pistol security needs

tommyboy26

hi lads

just wondering has anyone ever been granted an unrestricted pistol licence without having an alarm on there house?

The reason i ask is i currenly have two unrestricted rifles and wondered would it be possible to get an unrestricted pistol aswel without a house alarm. I have two safes at the moment one stores rifles and other is well hid in house and it has the bolts and safe keys and the key to the other room that the main safe is in. I know its up to the super what he thinks is secure enough


Tommy

Sparks

You don't need a house alarm for even a restricted pistol, if it's your only firearm, just the gunsafe bolted to a structural wall. House alarms are security level three and up, which is for two restricted firearms or more than three unrestricted. Individual chief supers may be asking for more than that, and they do have the right to do so, but they're going above and beyond the SI to do so.

Legalities aside, unrestricted pistol licences for air pistols don't seem to require quite as much jumping through hoops - I know of two people with licences for them who didn't need a house alarm. Not so sure about smallbore pistols.

tommyboy26

its a .22 i want to get. So my security meets the requirements. If the super refuses me on the grounds that he isn't happy with my security would i be at anything tryin to argue with him?

Sparks

The honest realistic answer is the same as the legal answer - no, you'd be on a hiding to nowhere. He not only is within his rights to do so, he also has the right to set any individual preconditions on your licence that he wants to, so if he says get a house alarm, the only real options you have are to (a) get a house alarm; or (b) forget about the licence.

That being said, I'd let him make the demand, I wouldn't suggest it. I'd say I'd complied fully with the SI on my application form - the SI is the SI for a reason, after all.

Bananaman

As you now have three firearms - regardless of type - he will most likely want an alarm

B'Man

Sparks

Bananaman wrote: »

As you now have three firearms - regardless of type - he will most likely want an alarm

That's not correct. If he wants an alarm it will not be because he has "three firearms regardless of type". The SI is clear:

One restricted firearm or three or fewer non-restricted firearms.|Each firearm shall be stored securely in a gun safe which complies with BS 7558 and which shall be securely fixed to a solid structure.

As the OP would have three unrestricted firearms, the SI only requires a gunsafe. If the super wants more than the SI's standard, it will be because of the super's own reasons; not the standard in law.

tommyboy26

as i have have two safes Im hoping this will be enough to satisfy the super but sure all i can do is apply and see what happens