The advice given here is general, but is believed to be correct as of August 2010, it will be updated as required by changes to the law.
A Firearms Certificate (FAC) is required before you can purchase, or posses any firearm, ammunition, or certain parts of a firearm, e.g. a spare barrel. It is important that any prospective applicant reads fully the section on Gun Law before attempting to apply. The cost of an FAC is £50 for a first issue and £40 for a renewal. The life of an FAC is 5 years before it needs to be renewed.
There are two main ways that civilians can obtain an FAC in the UK:
a) if they can demonstrate that they have shooting rights over suitable land.
b) if they can demonstrate membership of a target shooting club, such as Marple Rifle and Pistol Club (MRPC).
This page assumes membership of a target shooting club.
In order to become a full member of MRPC a prospective member must join the club as a probationary member and complete a minimum of 18 visits in a 6 month time period. To join the club it is necessary to pay both the subscription fee and complete an application form giving the names and addresses of two referees who have known the applicant for at least two years. A part of the application includes a signed declaration that the applicant is not debarred from firearms use or possession. After the end of this probationary period, subject to satisfactory behaviour and no adverse reports from any source, membership will be confirmed at the next monthly committee meeting.
After membership has been confirmed an FAC can be applied for. The Police will not entertain any application that is not confirmed by the club secretary, so it is a waste of time trying before full membership is granted.
When the FAC application is received by the police (you get the form from them) along with the necessary fee, they will make an appointment with you to come and inspect your home and security arrangements for storing the firearms and ammunition.
When applying for the FAC it is worth while specifying more guns than you initially intend to buy. This is to allow the purchase of a new gun, before the sale of an old gun has gone through, without having to pay to vary the FAC. There is no limit as to the number of guns or quantity of ammunition you can ask for, but the more you want, the more security the police may insist on before granting the FAC. Seek advice from established Club members on this issue, as sometimes the Police are themselves unaware of what is permissible under the law.
The basic security requirements for storage are, a steel cabinet of at least 16 swg constructed to BS 7558, standing on the floor and bolted to the wall. This cabinet must have 5 lever lock(s) and internal door hinges. If you wish to store ammunition in the same cabinet as the firearms, it must have a separate locking compartment. Connection to an alarm would be a bonus and in some circumstances may be a requirement. If your premises have shared access, for example if you live in an apartment block, the requirements may be more stringent.
It is worth remembering that unless anyone else living at your address has an FAC listing the guns, then that person cannot legally handle them, even in the home.
If you are intending to reload centrefire ammunition, rather surprisingly you do not need an FAC to buy any of the components. An FAC is only needed to make and keep the assembled ammunition. You must specify on your application how many rounds you intend to possess at any one time. It is not necessary to enter any details of your home reloaded ammunition, or how many times you reload. The only requirement is that you do not exceed your maximum holding in your specified calibres at any one time.
A part of the application form is to specify the names and addresses of two referees that are willing to support your application for an FAC. There are restrictions as to who can act as a referee, family members being barred, as is anyone with a criminal record. It is not possible to have your application supported by two members of your club, you must find independent referees who are willing to complete a questionnaire about you and return it directly to the police (so that you cannot see what they have written).
The best advice to any new FAC applicant is to ask existing club members for advice before filling out the application form.
Revised 06-Aug-2010.