Pistol Licensing

robertpatterson

A friend of mine has a 22 pistol on a restricted licence (it holds ten in the mag i think)
Would he be able to substitute it for a centrefire pistol as its already a restricted licence that he holds or do you think there isnt that much chance?

Sparks

Can't be legally done robert. The Act states that no restricted short firearm can be licenced by anyone unless the applicant had a licence for that specific short firearm before Nov 18 2008.

In order to get a licence for a new centerfire pistol, we would have to see the Restricted Firearms list amended. The good news is that that is one of the simpler changes you could propose a new Minister do - he just has to sign an SI amending the list. The bad news is that the Minister has to support the idea...

MorganG831

which he probably won't, on the lus side geta silencer then shoot on private land they can't do sh!t

Sparks

MorganG831 wrote: »

which he probably won't, on the lus side geta silencer then shoot on private land they can't do sh!t

Yeah.... well, except, you know, searching that land at any time day or night without a warrant (which the Firearms Act allows the Firearms Range Inspector to do) and then arresting you for possession of an illegally held firearm (2 counts, the pistol and the moderator) and both operating an unlicenced range and shooting on that unlicenced range when they find evidence of target shooting.

Several years in jail, several thousand euro in fines, every other target shooting in the country probably highly ticked off at you for triggering more restrictive legislation, and you barred from holding a firearm for another five years after all of this is done and dusted.

Also, rule 8.

Tackleberrywho

It's a mad situation.
I have a Glock Restricted for ever, but I can never change it for another Centrefire pistol.

Even if I wear the pistol out and it is a financial right off.
All I can do is replace the parts.

I'd love a more accurate centrefire Pistol, but C'est la vie!

I have a letter stating that I can ONLY use my Pistol on an Authorized range.

OP
If your mate plugged the mag he would have an unrestricted pistol!

gunhappy_ie

robertpatterson wrote: »

A friend of mine has a 22 pistol on a restricted licence (it holds ten in the mag i think)
Would he be able to substitute it for a centrefire pistol as its already a restricted licence that he holds or do you think there isnt that much chance?

Firstly if the mag is only 10 rounds that will not restrict the pistol.

Secondly you can only change like for like. You can substiute your .22 for another.

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

It's a mad situation.
I have a Glock Restricted for ever, but I can never change it for another Centrefire pistol.

Even if I wear the pistol out and it is a financial right off.
All I can do is replace the parts.

I'd love a more accurate centrefire Pistol, but C'est la vie!

I have a letter stating that I can ONLY use my Pistol on an Authorized range.

OP
If your mate plugged the mag he would have an unrestricted pistol!

Having talked to a dublin based gundealer you can change your glock for another pistol as you arent getting a new licence..... but youll never wear that glock out :P

Sparks

gunhappy_ie wrote: »

Firstly if the mag is only 10 rounds that will not restrict the pistol.

Yes it will. The restricted firearms list says any .22lr pistol, "provided that the maximum magazine capacity of such a firearm does not exceed five rounds and that the barrel length of the firearm is greater than 10 cm".

Secondly you can only change like for like. You can substiute your .22 for another.

No, that's not the case either. It is in the UK, where you can do a like-for-like substitution on your FAC, but it's not the case in Ireland, where you can substitute anything your local superintendent is willing to sign off on (and is legally able to - he can't substitute in a restricted firearm for an unrestricted one, for example, only your local Chief Super can do that).

Having talked to a dublin based gundealer you can change your glock for another pistol as you arent getting a new licence.....

He's wrong. I'd love to mince my words there, but unless that gundealer is willing to take the case to the High Court and argue the toss in a very weak case against the wording of the act and thereby change the law; you cannot change out the pistol like that. You can replace parts as they wear out (even past the point where you no longer have any original parts from the original pistol itself at all) so long as the serial number on the firearm remains the same. But you cannot get a licence for a restricted short firearm that you personally did not have a licence for before Nov 18 2008.

Anyone trying to do that substitution will find that they're refused and they risk losing their deposit with the firearms dealer they're buying the new pistol off.

gunhappy_ie

Sparks wrote: »

Yes it will. The restricted firearms list says any .22lr pistol, "provided that the maximum magazine capacity of such a firearm does not exceed five rounds and that the barrel length of the firearm is greater than 10 cm".


No, that's not the case either. It is in the UK, where you can do a like-for-like substitution on your FAC, but it's not the case in Ireland, where you can substitute anything your local superintendent is willing to sign off on (and is legally able to - he can't substitute in a restricted firearm for an unrestricted one, for example, only your local Chief Super can do that).

He's wrong. I'd love to mince my words there, but unless that gundealer is willing to take the case to the High Court and argue the toss in a very weak case against the wording of the act and thereby change the law; you cannot change out the pistol like that. You can replace parts as they wear out (even past the point where you no longer have any original parts from the original pistol itself at all) so long as the serial number on the firearm remains the same. But you cannot get a licence for a restricted short firearm that you personally did not have a licence for before Nov 18 2008.

Anyone trying to do that substitution will find that they're refused and they risk losing their deposit with the firearms dealer they're buying the new pistol off.

My bad... I forgot about the ammendment that brought the limit to 5 rounds. Well spotted.

I was not implying that restricted to unrestricted can be changed mearly by adding asking for a substitution, as that would require a chief to sign off on but a semi. 223 can be swapped for another semi .223, semi .308 changed for another semi .308

Im only goin on what the guy told me. He had several pistols highend pistols at the Birr game fair (in excess of 10k) and said that people who couldnt get licences renewed for X pistols were having sucess renewing them with the more target orientated pistols that he had in stock.

Sparks

gunhappy_ie wrote: »

I was not implying that restricted to unrestricted can be changed mearly by adding asking for a substitution, as that would require a chief to sign off on but a semi. 223 can be swapped for another semi .223, semi .308 changed for another semi .308

True, but I've seen unlike-for-like substitutions done as well (.223 for .204, .17HMR for .22lr, etc, etc); so long as the substitution doesn't cross the restricted/unrestricted line without being done by the chief super, it's all perfectly legal.

Im only goin on what the guy told me. He had several pistols highend pistols at the Birr game fair (in excess of 10k) and said that people who couldnt get licences renewed for X pistols were having sucess renewing them with the more target orientated pistols that he had in stock.

I hate to be cynical...
...but if the guy trying to sell you €10k's worth of pistol is the same guy telling you there's no problem getting it licenced, I'd be closely reading his deposit refund policy fine print, and wondering what comeback I'd have if I was refused after spending €3k just meeting the basic security requirements...

Tackleberrywho

I'd never believe a RFD with a pistol to sell.

And nobody in this state could buy mine, and the Nordies would give feck all for it anyway.

A Remington 1911 would complete my collection

gunhappy_ie

Sparks wrote: »

I hate to be cynical...

Id never of guessed :P

Sparks wrote: »

...but if the guy trying to sell you €10k's worth of pistol is the same guy telling you there's no problem getting it licenced, I'd be closely reading his deposit refund policy fine print, and wondering what comeback I'd have if I was refused after spending €3k just meeting the basic security requirements...

of course always read the small print....

Meeting basic security requirements ??? I think wires are crossed here......

It was his implication and my assumption that if you had a 9mm (for example) "I dont like the look of that Glock" licenced you could change it to a Sig X5 in 9. You already would have the secuity arrangements from your previous pistol

Sparks

gunhappy_ie wrote: »

Meeting basic security requirements ??? I think wires are crossed here......

No, just a senior moment I'd managed to forget this:

You already would have the secuity arrangements from your previous pistol

You'd still potentially be out by your deposit amount though, depending on policies at the RFD you were buying from...