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Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information


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Shooting Range Setup

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  • 07-05-2008 12:50pm
    #1
    hf4z6sqo7vjngi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,454 ✭✭✭


    Guys wondering if there is much involved in setting up a shooting range. Whats involved? How do you get licencesed? etc etc, any help would be much appreciated as i am currently looking at a new business venture and this would make a good addition to it.


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    #2
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,076 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    Cecelia Bitter Cup wrote: »
    Guys wondering if there is much involved in setting up a shooting range. Whats involved? How do you get licencesed? etc etc, any help would be much appreciated as i am currently looking at a new business venture and this would make a good addition to it.

    You'll probably need (at least):
    1. Sufficient land to fit the range and any required danger areas on.
    2. Planning permission for any permanent structures you're going to put on the land.
    3. A range certificate from the firearms range inspectors (once they get going, this is a new thing).
    4. A range authorisation. If you apply before the range certificate stuff comes in then you'll need to apply to your local Superintendent. If you apply for this after the range certificate stuff comes in, then you'll need to get the cert first and apply to the Garda Commissioner enclosing that.

    What kind of a range were you thinking about? Rifle? (if so, what distance?) Clay shooting?


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    #3
    It wasn't me!
    Registered Users Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    Requirements will vary hugely depending what discipline you want to shoot, whether it be indoor rimfire rifle and/or pistol, clays, practical pistol, they all have hugely different range requirements. It also requires authorisation by the Gardai for target shooting (I have a feeling clay shooting grounds are exempt from this) and inspection by them. What are you interested in doing? Also, you say this will be only part of a business venture? Sounds like some kind of leisure resort. If so, clays might be the best bet. It would be costly to run on its own, so you could start a club alongside the leisure resort aspect to fund the clay shooting aspect.


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    #4
    hf4z6sqo7vjngi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,454 ✭✭✭hf4z6sqo7vjngi


    I was looking at an indoor target shooting range with rifle/pistol. The range would be around 50 metres in lenght. So before i source a location i should look to get range authorisation from the local Superintendent and show him our plans and how we propose to manage and control the activity?


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    #5
    It wasn't me!
    Registered Users Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    Cecelia Bitter Cup wrote: »
    I was looking at an indoor target shooting range with rifle/pistol. The range would be around 50 metres in lenght. So before i source a location i should look to get range authorisation from the local Superintendent and show him our plans and how we propose to manage and control the activity?

    Just to let you know, if you want to start a range up, you'd realistically want to be doing a competitive discipline, to attract people, and 50 metre rifle is shot outdoors (no idea about 50 metre pistol).

    Apart from that, yeah, it would definitely be best to talk to your local Super first. Out of curiosity, where are you interested in setting up?


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    #6
    rrpc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭rrpc


    Cecelia Bitter Cup wrote: »
    I was looking at an indoor target shooting range with rifle/pistol. The range would be around 50 metres in lenght. So before i source a location i should look to get range authorisation from the local Superintendent and show him our plans and how we propose to manage and control the activity?

    50 metres indoors can be difficult. I know of two ranges that were initially envisaged as 50m and in the end decided to shorten to around 30m.

    With indoor ranges, you give up some space to ricochet prevention. When you get to 50m, the amount lost is significant.


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    #7
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,076 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    Cecelia Bitter Cup wrote: »
    I was looking at an indoor target shooting range with rifle/pistol. The range would be around 50 metres in lenght. So before i source a location i should look to get range authorisation from the local Superintendent and show him our plans and how we propose to manage and control the activity?

    It's probably worth having a chat with the Super for the area it's going to be in if you can. Getting him/her on side early could help in the long run.

    I don't know if they'd give an authorisation off plans, but if they look at the plans and say something like "Hell no, I'm not authorising a range in my area" then it could save you a bit of money up front.


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    #8
    construct06
    Registered Users Posts: 505 ✭✭✭construct06


    if an outdoor clay shooting range, what are the requirements?

    is planning required if there are no fixed structures?

    would it not be a change of use, eg. from agricultural to shooting?

    are there are noise restrictions or can u just set up anywhere?

    i imagine there are safety boundaries which must be kept etc...are these part of the garda licences?


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    #9
    rrpc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭rrpc


    Clay shooting facilities are not included in the range authorisation system. I think the phrase 'bang ahead' describes it adequately. :D

    Local authorities may want to know about it though. They're picky that way. :)


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    #10
    hf4z6sqo7vjngi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,454 ✭✭✭hf4z6sqo7vjngi


    It wasn't me! wrote: »
    Just to let you know, if you want to start a range up, you'd realistically want to be doing a competitive discipline, to attract people, and 50 metre rifle is shot outdoors (no idea about 50 metre pistol).

    Apart from that, yeah, it would definitely be best to talk to your local Super first. Out of curiosity, where are you interested in setting up?

    Louth area preferably Drogheda. Thanks for the help so far guys will get in touch with local Super and take it from there.


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    #11
    It wasn't me!
    Registered Users Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    Cecelia Bitter Cup wrote: »
    Louth area preferably Drogheda. Thanks for the help so far guys will get in touch with local Super and take it from there.

    Don't think there's a club thereabouts, so you could have a market alright. Best of luck.


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    #12
    rrpc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭rrpc


    It wasn't me! wrote: »
    Don't think there's a club thereabouts, so you could have a market alright. Best of luck.

    Courtlough is fairly close.


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    #13
    It wasn't me!
    Registered Users Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    rrpc wrote: »
    Courtlough is fairly close.

    Oh yeah, you're right. Woops. Had forgotten about that.


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    #14
    EIN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭EIN


    Cecelia Bitter Cup wrote: »
    Louth area preferably Drogheda. Thanks for the help so far guys will get in touch with local Super and take it from there.

    im in the drogheda area looking to take up 9mm pistol target shooting,
    whats the nearest range to me? cheers


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    #15
    Red Renard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Red Renard


    I think the only thing to do is have a look at some of the ranges like Hiltop
    or the DTSC range from what I hear.:) Nothing in drogheada.


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    #16
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    There's WTSC, but we don't do 9mm, only air pistol. Sufficient to learn the basics and about 20km away.
    There's Fingal just down the road from you, but I don't know if they're taking new members at the moment.
    Then there's Newry, just up the M1 from you (so further away, but maybe faster to get to) and they do 9mm.

    DTSC and Hilltop are right round the M50 or through the city centre, possibly not the best choice from a pure logistics point of view.


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