Good reason

[Rockhopper]

As a relative newcomer to rifle shooting I have a question regarding "good reason" to hold a rifle on an FAC.
I'm a target shooter, my club shoots at Thorpe but for various reasons I find that the dates we have often clash with other commitments. As I result I have and will be shooting at other ranges.
When I shoot with my own club my visits are logged and the rifle I use is noted and this forms the basis of the information which is passed to the Firearms Licencing people each year as required.
So, how to I go about proving that I have been using my rifles at other ranges to the satisfaction of the Police?
I had thought that the fact I purchased ammunition might be enough but thats out of the window as I have been reloading!

[dromia]

You could make up your own log for visits to other club ranges and have each visit verified by the RCO on the day.

[Christel]

Keep a log of everything you reload, (date, round count, temperature, powder, primer, oal, etc) how many rounds you have shot and date/location.

Show that to the FEO. He can then check with the club in question where you have logged your visit.

[dromia]

With a range log the ammunition log shouldn't be necessary.

[TattooedGun]

Are you legally required to keep a log?

I have a log of 90% of my .22lr visits over the past 5 years since the club records them.

In terms of full bore - there are various RASP sheets where I've been included over the years that i presume could be checked. I don't have a log of full-bore visits though. certainly not for competitions at Bisley, although results and some kind of application would presumably be available if the competition runners have kept them.?

I should probably start recording things more thoroughly from now on. Realistically, I can accurately estimate the number of rounds my rifles have shot based on the amount of bullets I've bought to reload with in the past 5 years. Other than that I don't have any specific logs.

My range usage could probably be checked fairly easily by the associated clubs I shoot with if they keep the records...

[Blackstuff]

Every club i go to (whether as a member or guest) makes you sign a register, so my presence is logged that way. Further, the vast majority of my guest shoots are for competitions so my name in the results which get published gives the game away too!

[nickb834]

This is where nothing much is defined in law, the guidance to the Police briefly discusses this subject and in particular mentions that old / antique / rare firearms need not necessarily be shot all that much (I think once a year is stated as ok) to maintain the good reason to posess due in part to it's value / rarirty / availability of ammo and such.

Essentially if asked, it's down to you to demonstrate that the firearm is being used and is therefore still required and good reason to posess - how you do this is again down to you.

In my case I record my shoots on other club / M.O.D ranges in my main clubs log sheets - for no other reason than it takes no time to do so and it's there if the FEO's want a look, for my own purposes I knocked up a cr4ppy Access database so I can record all my firearms in terms of dates used, charge weights, bullet weights, round counts vs barrel life etc etc etc. FEO can have a look at that if it becomes necessary.

[Rockhopper]

This is from the Home Office Guide on Firearms Licencing Law

"Target shooters may be expected to use their firearms regularly, at least three times a year"

But as you say, there are lots of scope for confusion (as there is with much of the rest of the various acts which apply to us!!)

[saddler]

Put down Zombies & burglars....it'll be fine!

[Rockhopper]

:-)