Gun clubs in the UK??

[Dr. V]

OK - so I need a new hobby and rather enjoyed the whole BFC shooting thing in Philadelphia - must have been the excellent instructors ;) - so I have been looking around here at the options. There are two local places that I've found - clay pigeon shooting http://www.northamptonshootingground.co.uk/main.htm - which I must say doesn't really take my fancy and a target sports club http://www.ntsc-online.org.uk/.

They both have open days for drumming up new members in November so.......... bearing in mind that I have no intention of buying / keeping any weapons myself and my knowledge of the whole thing is non existent what do I ask them and where / how do I start??

All advice opinions welcome.

Cheers

[OneLungMcClung]

Gun clubs love having women. Just like any other club.

Make sure that since you wont be buying or storing any guns, that they are capable of renting them to you (assuming that they do that over there - its a common practice in the US that any range attached to a gun store, and many that aren't, have house firearms that you can rent.)

Find out if they will help you navigate the fearsome licensing procedure that the UK requires - I bet they will. We have no such thing here in Pennsyltucky but in states like NY some ranges help you with this.

Find out what it takes to be a member. Is there a vetting process? Do you pay a fee? Is there a probationary period? Is there hazing, involving sheep and beer? All these things are important to know.

Also - take Mike with you. Im gonna laugh when he gets the gun bug.

Good Luck!

[Woodsman]

Also - take Mike with you. Im gonna laugh when he gets the gun bug.
Good Luck!

Excellent advice; Splendid.

[OneLungMcClung]

Lolz.

I forgot one thing - you want to see if they offer safety training and competition training. Some ranges do, some don't. Learning yourself can be a drag - more fun to have experienced instructors keeping you from shooting other range members.

[Mikethehack]

Also - take Mike with you. Im gonna laugh when he gets the gun bug.

What gun bug? I grew up with guns (good and bad sorts) and trained with them for years and have used them in all sorts of places. I grew up to the sound of them going off on the streets (and not in celebration of anything either) and watched them being carried openly on the streets by all sorts of individuals. If I never have to see one or have to carry one ever again, then my life will be perfect.

I do not get off on the sense of power they supposedly offer, or for that matter, feel so insecure that I need to carry one on a normal day to day basis to protect myself. I like to think I can get by on my wits, and if I can't, then I doubt if a gun would do much good. I have been working in DPs for years and the number of times I was compelled by the danger there to employ such a weapon was rare, even though many of them merited a full five stars on the DP chart.

The big difference, it would seem, between you and I, is that guns don't give me a hard on. Women do.

If I really wanted to show off, I would be more than happy to be seen with VLindsay on my arm, not an Uzi or an AK.

[Hitoru]

John Lennon was wrong. Happiness isn't necessarily a warm gun.
I sure prefer cuddling with my woman than my AK(s).

But I still carry an AK with me on a daily basis, the pig population needs to be controlled.

[Woodsman]

John Lennon was wrong. Happiness isn't necessarily a warm gun.
I sure prefer cuddling with my woman than my AK(s).

But I still carry an AK with me on a daily basis, the pig population needs to be controlled.

Not to mention that roasted pig tastes great.

[SRR]

Don't discount clay pigeon shooting so quickly, Vlindsay. It's a hoot.

(Along with numerous other bird calls)

[OneLungMcClung]

I THINK ABOUT SEX EVERY TIME I'M HAVING AK'S. .......er-




You crack me up, Mike :-)


Vlindsay listen to SRR - you can have a real blast........

[nowonmai]

This is all you need for a happy life.

http://www.wildfowling.com/index.html

http://www.nra.org.uk/

http://www.leeenfieldrifleassociation.org.uk/page.php?domain_name=leeenfieldrifleassociation.org.uk&viewpage=home

[roadkill]

http://www.leeenfieldrifleassociation.org.uk/page.php?domain_name=leeenfieldrifleassociation.org.uk&viewpage=home

i would start here. there is no better starter rifle than the No 8 Mk I

[Hitoru]

How much does a UK firearms certificate cost ?
Do any local law enforcement officials have to sign off/approve your application ?

[nowonmai]

How much does a UK firearms certificate cost ?

£50

Do any local law enforcement officials have to sign off/approve your application ?

Management of Firearms/Shotgun Cetificate is carried out at Constabulary Level. Every time you change address and move to a different area you go on the books of a different Firearms Officer. He comes round, checks security, sees whether you're a swivel eyed mentalist, does background checks through your Doctor if he considers it iffy and the certificate is signed off by the Chief Constable. On your application form you need a countersignatory such as "The counter signatories must be one of the class of persons mentioned in note 6 on the back of the application form. The term 'person of similar standing' can include persons whose names can be found in a public book of reference including members of professional bodies (such as architects, accountants and surveyors); persons who hold, or have held, a regular commission in Her Majesty's Forces; or persons who are qualified teachers in recognised schools. An applicant's employer may also sign if it is a well established business and the applicant is well known to him."

The man who killed the children at Dunblane and led to the ban on handguns in this country was not recommended to be granted a licence by the Firearms officer because of a history of mental "issues". The Chief of Police overruled him and the rumour was that it was because Hamilton (the fuckwad loser killer who had non recommended written all over him) was a Freemason. No idea whether it was true; all I do know is that this was a failure by the Police to enforce existing procedures and they not only got off scot free but have been sanctimonious cunts ever since about guns (even when they leave their service pistols behind in the ladies when they're tarting up their make-up).

Management of firearms in the UK is stone-age and they rely on honest people to be honest. They ain;t worried about villains having guns, they just want their paperwork in order. You only have to look at the number of the constabularies to see that Captain Kaos reigns.

These are they:
Avon and Somerset Police 01275 818181 Online form
Bedfordshire Police 01234 841212 bimd@bedfordshire.police.uk
British Transport Police 0800 40 50 40
Cambridgeshire Constabulary 01480 456111 Online form
Central Scotland Police 01786 456000 mail@centralscotland.police.uk
Cheshire Police 01244 350000 postroom@cheshire.pnn.police.uk
Cleveland Police 01642 326326
City of London Police 02076 012222 postmaster@city-of-london.police.uk
Cumbria Police 01768 891999
Derbyshire Police 0845 123 3333 Online form
Devon and Cornwall Police 0845 277 7444
Dorset Police 01305 251212
Dumfries and Galloway Police 01387 252112 corporateservices@dumfriesandgalloway.pnn.police.uk
Durham Police 0191 3864929 Online form
Dyfed-Powys Police 01267 232000 contactcentre@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk
Essex Police 01245 491491
Fife Police (Scotland) 01592 418888 police.hq@fife.pnn.police.uk
Garda (Republic of Ireland) 0035 316660000 gpro@iol.ie
Gloucestershire Police 0845 090 1234 callcentre@gloucestershire.police.uk
Grampian Police (Scotland) 0845 600 5700 servicecentre@grampian.pnn.police.uk
Greater Manchester Police 0161 8725050
Gwent Police 01633 838111
Hampshire Police 0845 0454545 postmaster@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
Hertfordshire Police 01707 354200
Humberside Police 0845 6060222 webmail@humberside.pnn.police.uk
Kent County Police 01622 690690 enquiries@kent.pnn.police.uk
Lancashire Police 0845 125 3545 lancashirepolice@lancashire.police.uk
Leicestershire Police 01162 222222 police.authority@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk
Lincolnshire Police 01522 882222 Online form
Lothian and Borders Police (Scotland) 0131 311 3131 enquiries@lbp.pnn.police.uk
Merseyside Police 0151 7096010 webmaster@merseyside.police.uk
Metropolitan Police 02072 301212 new.scotland.yard@met.police.uk
Ministry of Defence Police public@ministers.mod.uk
National Crime Squad info@ncs.police.uk
Norfolk Constabulary 01953 424242 Online form
North Yorkshire Police Authority Online form
North Wales Police (Heddlu Gogledd Cymru) 0845 607 1002
Northamptonshire Police (Area HQ) 01604 700700 nnadviceline@northants.police.uk
Northern Police (Scotland) 01463 715555 mail@northern.pnn.police.uk
Northumbria Police 01661 872555 info@northumbria.pnn.police.uk
Nottinghamshire Police 0115 948 2999 info@notts.police.uk
Police Service of Northern Ireland 02890 650222 info@psni.police.uk
Port of Dover Police 01304 216084 podpolice@freeuk.com
South Wales Police (Heddlu de Cymru) 01656 655555
South Yorkshire Police 01142 202020
Staffordshire Police 01785 257717
Strathclyde Police (Scotland) 0141 5322000 contactus@strathclyde.police.uk
Suffolk Police 01473 613500 headquarters@suffolk.police.uk
Surrey Police 0845 125 2222 chief.constable@surrey.pnn.police.uk
Sussex Police 0845 607 0999 Online form
Tayside Police (Scotland) 01382 223200 mail@tayside.pnn.police.uk
Thames Valley Police 01865 846000 webmaster@thamesvalley.police.uk
UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary 01235 463757 constabulary@ukaea.org.uk
Warwickshire Police 01926 415000
West Mercia Police 01905 723000
West Midlands Police 0845 113 5000 contactus@west-midlands.police.uk
West Yorkshire Police Enquiries by post only
Wiltshire Police 01380 735735

[OneLungMcClung]

Awesome post, thanks for that, nowonmai.

[Dr. V]

Don't discount clay pigeon shooting so quickly, Vlindsay. It's a hoot.

(Along with numerous other bird calls)

ummm - I just don't see the attraction - I grew up in the countryside and standing in the cold and wet aiming at something which I might conceivably eat (game etc) is one thing - standing in the cold and wet aiming at bits of clay is another and seemingly pointless exercise - I have a limited interested in cold and wet.

Will check out the NRA site.

50 is not much... isn't there some kind of metal box which is bolted to the floor involved? - my cousin did tell me at one point, I just wasn't paying attention. Ian Huntley was also only there because procedures weren't followed.

Cheers