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Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information


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Number of firearms

  • 15-07-2020 12:49am
    #1
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,191 ✭✭✭✭


    Hello all, I read somewhere that there are about 240,000 legally held firearms in Rep. of Ireland.
    Does this figure include Garda and Defence Forces guns?
    If not, are they actually licenced at all?
    If not, under what conditions are they held?
    Property of Minister of Defence?


Comments

  • #2
    juice1304
    Registered Users Posts: 1,805 ✭✭✭juice1304


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Hello all, I read somewhere that there are about 240,000 legally held firearms in Rep. of Ireland.
    Does this figure include Garda and Defence Forces guns?
    If not, are they actually licenced at all?
    If not, under what conditions are they held?
    Property of Minister of Defence?

    They are owned and licenced by provate citizens for target shooting and hunting. No the garda/defense forces guns arent included. They are held by whatever condition is set out in the licence it depends why you want the licence and what type of firearm it is.


  • #3
    cookimonster
    Registered Users Posts: 2,759 ✭✭✭cookimonster


    FIREARMS ACT

    Section 2: Restrictions on possession, use, and carriage of firearms.

    2.—(1) Subject to the exceptions from this section hereinafter mentioned, it shall not be lawful for any person after the commencement of this Act to have in his possession, use, or carry any firearm or ammunition save in so far as such possession, use, or carriage is authorised by a firearm certificate granted under this Act and for the time being in force.

    (3) This section shall not apply to any of the following cases and such cases are accordingly excepted from this section, that is to say:—

    (a).....

    (b) the possession, use, or carriage of a firearm or ammunition by a member of the Defence Forces of Saorstát Eireann or of a lawful police force in Saorstát Eireann in the performance of his duty as such member;


    AFAIK its the owner thats licenced not the firearm. In the case of the GS and DF personal the need for a licence to use etc etc is excempt by virtue of the job. The possession of firearms by the DF as a entity is more or less delt with by the Defence Act , Defence Force Regulations and various levels of SOPs.
    The GS would most likely be the same with variations for operational use i.e. the carrying of concealed firearms etc, etc.


  • #4
    BattleCorp
    Registered Users Posts: 11,758 ✭✭✭✭BattleCorp


    I'd guess there are less than 240,000 licenced guns in the State. The reason I think that is because the Pulse figures for guns is absolutely sh1te.

    One example.........About 4 years ago I was renewing a licence and the Garda asked me about two other guns that were registered to me on Pulse. I had sold them about 4 years earlier. So I was down on Pulse for two extra guns that I didn't have.

    How that's possible I don't know because someone else had them licenced at that stage.


  • #5
    Bogwoppit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,552 ✭✭✭Bogwoppit


    BattleCorp wrote: »
    I'd guess there are less than 240,000 licenced guns in the State. The reason I think that is because the Pulse figures for guns is absolutely sh1te.

    One example.........About 4 years ago I was renewing a licence and the Garda asked me about two other guns that were registered to me on Pulse. I had sold them about 4 years earlier. So I was down on Pulse for two extra guns that I didn't have.

    How that's possible I don't know because someone else had them licenced at that stage.

    Similar happened to me, I had a random (rather expensive) shotgun under my name on pulse, my shotgun was registered somewhere the other side of the country and there was no record of my rifle.


  • #6
    cookimonster
    Registered Users Posts: 2,759 ✭✭✭cookimonster


    In 2015 there were 28,000 members of NARGC, so based on thier figures there's now 30,000 odd at the moment.

    On a rough premise of 3 firearms per person them that gives you 90,000 firearms. Then throw in all of the lads who are not in NARGC, then on top of that clubs, ranges etc, etc I'd say we are not that far off the number.


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  • #7
    Grizzly 45
    Registered Users Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    Bogwoppit wrote: »
    Similar happened to me, I had a random (rather expensive) shotgun under my name on pulse, my shotgun was registered somewhere the other side of the country and there was no record of my rifle.

    Happened to me too. The kicker was mine was Anschutz and the other was a Brno,but both had the same serial numbers. Odd that no one noticed the different names of the guns.:rolleyes:

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • #8
    Grizzly 45
    Registered Users Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    Somewhat accurate Anti gun site.
    Don't ask me how they calculated how many illegal guns there are in Ireland Must have been a hairy undertaking asking the Kinahan's and Dundon /Mc Carthy gangs and CIRA on how many illegal guns they own!:eek:

    https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/ireland

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • #9
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,454 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    BattleCorp wrote: »
    I'd guess there are less than 240,000 licenced guns in the State.
    That was the number quoted about 10 years ago. After the 2009 act and new licensing system it dropped to 169,000 (at its recorded lowest).

    In the ten years since it has climbed back up again with recent figures being approx. 224,000 (i've tried searching for the exact figure which i had, but cannot find right now).
    The reason I think that is because the Pulse figures for guns is absolutely sh1te.
    Yup. Its why Alan Shatter himself criticised the PULSE system, the Garda inspectorate said it was out of date and antiquated, and the CSO removed the accreditation for it.
    Grizzly 45 wrote: »
    Don't ask me how they calculated how many illegal guns there are in Ireland
    I believe, if memory serves, that they used the average figures per head of capita as published by the small arms survey. This of course was completely wrong as the last census taken (dated 2017) says there are over 342,000 registered firearm in Ireland (an overestimation of at least 100,000) and of which they base their 35% illegal gun stat from (so 150,000 illegal guns on top of that erroneous 350,000 figure).

    It gives a gun ownership rate of over 8.6% when the figure is closer to 4.8% and that is only working on the one license/gun, one person scenario, which if the amount of people and the guns they have were actually recorded would be closer to 2.8% - 3%.
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