one you want, but not stop you getting something similar.

The Hammerli you mentioned is what is sarcastically referred to by most here as an "evil black gun". We refer to it as such because while it is functionally no different than a Ruger 10-22, given how it looks it is demonised simply because of its appearance. There is also a bit of law which states that any firearm which resembles an "assault rifle" (assault rifle being semi-auto and capable of full auto, which is restricted/prohibited in this Country), even if that is only by appearance is classed as an "assault rifle". So this may be a hurdle you will either have to jump or simply "crash into".

Hope this helps and any other questions feel free to ask and the lads/ladies of the forum will gladly help.

ethanandrew

Thanks a million that really does help. it all seemed a bit complicated bu this definitely cleared it up for me. :)

otmmyboy2

Does successfully getting a license also depend on the firearm being applied for? i'm currently looking at the Walther HAMMERLI TAC R1 22LR.

Perfect reply from Cass on everything, but wanted to add my own experience on this particular bit.

I had a very similar query when I was getting licenced for a very similar rifle(both in looks and function), the S&W M&P 15-22.

My Firearms Officer(FO) was under the impression that it would be restricted(a stricter firearms category and hence more hoops to jump through to get a licence for) rather than non-restricted like all non black/scary looking .22 semiautos.

So the FO asked me for details and queried the Firearms Policy Unit(FPU) up in Dublin and they had one question, was it a semiautomatic rimfire firearm?

I verified that it was and the FPU came back and said it was non restricted!

If you receive any pushback from your FO or Superintendent saying that it would be restricted based on looks I would highly advise you to ask them to clarify that with the FPU and let you know the response.

Not that they definitely will, but just letting you know you have a recourse if they do 😀

And finally welcome to the hobby, you will love it! 😁

Grizzly 45

I had a very similar query when I was getting licenced for a very similar rifle(both in looks and function), the S&W M&P 15-22.

My Firearms Officer(FO) was under the impression that it would be restricted(a stricter firearms category and hence more hoops to jump through to get a licence for) rather than non-restricted like all non black/scary looking .22 semiautos.

So the FO asked me for details and queried the Firearms Policy Unit(FPU) up in Dublin and they had one question, was it a semiautomatic rimfire firearm?

I verified that it was and the FPU came back and said it was non restricted!

^What he said!^☝️

Welcome to your new lifestyle choice! This is not a hobby. If this bites you,you will become addicted and passionate about this to the point of an obsessive passion that can wipe out any other "hobby" [and healthy bank accounts you might have].

So be warned, and enjoy the ride!

Grizzly45

ethanandrew

thanks a million for all of the responses. i really appreciate the hearty welcome, just one more question. Would that rifle be a viable option for hunting as well as i'm thinking of getting into it, or would you recommend i get a designated hunting rifle for that sort of thing? :)

otmmyboy2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118137757#Comment_118137757

If you are planning on hunting too then make sure you tick the boxes "hunting", "target shooting" and "Other" on the application, which will cover you to do target shooting on a range, hunting, and pest control(rodents and the like).

And so long as the quarry you are looking to shoot is appropriate to a 22lr then you should be fine with the Tac R1.

It will be well accurate enough for whatever you want to hit hunting wise, and is an ideal suppressor/moderator host, so maybe consider ticking that box on the application too and for reason mention the hunting aspect if asked. 🙂

It won't be as accurate as a dedicated heavy barrel 22lr designed for bench work, but for a good gun all rounder(hunting/pest control/target shooting) it is ideal.

Bottom line, if you like it for the looks and function then go for it, otherwise if you go for a more traditional hunting gun(bolt action, blued steel, wood stock, etc) it's only a matter of time before you start thinking about the one you initially wanted to get anyway 😉

Also if you are looking at it to emulate an AR-15 style rifle as closely as possible though I will point out that the bolt release on it is just cosmetic, it has no function, so unlike a real AR when the magazine is empty the bolt will lock back, you insert a new magazine and instead of hitting the bolt release you instead work the charging handle to re-chamber a round.

Just one caveat I noticed when I was looking at it 😉

ethanandrew

Deadly stuff. Yeah I'd probably end up coming back around to it anyways. Class, I'll do all that so and hit y'all up if it works out. Thanks a mill guys for the help🤟