Safety course for rifle

Daegerty

This has me confused, do you need to do some safety course before one can get a license for a .22?

Cass

Yes. If it is your first time licensing a .22 rifle.

The only exception is if the Superintendant allows any previous experience with other shooters to act as your "proof of competence".

Daegerty

Ezridax wrote: »

Yes. If it is your first time licensing a .22 rifle.

The only exception is if the Superintendant allows any previous experience with other shooters to act as your "proof of competence".

where would one do the said course? anything in cork?

Cass

The MNSCI, and the NARGC both run competency courses. The NARGC ones i think deal primarily with shotguns. The MNSCI run it on all firearms.

Most clubs/ranges run some sort of a safety/competency course. Only your local Super/FO can tell you which is acceptable. Contact your local station and ask where locally does an acceptable course. if that fails the MNSCI run theirs either the first or last Saturday of each month. If all that fails contact the NARGC on 1800 222 444 to organise sonmething in your area.

Bananaman

Many ranges run safety and handling courses - if the Gardai have asked you to do one then best to tell them what one you are doing and make sure it is ok with them.

Depending where you are in Cork you could contact Fermoy Rifle Club or Ballyhoura Rifle & Pistol Range

There's also An Riocht in Castlemaine in Kerry

I'm in Leinster and know of loads of clubs that run safety and handling courses but may be a bit out of your way.

B'Man

Daegerty

Bananaman wrote: »

Many ranges run safety and handling courses - if the Gardai have asked you to do one then best to tell them what one you are doing and make sure it is ok with them.

Depending where you are in Cork you could contact Fermoy Rifle Club or Ballyhoura Rifle & Pistol Range

There's also An Riocht in Castlemaine in Kerry

I'm in Leinster and know of loads of clubs that run safety and handling courses but may be a bit out of your way.

B'Man

thanks a lot for those lad, only thing troubling me now is these clubs sites mention very little in the way of pricing. how much would one be looking at for membership and doing a safety course?

Cass

You need not be a member of any club to do a safety course to the best of my knowledge. Again a further reason to ring around before making any traveling arrangements.

The average cost of the course runs between €50 to €75 and for the higher price you usuially get a years insurance with the course. If you pass off course.

Bananaman

Courses are rarely limited to club members - costs will vary depending on what is involved, in terms of time and materials.

I know of a rifle specific course coming up in the next few weeks in Wicklow - it's a two day course - PM me if you want details

B'Man

cavan shooter

I believe Courtlough do a rifle course:)

Xplor.er

is there such a thing?
i applied for a 308 and was told that i would have to do a safety course first. Who runs them?

thanks Xplor.er

Tackleberrywho

Xplor.er wrote: »

is there such a thing?
i applied for a 308 and was told that i would have to do a safety course first. Who runs them?

thanks Xplor.er

MNSCI run one.
http://www.nationalshootingcentre.ie/safety.html

cavan shooter

I believe Courtlough do them

Xplor.er

Cheers for that tack/cavan shooter.:)

been shooting with rifles for years and they make me do a course now

Arcto

Wait, what?

You need to do a safety course to get a rifle silence!? What if you have previous shotty experience and you regularly go out with a rifle shooter?

This is in contrast to anything ive heard before, also one of my mates got a .22 mag with no course done

jap gt

i did my course in cork county, it cost 20 quid, and is certified by the nargc, il poke out a number for you tomorrow

Cass

There are two methods for getting a license for a firearm that you have not held a license for previously.

1. Do a safety/competency course and produce the cert.
2. Show enough "prior experience" to satisfy your local Super.

The first is a guarantee. Once you produce a cert the FO/Super will accept that as is. The prior experience is a bit harder. There is no set value as to the amount of prior experience. So 2 years with a shotgun, out with lads the had rifle may satisfy one Super, but not another. Also trying to "prove" it is also harder. You cannot produce a "cert" from your mates. Maybe a letter would do, but i really don't know. everyine i know looking to get their first license had to do a course.

The course seems to be the most preferred method by An Gardai. If you know lads that have gotten their licenses without showing either prior experience or a competency course cert then the Garda was not doing his job and they were "lucky" to have it so easy.

As with all things if it happens for some lads it does not mean others are immediately entitled to get their license without showing one of the above.

Cass

Xplor.er wrote: »

i applied for a 308 and was told that i would have to do a safety course first.

Xplor.er wrote: »

.........been shooting with rifles for years .............

Then why are they asking you to do a course. What caliber rifles have you owned?

Cass

I'm merging these two threads ( Xplor.er's and Daegerty's ) as they are the same questions and the same answers.

dCorbus

Just to clarify something, with all this renewed talk of competency and safety courses and the like:

Page 11, Item 8(b) of the Commissioners Guidelines states the following with regard to "Proof of Competency":

Proof of competence in the use of the firearm or ammunition which is subject of the application - depending on the circumstances of each case, an individual who has already possessed a certificate (without any convictions under the Firearms Act, 1925-2009) for a period of a minimum of 1 year may be considered to have fulfilled the proof of competency.

First time applicants for firearms certificates may demonstrate that they have acquired a degree of competency in the use of firearms by satisfying the issuing person of having attended a firearms training course, or of having joined an authorised rifle or pistol club or range for the purpose of gaining competency in firearms use, or having previously been granted a firearms training certificate.

I think I'd summarised this before, but to repeat:

If you have already possessed a Firearms Certificate for at least 1 year (with no firearms convictions), you may be considered to have fulfilled the criteria for Proof of Competency.

In the event that you are a first time applicant, ONE of the following may apply:

a) You have attended a firearms training course
or
b) You have joined an authorised rifle or pistol club or range for the purpose of gaining competency in firearms use
or
c) You have been previously granted a Firearms Training Certificate

I'd suggest that all applicants ensure that they have spoken with their FO to ensure what is or is not required, in their particular case, and if the FO or Super or CS is looking for something other than the above, kindly and politely point them in the direction of Page 11 of their own Commissioners Guidelines on this topic.

If you already have a firearms cert and a clean bib, you should not be required to complete any competency courses IMHO.

bunny shooter

dCorbus wrote: »

...............point them in the direction of Page 11 of their own Commissioners Guidelines on this topic.........

To which you may be told, as some have been, that they are "only guidelines"

dCorbus

Agreed, Bunny, but you may very well know more about the guidelines than your FO, so in my experience, it does no harm to be able to point them in the right direction!

Certainly, you can be sure that if you don't know what the guidelines do or do not "recommend", you're on the back-foot already before you even set foot in the station.

But yes, to take your point:
1) They are only guidelines
2) And the "issuing person" may take these as acceptable "proofs" (but then again they may not).

bunny shooter

dCorbus the ones I'm referring to know all about the "Guidelines" and then choose to ignore them when it suits them

dCorbus

I know. A case of them making it up themselves as they go along, and us and the vested interests all having to shuffle along to their makey-uppy tune.

But a good number of the FO's are still open to persuasion and a gentle push in the right direction.;)

bunny shooter

dCorbus wrote: »

But a good number of the FO's are still open to persuasion and a gentle push in the right direction.;)

In my experiences the FO's are NOT the problem.............it's their bosses