Security check.

[PeterN]

It seems North Yorkshire are carrying out a review of everyone who has more than 25 firearms. I fall into that category and had my visit today. I was told that I was lucky to have what I have as that was all approved under the old regime but there is no way I would get approved for what I have today. I can not add to my collection unless I get rid of something first but they want to see lower numbers overall. They also discussed how would the family arrange disposal of my firearms if I dropped dead. I am in the process of preparing to send in my renewal documents and was told this visit would count as the renewal check. Everything checked out OK, thankfully.
Has anyone else had this security check?
Regards
Peter.

[Blackstuff]

Quite surprising any FLD has time to do that given the massive delays in renewals and grants most seem to have

[SW583]

A security check was implied when I put in for my most recent variation. It was fairly large and would have brought me over what I once read somewhere is the count at which you need improved security at home (somebody somewhere once said 10 IIRC). It all went smoothly after I reminded my FEO I store nothing at home and never have. He was still hesitant so I gave up a 223 slot which I'd realised long ago was useless - a drop in the ocean really, but here we are.

Do you have a collector's condition on your ticket where you choose not to shoot certain guns or only for demonstration purposes? If not, that could have helped, although when I asked for one, the idea immediately got shut down. I plan to be more prepared next time - HBSA membership and reference letters recognising any validity of my collection.

[PeterN]

All my rifles are held as part of a collection and may be fired on approved ranges. I also have two section 7/1 revolvers. I am a corresponding member of HBSA. I said security check, but they didn't check on the cabinet fixings or the house alarm system. I think it was to make sure everything was correct and accounted for. So, it looks like no more largish collections of firearms in North Yorkshire will be approved.
Regards
Peter.

[Mattnall]

If you can a report of this to all the interested bodies it could be useful for them to help help stop this. BASC, NRA, etc.

[targetman]

I am in exactly the same position as PeterN..I have 25 on ticket. I have been told by Surrey/Sussex police that if I am to retain that many I will have to have a Police Monitored Alarm fitted to my house. Failing that I will have to reduce my collection to 11 or less and then a simpler house alarm will suffice. I am attempting the latter as I know from experience in the insurance business the police "monitored" alarms are totally pointless. If your house has been broken into the police are "advised", like that does anything, they do not monitor the alarm anyway.

I am currently reducing the number I have and hope to be in a position to have a simple house alarm installed.

By the way these security measures are now legislative and not upto interpretation by different police forces, always bear in mind that the police do not make the laws they enforce them. Anything that varies from the legislation is is a matter of complaint.

[washwashone]

By the way these security measures are now legislative and not upto interpretation by different police forces, always bear in mind that the police do not make the laws they enforce them. Anything that varies from the legislation is is a matter of complaint.

Can you share a link to the legislation? The firearms security handbook hasn’t been updated since 2020, so I’m keen to read where it’s written!

[450 Martini]

From the guidance:
Collection of firearms
12.58 The collecting of firearms by a genuinely interested collector should be accepted as a “good reason” for the grant of a firearm certificate. There should be no blanket policy to prevent the collecting of modern firearms (though collectable firearms will tend to be of the Second World War or earlier eras) nor should arbitrary limits be imposed on the number or type of firearms.

Imposing arbitrary limits on what is held by a genuine collectors of firearms is contrary to the Guide on Firearms licencing law section reproduced above. The grant of a section 7(1) in itself is an acknowledgement of the status as a bona fide collector of historical firearms. The imposition of arbitrary limits by forces will have a detrimental effect on other genuine collectors of historical firearms.
If you have space in your storage and your security conforms to the security handbook then crack on with the variations.
The HBSA should be able to help if you are refused on numbers of other firearms held alone.

[washwashone]

Yeah, I’d read that in the guidance previously; but not re-read any updated guidance since returning to shooting last year…

My FEO also mentioned nothing of the sort when discussing my application, and my future plans for expansion, we just talked security.

[Tommygunn]

I know from experience in the insurance business the police "monitored" alarms are totally pointless. If your house has been broken into the police are "advised", like that does anything, they do not monitor the alarm anyway.

The police don't monitor, that is done by a seperate company, usually Southern monitoring in this end of the country, who contact the police if they get a confirmed alert, (2+ sensors tripped). I would presume that when the police get the alert they check it against the record for the URN you get when the system is registered and should then respond accordingly.

I'm under the same FELU here in Sussex and decided to go the monitored route before my last renewal, it seemed like a good idea in any case given what I have at home, and I am over what OP has with a variation for another half dozen inbound, (at least that's what my FEO assures me, even if it has taken them nearly 19 weeks to do!)