The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

According to my wife, apparently I am now 45 years old! how did that happen?? I was in my 20's last time I checked. sign01

Been shooting since I was 16, airguns then shotguns then .22 .303 9mm 7.62 - lots of semi-autos etc then had a break many years later after getting married due to having 'young kids in the house' then recently started again, now they have all buggered off to Uni after bleeding me dry

Taking shooting up again after a long break the first thing that hits you is firstly the changes in the law on firearms gun ownership and secondly the cost!

No wonder young 'uns are far and few between! .303 was 9p a round last time I shot it!

MikeyB

Hi I was once young, now there is only one person older than me in the club and he is 78/79. Near the end of the second world war I was about eight years old and had lived through the blitze in the east end of London. All of the boys I knew had guns , ammunition, some grenades and incendiary bombs and the amazing thing was no one I knew got hurt. With the tenbob PO gun license we all had a shotgun or airgun of sorts. I was apprenticed as an engineer and started making guns. I never joined a club until I was approx 30 so I was a young member then. Today youngsters are excluded by cost, they may have a uni loan to repay or a low paying job with unsocial hours.

Ive never joined a gun club before but a month ago I went to Worcester Norton one sunday with a mate to be introduced to the Memb Sec. The waiting list is @ 80 people, roughly 18 months long. As an existing FAC, I get fast track preference, ie, immediate. I cant divulge details for OPSEC reasons but the home office is keen to encourage police to approve more firearm and gun applications.

What I noticed at the club was the carpark was rammed yet I only saw 3 women there and 2 were working in the cafe. By far the majority of men were in excess of mid 50s.

During the school summer vacation, there were some younger members in the airgun range.

There are @ 167,000 FAC holders and 530,000 SGL holders in the UK

Ive recently turned 20 after being 19 for 30 years.

Happy Birthday!

I'm well into the wrinkly phase at 54, slightly less hair than 10 years ago, more wrinkles and three kids. These last two may not be unconnected.

I started family life rather late, and will be collecting child benefit and my pension at the same time, assuming the government doesn't keep ramping up the state pension age.

Amy wrote: I cant divulge details for OPSEC reasons but the home office is keen to encourage police to approve more firearm and gun applications.

That sounds incredibly cryptic and intriguing! Why would the home office want the police to approve more FACs and SGCs? They could start by speeding the process up from its current glacial speed

I know you stated you can't divulge details, but can you add any more info?

As for the original question, I'm 32 so not yet old enough to mathematically conceal my age

At the tender age of 48 I'm the youngest member of my one club and at the lower end of the age range in my other

I seem to be in the younger quarter at my air rifle club

Having just started I have noticed that Bisley and my local small bore club do seem to be dominated by men of a certain age. The local club does, however, have a thriving junior section. Perhaps because 2 local schools use the range.