APPROVED CLUBS
Under section 44 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, a person
wishing to possess a rifle or muzzle-loading pistol for target shooting only must be a member of an approved rifle club or,
as the case may be, approved muzzle-loading pistol club. Section 44(1)(b) requires an approved club to be specified on the
firearm certificate. It does not require that all the clubs to which a certificate holder may belong, whether or not approved,
should be so specified.
Any rifle, miniature rifle or muzzle-loading pistol club can apply for the approval of the
Secretary of State (i.e. the Home Secretary for clubs in England and Wales or the Secretary of State for Scotland for clubs
in Scotland). Approval is granted under section 15(1) of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 (as amended by section 45 of the
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997).
When the Secretary of State has approved a club under the Act, any member of it can
possess firearms and ammunition without having a personal firearm certificate "when engaged as a member of the club in
connection with target shooting" (Section 15(1) of the 1988 Act as amended by section 45 of the 1997 Act).
Approval
also allows the police to grant a free firearm certificate to a responsible officer of the club to enable him or her to purchase
and acquire firearms and ammunition for members to use for target shooting. Club members may not purchase or acquire firearms
or ammunition unless they have been granted a firearm certificate by the police.
HOW TO APPLY FOR APPROVAL
Fill in Form 124 which you can get from the police or one of the
national shooting organisations listed at the end of this leaflet. If your club has, or intends to have, its own store for
firearms, send your completed form to the chief officer of police for the area in which they will be stored. If your club
has no storage facilities, send the completed form to the chief officer of police for the area in which the club principally
operates.
The police will forward your application to either:
Firearms Section, Operational Policing Policy
Unit, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AT; or
Police Division, Scottish Office Home Department,
Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD.
If the Secretary of State decides to grant approval, the club
will have to pay a fee, currently £84, either to the Home Office or to the Scottish Office Home Department. When they
receive the fee they will notify the secretary of the club that approval has been given.
CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL
Clubs will not be granted approval unless they meet the criteria set
out below. The criteria translate into conditions of the approval, if granted. Approved clubs which fail to meet these
conditions can expect approval to be withdrawn. The criteria are:
- the club is a genuine target shooting
club with a written constitution;
- the principal officers of the club are responsible people who can be entrusted
with the proper administration of the club;
- the club has at least 10 members at the time of application
and at all times whilst approved unless, exceptionally, the Secretary of State determines that there are special circumstances
which justify a lesser number;
- members are of good character;
- the club must appoint a
member to act as a liaison officer with the police, and the chief officer of police must have confidence that this person
is providing the police with such information as they require to ensure that the activities of the club and its members are
conducted properly and safely and give no cause for concern;
- the club will maintain a register of the attendance
of all members together with details for each visit of the firearms which they used and the competitions, if any, in which
they took part;
- the club will inform the police of any holder of a firearm certificate who has ceased to
be a member for whatever reason;
- the club will inform the police if any member who holds a firearm certificate
has not shot with the club for a period of 12 months;
- the club will inform the police of any application
for membership, giving the applicant’s name and address, and of the outcome of any application;
- no
application for full or probationary membership will be granted unless the applicant has informed the club of whether he or
she has ever had an application for a firearm or shotgun certificate refused by the police, or had a certificate revoked;
- members, prospective members and guests must sign a declaration that they are not prohibited from possessing
a firearm or ammunition by virtue of section 21 of the Firearms Act 1968 (which applies to persons who have served a term
of imprisonment);
- the club has regular use of ranges with safety certificates for the categories of firearm
in respect of which approval is being sought or given, as the case may be;
- the security arrangements for
the storage of club firearms and ammunition are satisfactory;
- the club does not run a day or temporary membership
scheme;
- the club does not have more than 12 guest days a year. Guest members must be either members of a
recognised outside organisation or people who are known personally to at least one full member of the club;
- guests
must be supervised on a one-to-one basis at all times when handling firearms and ammunition by either a full club member or
someone who is a coach with a qualification recognised by the UK or national Sports Council. The club secretary must notify
each guest day to the police firearms licensing department of the area in which the guest day is to take place at least 48
hours in advance;
- anyone who applies for membership must be sponsored by at least one full club member;
- before becoming a full member, individuals must have a probationary period of at least 3 months during which
time they must attend and shoot regularly. The probationary member must be given a course in the safe handling and use of
firearms on a one-to-one basis by someone who is either a full member of the club or who is a coach with a qualification recognised
by the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation and governing bodies;
- until a probationary member has satisfactorily
completed a course in the safe handling and use of firearms, he/she must be supervised at all times when in possession of
firearms or ammunition by either the range officer, or a full member of the club, or someone who is a coach with a qualification
recognised by the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation and/or governing bodies;
- the probationary period
may be waived, at the club’s discretion, for someone who is already a full member of another club which has been approved
by the Secretary of State in respect of the same type or types of firearm; or holds a firearm certificate; or has handled
firearms in the course of his/her duty in the police or the armed services, and has a statement from his/her existing or former
senior/commanding officer saying that he/she is fully trained in handling the type of firearms in respect of which the club
has obtained approval and is able to use them safely without supervision;
- the club never has more probationary
members than full members unless the Secretary of State determines that there are special circumstances which justify a greater
number of probationary members; and
- there is nothing else that would make the club unsuitable for approval.
If approval is granted, the approval will be subject to a set of standard conditions which will reflect the approval
criteria listed above. In certain cases, the Secretary of State may attach further specific conditions to a club’s approval.
NOTES ON THE CRITERIA
1. The club must be a genuine rifle and/or muzzle-loading pistol club
set up for the purpose of target shooting. The constitution of the club should implement the conditions of approval.
2.
Club officers should be people who are not disqualified from owning a firearm.
3. Clubs should make their own arrangements
for assessing whether members or prospective members are of good character. Police firearms licensing departments should not
be asked to disclose whether or not someone has a criminal record. Prospective members should not be required to apply for
a firearm or shotgun certificate as a means of determining ‘good character’. The police will not normally grant
a certificate because somebody is a probationary member of a club.
4. The liaison officer should normally be a member
of the club committee. He or she should establish contact with the local police firearms licensing officer and decide between
them what information should be supplied and with what frequency. They should also set up a system so that the liaison officer
can contact the firearms licensing officer as necessary and vice versa.
5. The attendance register should
be kept for all shooting members of the club although its principal use will be in relation to those members who hold firearm
certificates. This is to comply with Lord Cullen’s recommendation that shooters should not have firearms on their certificates
which are not used regularly. For this reason, it will be necessary to record in the register the description of the firearm(s)
used as given in the member’s firearm certificate. All visiting shooters should be logged in the same way. In the case
of competition shoots between clubs, the responsibility for recording attendance for a team member will lie with the club
which the shooter represents. In the case of open competitions, the organising club will record details of competitors. Clubs
should retain their attendance records for a minimum of 6 years.
6. Notifying the police when a firearm certificate
holder’s membership has ceased (including probationary membership), or when such a person has not shot with the club
for a period of 12 months, will allow the chief officer of police for the force which issued the firearm certificate to check
whether that individual is still using his or her firearm(s) regularly at another club or approved range. The police should
be informed within one month of cessation of membership. The "period of 12 months" should be calculated separately
for each individual member.
7. Casual membership enquiries need not be reported - only those which reach the stage
of a formal application. The police should be advised when an application is submitted formally to the club and of its outcome.
8. Whether a prospective member has ever had an application for a firearm or shotgun certificate refused, or had a
certificate revoked, could form the basis of a question on the club’s membership application form. There are many reasons
for refusal/revocation and not all will count against an individual. Clubs will therefore need to ascertain why the certificate
was refused/revoked in order to make an informed decision.
9. There are 3 categories of approval: full-bore rifle,
small-bore rifle and muzzle-loading pistol. Rifles chambered for pistol ammunition above .22 rim-fire calibre are regarded
as full-bore rifles. Clubs seeking approval in order to use such rifles will therefore need to have access to a range with
a suitable safety certificate. The National Associations are able to provide advice on the construction and use of ranges.
Clubs which are affiliated to the National Rifle Association or the National Smallbore Rifle Association will be able to obtain
a safety certificate for their ranges from the Ministry of Defence.
10. The security arrangements for storing firearms
must be satisfactory to the local chief officer of police acting through the force firearms licensing department.
11.
The ban on day or temporary membership is to stop casual shooters being able to come in off the street and shoot. It should
not be confused with properly organised guest days, competition shoots between clubs or competitions open to individuals who
are not members of that club.
12. Examples of recognised outside organisations whose members may be guest members of
approved rifle and muzzle-loading pistol clubs are scouts and guides, schools, Rotary clubs and Women’s Institutes.
The duty to notify the police of guest days is laid on the club secretary. This may be delegated to the appointed liaison
officer.
13. A probationary period of 3 months is a minimum. It is open to clubs to set a longer probationary period
should they wish, or to extend the probationary period for an individual if they deem this necessary. The club may end a probationer’s
membership at any time.
14. Recognised coaching qualifications for the purposes of the Home and Scottish Office criteria
for approved clubs are:
Great Britain Target Shooting Federation - Coach Educator, National Coach,
Regional Coach, County Coach, Club Coach;
National Rifle Association - Club Instructor, Cadet Adult
Instructor, Range Conducting Officer; Range Conducting Officer Assessor;
National Smallbore Rifle Association
- Range Conducting Officer, Club Instructor (Rifle, Pistol or Airgun) NSRA Club Coach, NSRA County Coach and;
The
Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain - Approved Instructor.
15. The National Associations
are able to give advice on safety training courses for probationary members.
16. Although there is provision for the
probationary period to be waived in certain cases, the individual concerned has no right to insist that it be waived. It is
for the club to decide whether or not the probationary period should be waived for specific persons.
17. The Secretary
of State may, in exceptional circumstances, such as in a university club at the beginning of the academic year, allow a club
to have more probationary members than full members.
18. Clubs can have non-shooting categories of membership such
as associate, family, social or honorary. Such members are not covered by section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988
(as amended) and must not have access to firearms and ammunition except as participants in a guest day.
EXTENT OF APPROVAL
The approval will only cover target shooting with the type or types of firearm
listed in the approval. There are 3 possible categories:
- full-bore rifles
- small-bore rifles
- muzzle-loading
pistols
(NB: Rifles chambered for pistol ammunition above .22 rim-fire calibre are regarded as full-bore rifles.)
The decision about which categories will be listed in the approval will mainly depend on whether suitable
ranges are available.
VARIATIONS IN THE TERMS OF THE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL
It is possible that, exceptionally, the
Home Secretary or Secretary of State for Scotland may allow some variation of the criteria, or the conditions of approval.
He must be satisfied that it would be reasonable to do so in the exceptional circumstances which come to his notice.
EXTENDING OR RENEWING CLUB APPROVAL
Applications for club approval to be extended to cover
additional categories of firearm should be made on Form 124. No fee is payable for such applications.
Approval lasts
for 6 years. Applications for renewal should be made on Form 124. A fee, currently £84, is payable on renewal.
CADET CORPS AND SCHOOL CLUBS
The Secretary of State approves cadet corps for the possession
of firearms and ammunition under section 54(5)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended by section 28 of the Armed Forces Act
1996). The information contained in this leaflet does not apply to cadet corps. Nor does it apply to school rifle clubs. You
can get information about them from the Home Office or the Scottish Office Home Department at the addresses given earlier
in this leaflet.
MINIATURE RIFLE RANGES AND SHOOTING GALLERIES
A person operating a miniature rifle range or
shooting gallery at which either miniature rifles not exceeding 5.84mm (.23") calibre or air weapons are used may possess,
purchase or acquire such miniature rifles and their ammunition without holding a firearm certificate. Anyone may use these
rifles and ammunition at a range or gallery of this type without a firearm certificate. No club approval is necessary.
