Shotgun certificate application - no gun, and no cabinet

[Andrew Jenkins]

Hi all,

I've applied for my first SGC with TVP.  Further some advice given to me from (see this thread) I had opted not to look at purchasing a gun, not least for the first 6/12 months anyway.  Consequently I figured that if I don't have a gun - there's no point in having a cabinet at home.

So my SGC application form currently in with TVP has it written down that I don't own any gun, and do not have any gun cabinet.  Should any gun be purchased, my plan was to store it at a gun club, and not at my home.

Is this looked on positively, negatively, or makes no difference to the application ?

If there's no cabinet for a Firearms officer to investigate, do they mark the license as such ?  Ie - if I did purchase a cabinet and gun before renewal (5 years) I would need to go through the application process again ?

 

[Hamster]

My advice if at all possible is to just get a gun cabinet which you can use when you buy a gun, it's highly unusual to want to store a shot gun at a club.

The renewal usually entails a visit so they can then check your new arrangements.

 

[timps]

Many moons ago I kept all my guns at my dad's farm and did not have a cabinet at home.

This is the letter I got off GMP, it is quite possible other forces take a different view. Once I decided that not having my own cabinet was a right pain I installed one, the Firearms officer came out to inspect it, made a few notes and told me they were happy for me to store shotguns there. The whole inspection process took less than 5 mins.

 

[Mel Jones]

I think we all concluded on the other thread that you would now be buying a gun Andrew, so posting this for the benefit of all!  

Interesting letter from GMP - rather overstepping their legal authority to "require" someone to tell them about security arrangements on purchasing a gun - although being nice sensible people, all of us would comply immediately, I don't doubt.  

The point here is that security of shotguns is the responsibility of the certificate holder.  My father had a certificate for years, just in case he wanted to borrow someone's gun (which he did, very occasionally) without a safe.  I know of people now who have certificates so that they can transport their partners (or in some cases, bosses!) guns for them.  In the latter case, they don't have a safe, nor do they need one.

All said, a safe can be bought pretty cheaply these days and so I would probably cut to the chase and put one in place.  At least if you have it, and decide to borrow a gun overnight from someone, or buy your own, you're ready for it.  It's also useful for putting general valuables/paperwork in too.  

 

[Andrew Jenkins]

So this thread is now kinda moot as suggested for the above reasons.  So yes - now I'm looking at gun safes, and a suitable place in the home.

I've thrown an email to TVP to ask if I need to amend my SGC application as I've stated on there that there are no security arrangements at home.