FIREARM SECURITY

FIREARM SECURITY

This leaflet gives advice on the levels of security required for section 1 firearms,

section 1 ammunition, and shot guns.

(“FIREARMS” MEANS BOTH SECTION 1 FIREARMS AND SHOT GUNS)

 

 

1 What does the law Require?

Under the Firearms Rules 1989, a prescribed safekeeping condition is attached

to all firearm and shot gun certificates. It is an offence not to meet a

condition of a certificate. The maximum penalty for this offence can be up to

6 months in prison, or a fine, or both.

The safekeeping condition attached to a firearms certificate requires that the

firearms(s) and ammunition that the certificate is for

to prevent, as far as is reasonably practicable, unauthorised people taking

or using them.

has the firearm with him while it is being cleaned, repaired, or tested, or for

some other purpose connected with its use, transfer or sale, or if the firearms

or ammunition is being transported, or for any other such purpose, the

condition requires that

custody of the firearms(s) and the ammunition.

must be stored securelyWhen a firearm or ammunition is being used, or the holderreasonable precautions must be taken for the safe

The same condition applies to shot, gun certificates. The only difference is

that

the condition does not apply to the ammunition for a shot gun.

However, as a matter of common sense, shot gun ammunition should also be

stored securely and you should take reasonable precautions for its safe

custody.

YOUR LOCAL POLICE CAN GIVE YOU ADVICE ON SECURITY

ARRANGEMENTS.

2 What is ‘Secure Storage’?

The Firearms Rules do not prescribe how firearms must be kept securely.

The Home Departments’ guidance recommends that you store them in a

locked gun cabinet or other similarly secure container. In some cases, if you

don’t have a gun cabinet, it may be acceptable to remove the firing mechanism

from a firearm and store it in a secure container, for example in a safe. In

these cases you should then lock away the rest of the firearm. A securely

built gun room or cellar with a steel door that locks can also be an acceptable

form of secure storage. Store section 1 ammunition in a separate secure

compartment within a gun cabinet or in its own secure container. When

considering whether storage arrangements are secure enough,

must look at the circumstances of each case and at the overall security

arrangements, including the security of the premises where the firearms

and ammunition are kept and the vehicle in which the are transported.

a chief officer

3 What Types of Security are available?

Perhaps the most important time when both you and the police will need to

consider your plans for security arrangements is when you first apply for a

firearm or shot gun certificate. A police officer may ask you about your

security or your storage arrangements before you are granted a certificate.

The officer will be able to give you advice about security and crime

prevention. More information about the various types of security which may

be needed to meet three safe keeping condition, and what these involve, is

given below. You can choose the security arrangements which suit your

circumstances best.

arrangements are satisfactory may depend not only what the firearms are

stored in, but also on the overall security of the property where the

firearms are kept.

But remember that the question of whether you

Gun Cabinets

As manufactured firearm cabinets are widely available, this will probably be

the preferred method of security for most people.

There is now as British Standard for gun cabinets. The Standard recommends

that before you buy a cabinet, you should ask the manufacturer to show you a

test certificate from an independent testing organisation to confirm that the

cabinet has been tested to an approved standard for resistance to attack.

it is not compulsory to have a cabinet which meets the British Standard,

and having such a cabinet does not necessarily guarantee that you are

meeting the safekeeping condition.

But

The Home Departments recommend that a cabinet should have

the following features:

·

need to be continuously welded, or the seams should be of bend

construction.

It should be made from sheet steel at least 14 swg (2mm) thick. All seams

·

be provided.

All hinges should be fixed inside the cabinet, or hinge bolts or bars should

·

contain at lease 5 levers to BS3621 standard. Alternatively quality

hardened padlocks and staples should be fitted to the cabinet.

Lock mechanisms should be on the inside of the cabinet. The lock should

·

and two-thirds the height of the cabinet.

Because of their height, rifle cabinets should have two locks at points onethird

·

which you can use to store hand guns or firing mechanisms that have been

removed from other firearms.

The cabinet may contain, or have attached, a separate lockable container

Gun Clamps

If you have one firearm, an alternative option to a cabinet may be a device

called a gun clamp. These should:

·

be made out of steel that is at least 14 swg (2mm) thick;

·

have seam-welded joints, or joints that are of bend construction;

·

have a 5 lever mortice lock that meets BS 3621 standard

Steel Cables

For certain firearms kept for display purposes only, a high tensile steel cable

secured with a hardened padlock may be an appropriate security method.

ADVICE ON WHERE TO PLACE AND HOW TO INSTALL GUN

CABINETS, GUN CLAMPS AND STEEL CABLES

A gun cabinet, container for section 1 ammunition, gun clamp or steel cable

should be securely fixed to the fabric of the building where it is situated.

The Home Departments advise that:

·

outside of a building. It should not be in a garage, shed, or other outside

building.

It should be in a room or area that does not have direct access to the

·

concrete blocks or reinforced concrete.

Wherever possible, it should be fixed to a wall that is built from bricks,

·

purposes). If it is in a corner, it is more difficult for a thief to attack it.

The container should be out of sight (unless the firearm is held for display

·

stacks; heat or fire can affect materials, particularly ammunition.

You should not put the container near central heading ducts or chimney

Barrel Blocks and Trigger Guards

Devices such as barrel blocks and trigger guards may provide extra security

but never use them

above.

Instead of the types of security mentioned in section 2

4 Transporting Firearms

When firearms are being transported, the certificate holder

reasonable precautions to make sure that the firearm, ammunition or

shot gun is kept safe.

at the circumstances in which the firearms are being transported.

If you do not transport firearms and ammunition very often, you should not

normally need to have a security device fitted in the vehicle. If your vehicle

is left unattended at any time, it is normally safe enough to remove some

essential component of the firearm and keep it in your personal possession; for

example the bolt from a rife or the fore-end from a shot gun.

Where practicable, firearms and ammunition should be placed where they

cannot be seen, inside the locked vehicle.

If you frequently transport large quantities of firearms by car and they are

often left in circumstances where they are often left in circumstances where

they may be vulnerable to thieves, you need a higher level of security. You

could, for example, keep them in a secured metal container in the boot. A car

alarm may provide extra security.

If firearms are transported on public transport they should be covered in a

suitable slip case and remain with the holder at all times, except, for example,

when carried as cargo in the hold of an aircraft.

must takeWhen you are making arrangements you should look

5 Other Important Points

The security measures you take should be reasonable, realistic, and

appropriate considering the risk involved.

measures on their own.

firearms will be kept or transported is just as important. You can get advice on

how to protect buildings and vehicles and on how to fit alarms from your local

police station.

This leaflet only offers general advice and it is important to remember that

your local chief officer of police must consider each case individually, and

must look at

circumstances in each case.

But you should not take theseThe security of the house and vehicle in which theoverall suitability of the security in the light of the

Published by Home Office Public Relations Branch 1992 for the Home

Departments

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