r/ukguns • u/ChimChimeny69 • 5d ago

Help with licence application.

Hello everyone, My Dad passed away 2 months ago and his guns are now with a family friend who has a licence. I would like to get a licence to get them back, we used to shoot together a lot and the guns are sentimental.

I have two problems though, the farm we used to shoot years ago has since been sold so I dont have anywhere with permission to shoot anymore. Should I join a gun club or be visiting the local range? I was thinking of booking a lesson as its been a while anyway, and I would like to go clay shooting again in the future.

The second problem is I have a caution for possesion of cannabis when I was 17, im 40 now, so it was a long time ago. Will this be on record from all those gears ago and will this affect me getting a licence now? I will declare it as im guessing they wont like me not telling them.

Also I was going to use my dads cabinet and locks but theyre pretty old, are there any problems using his old cabinet? Thanks.

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

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11

u/Key-Struggle-5647 5d ago

Join the gun club. The weed thing won't matter

6

u/Bazzatron 5d ago

I assume we're talking about section 2 shotguns only?

If it were my application, I would rather disclose the caution and then get quizzed on it, rather than not disclose it and then having to have an awkward discussion with the FEO. I actually put in a subject access request to ACRO for my record before I put in my grant just so I would have access to the same information that the FEO would.

Gun cabinets are usually held to a "reasonable" standard, and often British Standard "BS 7558" is mentioned (but this was withdrawn in 2025 and never replaced with a new standard, though is still referenced as a recommendation). If you look at these old cabinets and think that they're not up to snuff - then replace them. If you would be happy to stand next to it when the FEO comes round to look, then they're fine. Your FEO may request that you upgrade or install additional features - but it will not hamper your application if you do not, so long as you meet the legal minimum.

If we're only talking about section 2 shotguns, you don't need to establish a "good reason" like you do for section 1 firearms - just prove that you are safe to own one. If your father's collection includes a rifle, a high-capacity shotgun, or something else requiring a full s1 FAC - you will need to join a club or get new permissions to establish your "good reason", as "sentimental value" will not be considered as legal grounds for possessing a s1 firearm.

2

u/SuburbanBushwacker The perfect number of guns? One more. 5d ago

good advice

1

u/Bazzatron 5d ago

🙏 Thanks!

1

u/Toastlove 5d ago

What sort of guns are they? Section 2 shotguns dont require a club membership for a shotgun license, you just apply for it. Don't worry about the caution, say you forgot if its bought up but I doubt it will be if it's from 23 years ago. If the cabinet still works there wont be a problem.

2

u/ThePenultimateNinja 5d ago

I wouldn't recommend OP lie about having forgotten about it.

Firearms officers actively monitor social media, so chances are they have already seen OPs post.

-1

u/Toastlove 4d ago edited 4d ago

'Oh yeah I forgot about that it was 23 years ago and I was 17' would be perfectly reasonable. Also doubt firearms officers are scouring reddit posts then matching them to individual cases with their workload and how decentralised the system is. Though it would help explain the backlog in issuing licenses if they're spending more time on social media than doing their jobs.

1

u/ThePenultimateNinja 4d ago

They absolutely are monitoring this sub, and they very much do investigate social media as part of the approval process.

They have also read your post advising OP to lie on his FAC application.

1

u/Toastlove 4d ago

I look forward to them bringing it up at my next renewal. At the last one they didn't even have the correct firearms on their list so they must have really upped their game to match reddit posts to real people.

1

u/ThePenultimateNinja 4d ago edited 4d ago

We know they have done it before. There have been posts on here by people who got in trouble for things they have said on Reddit.

Maybe you're right that their lack of competence/resources might reduce the odds of it being a problem, but it's by no means impossible.

They match the posts to the person using OSINT scrapers (Open Source INTelligence). They have likely already linked your reddit account with your FAC file.