A legal query.

[john60wales]

Recently a friend found his late Dad's shotgun when clearing out his house. His Dad had been a shooter for many years & had sold all his guns when he gave up shooting years before...or so everyone thought. Anyway somehow an old & battered single barrel Baikal had slipped through the net & my friend asked me if I wanted it as I have both FAC & SG certs.
As I did not really want it I suggested he hand it into the police with a simple explanation...which is what he did.
My question is; If this had been a 'desirable' gun instead of a beat up Baikal...could I have taken it off his hands legally?


john

[Chapuis]

Yes.
As you have a SGC simply sign it on to your certificate and notify the police of your acquisition. A pity that it has been handed in as I could make use of such a gun and Swansea isn't very far from me, I could have found it a good home.

[Lever357]

Yes.
As you have a SGC simply sign it on to your certificate and notify the police of your acquisition. A pity that it has been handed in as I could make use of such a gun and Swansea isn't very far from me, I could have found it a good home.

But does the person you take possession from not have to have a valid certificate?

[Chapuis]

Yes.
As you have a SGC simply sign it on to your certificate and notify the police of your acquisition. A pity that it has been handed in as I could make use of such a gun and Swansea isn't very far from me, I could have found it a good home.

But does the person you take possession from not have to have a valid certificate?

In very simple terms No.
The H.O. realised that there are a good many guns in circulation that are not on certificate for various reasons similar to those described by the original poster, and don't wish to put any obstacles in the way of bringing those guns back into proper accountability. It's all explained in the firearms guidance to police document.
Sometimes it's necessary to do this via a RFD as an intermediary but in circumstances such as described it wouldn't be necessary.