Starting Off

sparkicks1

ok just as background info im 14 and live in kildare. im wondering is there any place i could start off and somewhere to buy a gun. if a licence is required by an adult,my dad can get one(if i can find out where and how much) since he has had previous experience... can someone give me a few pointers....

SwampThing

You're dad will have to get the gun and you shouldn't be using it.

That said, the general route to buying a gun is - go to a gun dealer, pick the gun you want, put down a deposit and he'll give you a form with the gun's serial number. Get a form from the cops for a gun licence, fill it in and as long as you're not a nutter, you should have your licence back in 4/8 weeks (bit of a delay at the moment I believe). Take your licence to the gun dealer, pay the balance and take your gun home.

You'll need to either a member of a Gun Club or have permission from three farmers to shoot on their land (you'll see what I mean when you get the form) in order to get a licence.

Despite what you read/hear, a gun safe is NOT mandatory, but is a good idea.
The cops won't/can't come check if you've got one or not.

You should seriously consider insurance for yourself and your father - it makes it easier to get permission to shoot on farmers land if they know you're covered. If you join a gun club, chances are they'll arrange it through the N.A.R.G.C. (google it) or, get it from Contryside Alliance http://www.caireland.org

There are a few good gun dealerships around - check the Golden Pages or someone here will probably give you contact details. To start off, there's one in Athy - Griffin Hawe - not great, but somewhere to start and get a handle on the price of second hand guns.

Good luck with it.

civdef

There is apparently going to be provision in the CJB for allowing tuition of young shooters under the supervision of a licence holder, which would be a big step forward.

As for Griffin Hawe in Athy, SwampThing reckons they're not great, I'm not sure who they're being compared to (in Ireland at least).

SwampThing

There's a place in Tullamore or on the Dublin-Navan road or some other such place - can't think where - they usually have an ad in some of the Irish shooting magazines and they have a huge selection of new/second-hand guns compared to Griffin Hawe.

Don't get me wrong, I've spend many a day drooling over the counter there - but there is a better selection out there if you're willing/able to travel.

You don't happen to work for them, do you Mr. Hawe?

civdef

Used to, many years ago

That's why I was surprised, AFAIK, the gun selection there is one of the biggest in the country, they're packed into a relatively small space, but looking more closely, you'll see they're stacked 3 deep in places!

sparkicks1

thanks for the replys guys
one thing: you said that my dad would use the gun and i shouldnt... my friend told me about his parents taking him shooting to a gun club so i would have assumed that if my dad was present that nobody would really mind if i used a gun...
for starting off where should i go and what gun should i be getting?

also should any garda station be able to give me a firearms licence form?

Sparks

one thing: you said that my dad would use the gun and i shouldnt... my friend told me about his parents taking him shooting to a gun club so i would have assumed that if my dad was present that nobody would really mind if i used a gun...

It's a bit of a grey area I'm afraid. If it's a firearm held under licence, you shouldn't be legally able to use it, according to the Attorney-General. However, if the firearm is a club gun, held on an authorisation by the club, then there's no restriction on age and you can use it. There was a circular sent round to all the Garda Superintendents on this point in June, according to the Shooter's Digest this month.

For starting off, personally I'd recommend air rifle. Cheap, a good learning rifle, and you can practise indoors (which during the foul weather we enjoy in winter, is a good thing ). You'll be able to learn the basics and then can either change to another kind of firearm or continue to shoot air rifle (where competition goes all the way to the Olympics).

And yes, any station should have that form.

sparkicks1

thanks for that and just one other thing. if i heard you right then i dont need a licence for a gun if i join a club since they would already have guns there? now all i need to do is find a gun club near me.... any ideas? i live in leixlip

Sparks

i dont need a licence for a gun if i join a club since they would already have guns there?

If they have club guns on an authorisation (like the college clubs would have, for example).
Near Leixlip. Well, you're not on the doorstep of Wilkinstown, but you're not so far from it (head north, hit the N3, follow that to Navan, then four miles due north). It's certainly closer than most of the other clubs, with the exception of Fingal, but I don't think they're open for membership given their range setup. To join, just wander out there and introduce yourself. There are a few club rifles you could use, and two ISSF-qualified coaches on hand most days of the week. There isn't a great public transport system though, so you'll need parental transport (Don't laugh, but the difference between the people who stay with the sport and become really good at it and those who fade away is often parental support when they're juniors).