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

I think a lot of us would agree that BASC has done some superb work for shooters in recent years. Their media centre was an inspired idea and the latest bout of rule changes that BASC helped bring about (expanding ammunition, proposed consultation with shooting organisations on rule changes amongst other things) are very positive.

On and off for some time I've been talking to BASC's Senior Firearms Officer, Mike Eveleigh, about pistol shooting. The other day we were talking about pressing for the return of some form of pistol shooting and what shooters and dealers could do to help. I commented that there is a weary fatalism about rights/privileges never being returned in Britain and that because we say "it'll never happen", it never does!

Mike said:

"...you’re right, there are too many shooters who “don’t want to rock the boat” or who say there’s no point even trying. In your position as an RFD, it would help if your customers were encouraged to write to their MPs to ask them if they will consider asking for the return of pistol shooting - .22 in clubs at first; this was allowed in the original Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, but then removed by the next government when it got into power. Since it was the Conservative party who “allowed” this [22 pistols], and they are currently in power, this has some leverage.

"They [shooters] should not be disappointed to be fobbed off with the usual “the government currently has no plans….” etc. as this is a standard reply, but by writing to (or better still meeting) their MPs, they are raising the profile of the sport.

"https://www.theyworkforyou.com/?gclid=C ... 0wodfQ0LdQ

is a useful resource for contacting MPs, but a polite, short, well-reasoned letter is more powerful. The most powerful thing a person can do is to ask for a meeting with their MP to explain their concerns – as the title of the website reminds us, "THEY work for YOU"."

Mike has kindly allowed me to quote his remarks, so BASC is willing to help us. More people than ever before are shooting in the UK now; let's see if we can't offer them a further discipline to shoot in.

IMO , a sensible 1st step , that would be acceptable to our non-shooting fellow country men (libtards excluded) would be to allowed the various Shooting Clubs to acquired some 22lr pistols to make available to members. No gun leave the club that keeps them secured, the clubs get extra revenues from renting them out, we secure a pool of new "potential Olympians" talents .

No gun leave the club that keeps them secured...

Sadly that rules out my club we hire our range from the local council and do not have a storeage area for firearms, the site is used by others on the days we are not shooting.

The same way not all the clubs offer the same disciplines ...

froggy wrote:IMO , a sensible 1st step , that would be acceptable to our non-shooting fellow country men (libtards excluded) would be to allowed the various Shooting Clubs to acquired some 22lr pistols to make available to members. No gun leave the club that keeps them secured, the clubs get extra revenues from renting them out, we secure a pool of new "potential Olympians" talents .

A suggestion like that could have unforeseen results .

For a start clubs/ranges that cannot keep the 22's at the range would loose members as people drifted to clubs/ranges that could store the 22's .
This could result in clubs closing . And as clubs close , so will some gun shops.

Then there is the question of secure storage . Would the Government allow a club to just bolt a Brattonsound gun safe to the wall ? I think not .

I would predict that costs involved would make many clubs say no way , and thats assuming that all the club members would be allowed to use the 22's whenever the club was open .

Of course the minute it was suggested that 22's could be held in clubs the Gun Control Network would have a fit and bombard the media with scare stories.

But if it came to pass that we could have 22's stored in a club , the GCN would be silent for a few months , and then they would start a new offensive to have all guns stored at a club .

Just think of it , how many clubs could afford to build a secure gun store that could hold 200 , 500 or 1000 plus guns ? . Apart from the NRA that is .

Our best chance to get 22's back was the Olympics , and that didnt happen .

So if we are going to fight for the return of 22's , we want them on our FAC's , stored at home , with no restriction on us going to other clubs and ranges to shoot them .

If we're serious about getting pistol shooting back, even to where it was pre-Blair, we must find a common voice. This is the most important task facing us.

It seems strange to me why someone high up within BASC doesn't champion this himself with BASC's support. We're back to the age old problem of having no single national voice.

Some clubs store 7.3 pistols, I do wonder if the public is aware of that?

christel wrote:Some clubs store 7.3 pistols, I do wonder if the public is aware of that?

some members of my club aren't even aware

Isle of Man is the only viable UK zone at present as I'd not want to move to Ulster, with the present Brexit/EU issue & calls for "One Eire" being voiced...

Besides = nice part of the "UK" & the advantage of the TT races once a year.
They are VERY pro-pistol shooting & built a dedicated range from scratch a few years back when they hosted "The Island Games"

Want to get pistols back on the mainland?
Advertising campaign highlighting all the Euro & ex-Empire/Commonwealth countries that still allow/support target pistol shooting.
The caption "...Better than Britain...?"