Legislation on gun laws in Ireland is available here

Happy reading!

https://justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/LegislationPublication

Inside the safe is ok. But it needs to be in a lockable box. The locked box makes it separate to the firearm.

The legislation says a  "lockable receptacle", but it doesn't give any specs as to what it must be made of, locks, securing points etc. So you can take a pound shop briefcase with a 50cent Xmas cracker lock and store your ammo in that and be completely legal under the law as it stands.[Not that I'd advise such a course of activity of course] but just to point out that there is no need to go over the top on this as some people have been told/advised to do so as a requirement by dealers,AGS and others. Have a look about at home, you'd be surprised what can be adapted to use as an ammo storage box.

Basically, this law is just Ireland gold plating some EU firearms law and is a common law on the Continent when travelling to and from shooting. It really is just to prevent snatch theft of ammo from a car or house if it is in plain view, or from some lads having a loose box load of 12GA shells flying about in the jeep.

Everyone realises even those in power, that anyone determined will have no bother opening a steel ammo box with a padlock in 3o secs with bolt cutters or a hacksaw.Or god forbid your car/jeep is stolen, anyone who can crack modern car immobilisers/alarms won't be deterred either by any fancy draw safes when they strip your car down for parts either, it's a placebo in reality.

Renas.

I was also under the impression that ammo was to be kept totally separate from the firearm. I have always kept shotgun forearms, ammo, mags and bolts separate, old habits die hard as they say.

Lidl/Aldi/Woodies/B&Q etc. sell small safes, 30/40 bucks. Ok for rifle/pistol ammo but too small for 12g ammo if your a clay shooter.

If you have room in your safe, pick up an ex mil .30 or .50 cal metal ammo box, it takes 20 mins to put on a hasp/lock and spray it any colour but green. It doubles up as lockable option for home and for travelling in the car.

Are you by chance a member of HH in Kildare, if you are, let me know, I have one possible two at home somewhere and I’ll give you one or leave it with HH staff for you.

It seems to be extremely badly-drafted legislation. It reminds me of the nonsensical attempt to ban rough shooting last year that appeared on the Garda website. As drafted, a child’s money box would do to store live ammunition. They could have referenced the strength of the lock to an Irish or British standard but they didn’t. However, thinking it out… if a Garda called to inspect your gun safe, and found your shells either loose around somewhere, in the gun safe or in a flimsy box, the Garda will report back to the Superintendent. That could trigger (pardon the pun) a confiscation of your firearm for breach of the regs. That will oblige you to go to court to make an application to get your gun(s) back. Some district court judges never go against the wishes of the Superintendent on those applications, and even if you do get them back, you will be at the loss of your solicitor’s costs for the application, which will be more than the cost of a small safe. I think the suggestion someone made earlier is a good one, use an old military ammo box and put a padlock on it. Those boxes are easy to find in camping shops etc.

[Off topic]

Ah, the Gazette! That's the one with the Spider-Man cover, if I recall correctly.