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The club I shoot at meets last Sunday of every month and every month without fail I send an email to all my work mates (about 10 people all told) asking if anyone fancies coming along to see what shooting is all about.

Not had many takers, but one guy, and his daughter, is now a newly paid up probationary member of my club! I saw that's a result!

Also had two of the dads from my kids class come along to see if it was their thing - they both enjoyed shooting for the very first time but decided not to come again....

While I accept in some circumstances discretion might be the best for an individual - living in a dodgy neighbourhood, working with the great chavtastic etc. etc. it is up to the individual to decide on the merits of their particular situation.

I get really, really annoyed by the blanket assumption that all shooters should hide what they do on the week-end!!

We are not kiddy fiddlers, swingers or Plaid Cymru voters - there is nothing to hide, be discrete about or lie to co-workers about (barring any specific circumstances which I've already mentioned).

As far as security goes, as long as you use a cabinet and follow basic rules, I can 't see how 'security' is any justification for denying what you do for fun. 'Security' is a cop out as far as I'm concerned.

Isn't it time we all took some pride in our sport rather, and tried to share the safe, friendly, legal AND BLD*&DY GOOD FUN SHOOTING IS

^ This. In spades.

Stop hiding.

Blackstuff wrote:So if an individual certificate holder is going to be strung up for unintentionally 'advertising' their location (even though you need to do some detective work to get close), how about gun clubs and RFD's intentionally advertising their locations?? Especially RFD's operating from residential premises?!

RFDs operating from residential premises should have more security in place than you can wave a stick at.
Forget about the cabinet out of sight and the locks on the windows for FAC holders. This is a different level.

As the Police are aware that the RFD is operating from home then they will be aware there is a good chance they will receive visitors however this does not apply to all RFDs.

I accept that Christel but the principle the OP's police force are putting forward is that if you advertise your whereabouts (even if unintentionally and in a conveluted manner) and that there maybe guns in the property, then you are putting your certificates at risk.

While most RFD's doubtlessly have better security than your average certificate holder all that does is buy you a bit more time. And thats assuming that the would-be theives use conventional/non-violent tactics to get at the guns. A knife put to the throat of an RFD is going to open their security just as quickly as a knife to the throat of a normal certificate holder, and an RFD likely has far more guns on offer, and they have, after all actively advertised their location.... Its the principle of what they're saying that i have issue with.

Has the OP had a further visit? He's gone quiet it seems....

David TS wrote:

Jackmanuk wrote: i made sure my mum understands if they come to the door again unless they have a warrant tell them where to shove it

Jackmanuk wrote:they left these cards so i will be ringing them in the morning and finding out what they want and why the hell didnt they wait till i was there . otherwise im gonna sleep with my mossber 500 under my pillow for the next few days

I have just spent fifteen or so minutes of my life, which I won't get back, reading this thread in its entirety.

I have to ask the OP this question - if I were your FEO, reading this thread (and they do............), and reading your rant, I would perhaps be telling myself that when I come to see you I maybe ought to have an extended chat about your attitude and suitability to hold firearms.

In just the same way that is not a good idea to post clues about your address etc as mentioned earlier in the thread, equally it is probably not a good idea to have a rant on a public (for all intents and purposes) forum about how mad you are with the police about the situation.

If it were me, I certainly would have not posted it in the same way, or maybe instead post a factual and emotionless account of the situation AFTER it was resolved................

My point exactly Dave, its in the public domain now and along with a lot of angry posts, with as many emoticons as you like, its out there. Its context is as it came accross, or how anyone wanst to interpret it.

For whoever or whatever to look at and do with what they will.... Now you would be surprised (actually not realy I guess) just what the average pillock will save on phones, PCs, or put onto forums. I was, not any more.

As regards shouting loud about being a shooter...hell yes.

Not what my FEO advises, but he's been about a bit.

You will not change public perception by ramming things up their nose, only the various bodies, the press, and the lone fool with a gun will do that.

To the public every Air rifle si high power and anything black is a machine gun...I clearly remember an ARV being called out to a lad with a Logun S16 as he was waiving it about near a main road as he went rabitting...how they laughed.....not...how embarassed he was....loud and proud though (sorry, no emoticon for W*** without any common sense).

"Concerned members of the public" (call em nosey busy bodies if you like) see what they want to see. Its not what you know, or think, but what they "see and dont know....but it scares them fartless, or they just hate guns".

As regards stolen firearms usually being for their value...that depends what you mean by value...intrinsic or purpose?

At the end of the day folks, do whatever you feel right and what you are comfortable with...obviously

Finally, remember that when winding the old bill up, at some stage you will be asking for a variation, a renewal, etc etc. They have long memories.

Remember, interpretation and perception are what matters when ignorance sets in. Yes, we love our shooting and we understand it, joe public does'nt....sadly.

I have never hidden what I do from co-workers or online, it has lead to several interesting discussions over the years which are generally positive outcomes. This includes one of the members of the Health and Safety team trying to be clever and linking a youtube video I did of me shooting my Colt AR.22 I had at the time.

Most non shooters only know what they read/hear in the press and I take pleasure in educating them of the real facts. When the Cumbria shootings happened several people were put right about the process for gaining SGC/FAC's and were amazed at how tightly controlled it really is.

Alan

20series wrote:Most non shooters only know what they read/hear in the press and I take pleasure in educating them of the real facts. When the Cumbria shootings happened several people were put right about the process for gaining SGC/FAC's and were amazed at how tightly controlled it really is.

Alan

Chief Constable Andy Marsh of Hampshire has a nice phrase which I'm all in favour of us using - "the licensed firearms community". It's got a more public-friendly feel than plain old "gun owner", methinx.

Gaz wrote:

20series wrote:Most non shooters only know what they read/hear in the press and I take pleasure in educating them of the real facts. When the Cumbria shootings happened several people were put right about the process for gaining SGC/FAC's and were amazed at how tightly controlled it really is.

Alan

Chief Constable Andy Marsh of Hampshire has a nice phrase which I'm all in favour of us using - "the licensed firearms community". It's got a more public-friendly feel than plain old "gun owner", methinx.

Yeh it's very cuddly.....

Well this is well and trully a debating society. Hey ho Mr jackermanuk I would if were you take this as a reality check and move swiflty on and draw as little attention to yourself as possible and be nice to the police you want something from them that is in there power to give or deny. Remember were all on the whim of the chief constable