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Gun in Public

  • 10-01-2020 11:51am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭site_owner


    Just a question from a non gun user so please go easy on me. Is it legal to carry a shotgun in public?

    I was cycling along this morning and saw a fella walking along the path carrying a long shotgun casually hanging off his shoulder. It wasnt in a bag or broken over his arm. He was obviously heading towards some fields as he was dressed for a walk and had a Springer with him so not up to anything.

    I don't normally see people out in public with guns in Ireland so it was a surprise to me.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,539 ✭✭✭wexfordman2


    site_owner wrote: »
    Just a question from a non gun user so please go easy on me. Is it legal to carry a shotgun in public?

    I was cycling along this morning and saw a fella walking along the path carrying a long shotgun casually hanging off his shoulder. It wasnt in a bag or broken over his arm. He was obviously heading towards some fields as he was dressed for a walk and had a Springer with him so not up to anything.

    I don't normally see people out in public with guns in Ireland so it was a surprise to me.

    Perfectly legal, the guy was out for a shot, and quite possibly moving between two shooting areas. The only thing I would have done is have the shotgun broken when on the public road.

    How would you expect a person to get from his car to the field ?


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


    It's legal in certain circumstances. In or near a field, yeah should be ok. Through a shopping centre, no.


  • Registered Users Posts: 473 ✭✭The pigeon man


    Yes it's legal within reason, provided you have a license and aren't carrying it in a threatening manner.

    Common sense applies if you are walking down a quiet road going between fields you'll be grand.

    I've never had a problem where I am. I usually acknowledge drivers going by and they wave back.


  • Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭site_owner


    Thank for the replies ðŸ‘
    I was just wondering if it needed to be in a bag or broken when moving between fields. Seemed a bit casual to be walking past houses with it loose on a strap.

    Not something I see every day


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,732 ✭✭✭BarryD2


    Reminds me of the lad that drove down our road once in his jeep, left hand on the steering wheel and the other with a shotgun I think out the window pointing towards the adjacent forest. No idea what he was at, maybe trying to raise pheasants that are sometimes in there. Was too surprised even to get the reg.

    Then there's the odd lads out in public forests shooting with no indication that they're there. Sometimes dangerous assumptions are made that no one else is about.


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  • site_owner wrote: »
    Thank for the replies ðŸ‘
    I was just wondering if it needed to be in a bag or broken when moving between fields. Seemed a bit casual to be walking past houses with it loose on a strap.

    Not something I see every day

    Shotguns are rarely on straps. Sounds more like it was a rifle in which case, it can't be broken.


  • Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭site_owner


    Shotguns are rarely on straps. Sounds more like it was a rifle in which case, it can't be broken.

    Thats must be it. I thought it looked like a shotgun but wouldn't know at all


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,667 ✭✭✭whippet


    My brother was heading out early one morning for a shoot and had the gun over the shoulder and belt full of cartridges... walked straight by a RTE camera van who we setting up a camera at the scene of a murder the night before !! The guy was shot with a shotgun !!


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭garv123


    When I was shooting first and didn't drive, I had to walk out of the village with the gun over my shoulder, no one batted an eyelid. Even the guards drove passed me and I just got a salute off them.

    If the dog was a springer, it most likely a shotgun, maybe a semi auto, you cant brake them open like a double barrel. Some lads do have slings on them for walking from spot A to B

    Cases aren't ideal if you're on foot because you need to leave them somewhere when you get to the area you want to hunt.




  • garv123 wrote: »
    When I was shooting first and didn't drive, I had to walk out of the village with the gun over my shoulder, no one batted an eyelid. Even the guards drove passed me and I just got a salute off them.

    If the dog was a springer, it most likely a shotgun, maybe a semi auto, you cant brake them open like a double barrel. Some lads do have slings on them for walking from spot A to B

    Cases aren't ideal if you're on foot because you need to leave them somewhere when you get to the area you want to hunt.

    I hadn't thought of a semi auto. That could be it. And yes, they often have slings.


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


    I've a condition on my licence that I can't leave my gun unattended in the car.

    Not very practical when I have to stop at Obama Plaza for a leak. It would raise a few eyebrows if I carried it in there when I was going to the toilet. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 538 ✭✭✭Hunter456


    perfectly legal walk around here all the time with a rifle or shotgun as i live in a very rural area , shotgun broke in half and the rifle bolt open and magazine in my pocket, common sense applies when your out in public with a gun. guards pulled up once and asked ''any luck tonight''.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,983 ✭✭✭✭tuxy


    Very common thing to see where I live and usually they have a springer with them so it's obvious they are doing a bit of hunting. Auto shotguns have become far more popular recently so that's probably what it was.
    Many of the groups of fields around me are owned by the same farmer and there is no practical place to park a car and drive between them so moving along a public road on foot is much more practical.
    If someone was up to no good they would probably be more dangerous in a car than on foot anyway.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭J.R.


    Shotguns are rarely on straps

    Many fella's with a semi-auto or pump action shotgun would have a strap to carry them on their shoulder.

    If he had a springer with him I'd guess it was a shotgun.




  • J.R. wrote: »
    Many fella's with a semi-auto or pump action shotgun would have a strap to carry them on their shoulder.

    If he had a springer with him I'd guess it was a shotgun.

    See my follow up comment.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,934 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    They are called "slings" not straps.:pAnd yes,perfectly legal to carry a rifle/shotgun on a public road when going from one shooting area to the next here Provided as said unloaded,and in a non threatning manner. Up to you whether you want to carry the gun slung or broken over the crook of your arm,or "Safari style",broken ,unloaded with you holding the muzzle and the mechanism over your shoulder.About as common a sight in the country as cattle being herded along a road at this time of year.:)

    "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 "



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


    BarryD2 wrote: »
    Then there's the odd lads out in public forests shooting with no indication that they're there. Sometimes dangerous assumptions are made that no one else is about.

    ....and then there are the countless numbers of the public who blatantly walk, cycle, ride etc past, around, over and no doubtless under warning signs clearly identifying the 'public wood' as being out of bounds for the purpose of Hunting.

    The amount of people who say 'I didn't see the sign' ... the red and white ones hung at every entrance to the wood, the ones thst say 'No Unauthorised Entry, Firearms In Use' , ..... when you explian the situation, you may get the pathetic 'we have permission! .... thats usually followed up by ourselves saying ohhh ok, show us your permit, and by the way what was the name of the forest manager who have you authorisation to be here: fill in the gap ( examples - motorcross, mountain bikeing off forest roads, cutting/ building mountain bike trails, mountaineering, horse ridding on and off roads, camping, mushroom picking, illegal wood cutting, etc etc just a few things we have come across)


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,934 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    And dont forget the "attitude" as well....: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 "



  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,128 ✭✭✭Emmersonn


    ....and then there are the countless numbers of the public who blatantly walk, cycle, ride etc past, around, over and no doubtless under warning signs clearly identifying the 'public wood' as being out of bounds for the purpose of Hunting.

    The amount of people who say 'I didn't see the sign' ... the red and white ones hung at every entrance to the wood, the ones thst say 'No Unauthorised Entry, Firearms In Use' , ..... when you explian the situation, you may get the pathetic 'we have permission! .... thats usually followed up by ourselves saying ohhh ok, show us your permit, and by the way what was the name of the forest manager who have you authorisation to be here: fill in the gap ( examples - motorcross, mountain bikeing off forest roads, cutting/ building mountain bike trails, mountaineering, horse ridding on and off roads, camping, mushroom picking, illegal wood cutting, etc etc just a few things we have come across)
    You forgot "Park and ride" :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭THE_SHEEP


    Funny, you can walk along a road way ( public area ) with a rifle or shotgun . I cant walk out my front door with an airsoft gun ( includes airsoft shotgun or rifle ) , unless it's in a proper gun case . Has to be in a case while being transported . Can't be used / seen in general view of the public etc etc .

    Breaking any of these rules results in confiscation of the airsoft gun and possible prosecution under firearms laws .


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,323 ✭✭✭✭Witcher


    THE_SHEEP wrote: »
    Funny, you can walk along a road way ( public area ) with a rifle or shotgun . I cant walk out my front door with an airsoft gun ( includes airsoft shotgun or rifle ) , unless it's in a proper gun case . Has to be in a case while being transported . Can't be used / seen in general view of the public etc etc .

    Breaking any of these rules results in confiscation of the airsoft gun and possible prosecution under firearms laws .

    Because you've no reason to have an airsoft gun out in public.


  • Registered Users Posts: 238 ✭✭Cadpat_cowboy


    THE_SHEEP wrote: »
    Funny, you can walk along a road way ( public area ) with a rifle or shotgun . I cant walk out my front door with an airsoft gun ( includes airsoft shotgun or rifle ) , unless it's in a proper gun case . Has to be in a case while being transported . Can't be used / seen in general view of the public etc etc .

    Breaking any of these rules results in confiscation of the airsoft gun and possible prosecution under firearms laws .

    Because we airsofters don't have license for our rif so any body can walk in and buy one so if the law wasn't there every Tommy 46 convictions would be walking acting hard ruining the sport for the rest of us.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,587 ✭✭✭Feisar


    Seem to remember an old Reno side by side I used to have, having sling swivels.

    First they came for the socialists...



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