Applying for pistol licence.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

What exactly do I need?

I know I need the serial number, eircom phone watch, to be a member of a pistol club/range and a gun safe. Do I need to finish a safety course? I already have a licence for a .22 lr, I have it about 5 years.

For all of the things I need to make a proper application, how much would you estimate for all of this to be? Is the process of applying for a pistol longer than that of another gun?

Thanks in advance for the information.

fat-tony

As you already are licensed for a rifle, you know who your local firearms officer is. Just call in, give him/her the details of the firearm you are applying for. Your FO will give you the best indication of how long the process will take. Depending on your district Superintendent you may be asked to have a monitored alarm system installed. Membership of a club licensed for handgun shooting is usually required, having a safety course completed is an excellent idea and may help your application. The Crime Prevention Officer will generally visit your home to check and advise on security arrangements - usually a gunsafe bolted to concrete wall and floor is required. But, as you have seen on this forum, your mileage may vary.

bunny shooter

Rough estimate before buying firearm approx €1,600.00 which should cover range fees, safe & monitored alarm?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

If I decide to move house, would I be able to keep the gun, say, at my parents house? This may or may not be my situation in the next few months. Got to go where the work is and all that...

Thanks for the replies.

Rovi

Izabella Unsightly Pickax wrote: »

If I decide to move house, would I be able to keep the gun, say, at my parents house? This may or may not be my situation in the next few months. Got to go where the work is and all that..

That'll be very much up to your Superintendent (and/or your parents' if they're in a different Garda district), but I'd strongly suspect that someone who lives in the house will need to be licenced for the gun, and that all the other requirements that normally flow from that (security, qualifications, club/range membership, etc) would have to be met too.

Bananaman

Whereas the Gardai may not require one (they may) I would highly recommend doing a basic pistol proficiency course, regardless of the calibre or action you plan to apply for.

As Sparks will no doubt point out, the Gardai do not officially recognise one course over another but it is in your own interests to get a good grounding. The FO will appreciate that you have gone to the effort.

Your club will be able to provide you with information on where you can attend such a course. PM me if you cannot get any information on this.

As you require a legitimate use, which for handguns is only target shooting, I assume you already have some particular sport(s) in mind. The FO will not require, but will appreciate you provinding some relevant information on that. Again, the basic couse should outline some of the sports on offer and how you can get into them.

B'Man

Sparks

Bananaman wrote: »

As Sparks will no doubt point out, the Gardai do not officially recognise one course over another

Not only the Gardai - some ranges won't recognise or accept courses other than their own either.

but it is in your own interests to get a good grounding. The FO will appreciate that you have gone to the effort.

Good advice - at the end of the day, the recognition bit is for the gardai/club, the course content is for your own personal benefit.

akira336

Is the eircom monitored alarm definately necessary, because as it is I should just be able to afford the course, gun, club membership and gunsafe. If I have to get phonewatch it'll just be too expensive? The gunsafe will have an alarm on it anyway?

bunny shooter

akira336 wrote: »

Is the eircom monitored alarm definately necessary, because as it is I should just be able to afford the course, gun, club membership and gunsafe. If I have to get phonewatch it'll just be too expensive? The gunsafe will have an alarm on it anyway?

Better off asking your CPO his/her opinion tbh as it's their opinion that really counts. They seem to want seperate zone for safe constantly monitored (except when your in it) even if rest of house is not being monitored as in alarm is off.

This alone as you point out make it financially unviable for a lot of people to get a pistol. Which does tend to keep the numbers issued down

Bananaman

I was required to get phonewatch and a seperate zone for the safe which was to be alarmed at all times - even if I was in the house with the alarm off

It will depend on your local Crime Prevention Officer and his analysis of the risk of it being stolen.

It is a pricey add-on and you have to be careful because if you trip it by accident, twice, the Gardai will no longer respond to it.

B'Man

bunny shooter

Bananaman wrote: »

........... if you trip it by accident, twice, the Gardai will no longer respond to it.

B'Man

They will after a certain amount of time has elapsed can't remember how long off the top of my head but it is not an indefinate non response to an activation.

Now try and get a guaranteed response time from them for an activation? :rolleyes:

murph226

I applied for my cert in the middle of July.

My FAO asked me if I had a gunsafe and that was it, no housecall, no CPO, nothing

I should have the cert soon, so they tell me:rolleyes:

bunny shooter

murph226 wrote: »

I applied for my cert in the middle of July.

My FAO asked me if I had a gunsafe and that was it, no housecall, no CPO, nothing

I should have the cert soon, so they tell me:rolleyes:

:eek: me thinks you very lucky or being led astray