Shooting Giffards

[keith66]

A curious question for the learned on here, If you wanted to shoot an antique Giffard Co2 rifle that you owned, Not a problem in 4.5 or 6mm calibre as these can be below the 12 ft lbs limit. But an 8mm calibre will obviously exceed this comfortably, This means putting it on an fac.
If one wanted to go down that road what "good reason" would you put down on your fac application or variation?
Background is i am a member of a rifle club & about to put in for an fac, I have two Giffards in 6 & 8mm flavours & would like to shoot both of them!

[Sam99]

Reason - Competition use.
You would like to Compete in Vintage Airgun Competitions.

[keith66]

Are there any for these?

[Unframed Dave]

Putting your Giffard on FAC will affect the value.

Dave

[keith66]

Im not too worried, as an obsolete antique made in 1880 it can be taken off a ticket on a simple declaration as any obsolete calibre or antique gun can.
At present you can buy an antique have it hanging on the wall when your feo comes round, apply for a fac or variation, the minute that ticket or variation comes into force it has to go live in the cabinet subject to the law. But you can shoot it. When you want to take it off do so & sell as antique.
How long this aspect of firearms law will last is anyones guess!

[grahamrob]

Is it the case with modern air rifles that when you put them on an FAC they stay that way? not sure how that works with antique air rifles.

[springfieldm6]

If you look at para 8.6 and 8.7 of the Home Office Guidance on Firearms Licensing it says firearms can be held on licence for the purposes of collecting and occasional firing, so you won’t necessarily need target shooting as good reason.

[AC all day]

I have an aircane...my Firearms team are happy it's antique and off ticket, I have been told I can legally check its function by shooting, but no more than a couple of shots a year.

[springfieldm6]

I think your firearms team may have advised incorrectly…when it’s not on FAC it can’t be fired, regardless of it being an antique. The HO guidance does refer to occasional firing, but only when on ticket.

[keith66]

Is it the case with modern air rifles that when you put them on an FAC they stay that way? not sure how that works with antique air rifles.

Yes modern air rifles its a case that once a firearm always a firearm. This is why putting a modern air rifle on fac will reduce the value, Only route off ticket is deactivation or destruction of reciever & barrel.
With an antique or section 58 it can be held without ticket as antique or obsolete calibre but you cannot shoot it without the requisite ticket.
If you want to revert to not using it or sell as antique it can be removed from your ticket. Best not have any live ammo for it in your posession though!

One crazy aspect of this is that our yacht club uses two Winchester signal cannons to start races, Obsolete 10 bore calibre. They used to live on a shelf above the bar on full display. Today they have to be locked away & one of the club officers holds an fac for them. Only they can technicaly access & use them. Yet take them off ticket & they can go back on their shelf behind the bar!
The intent to use is the key.

It may be that this aspect of the rules may be tightened up on by government one day, in the meantime it means a lot of guns can be still be shot without deactivating them afterwards!

[Unframed Dave]

Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't aware of this.

Dave

[Maple]

I think your firearms team may have advised incorrectly…when it’s not on FAC it can’t be fired, regardless of it being an antique. The HO guidance does refer to occasional firing, but only when on ticket.

I also think that this is right. A pal of mine who has a few air canes was told emphatically by his FLO that he must not fire them unless he adds them to his certificate.
I suspect that it's a case of different areas interpreting actual law differently. Not at all helpful to owners !