I am looking at the possibility of relocating to the UK (most probably England) and was wondering how difficult it would be to bring sporting rifles into the country for a legal alien?

I'm going to assume that any semi-automatic arms and pistols will be impossible to bring with me but I would like to have some bolt rifles there for hunting opportunities overseas (Africa).

Can anyone tell me if this is possible or where I can find any resources on the internet for looking into this?

hi fjold
what the hell do you want to come to this shit hole for?!
you would have to export your rifles to a firearms dealer then get your license after
scirroco

Same here, why would you want to go there?
Most Brits I know would love to come here!

hi fjold,
i"m in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. property is far cheaper here than most of mainland UK, and ironically, even after 30 years of violence, our firearms laws are actually slightly better than England"s!
i can still have pistols, i can still use lead shot in shotguns, and i can have expanding rifle amunition without a seperate authority.
this is all subject to the whim of the authorities, but i think that"s the case everywhere. i almost moved to Canada a few years ago, but as far as firearms go, i would"nt really be any better off. i can hunt deer all year round, if i go to Scotland in the summer for roe, with red, sika and fallow here from august onwards.
the only place that would tempt me away is maybe some of the rural states in the US, as we"re running out of space!
anyway, good luck with whatever you decide, and good shooting.

The kids are grown and gone, Wifezilla would like to move there for 3-4 years just for a change of pace and to visit the rest of Europe. We're over there for holidays almost every year now and a job offer with a major corporation just came up that interested me. We'll see what they offer compared to the difference in the cost of living and see if I want to commit to something like that.

I came very close to moving there last year. I think you should go for it. Lots of sporting oppurtities if you have the quid. Will be a nice change of pace for you

Lovely country, great pubs, go there see something new, expand your view of the world, pop up to Scotland for a bit of Highland stalking, can't see anything wrong with that! Yeah, firearms laws are appalling, but they can be worked around and made to be bearable. It would be sad if the political nonsense that stopped you. Go there, and meet a bunch of the AR guys!

- mike

Fjold,

For what it's worth I don't actually think it is that difficult to get your firearms into the system were you to move over.

You would have to ship your rifles to a firearms dealer first then get your licence approved. The process may take a couple of months at the most depending on your location. My FAC was approved and issued in two and a half weeks.

You will need to have written permission to shoot over land that is deemd suitable for the calibers you request. A booking for a couple of days Stag/Hind stalking will suffice. You don't need to actually have a sporting lease.

If you also submit a copy of your home licence, then that should aid the process.

What sort of area is the job in?


FB

Hi Fjold!

Well, if its your wife in the avatar - you are gonna be welcome here!!

Dependant on the area you finally settle in, the UK has plenty of shooting opportunities. Overlapping deer seasons open 365 days a year, game birds through the fall and spring -waterfowl in season, vermin/pest all year. Normally NO bag limits other than locally ordered by a landowner. Using a lamp is legal for night shooting foxes etc. Sound suppressors on fullbore rifles are now encouraged! You are correct about semi auto rifles (other than .22) and pistols being illegal here - but the pistol situation could well change following our successful Olympic bid for 2012.

Firearms legislation really only boils down to being able to show 'good reason' for each calibre/firearm you hold. Once that is demonstrated you are left alone to shoot where and when you fancy for the next five years. I own and use a variety for rifles from .22 - .375hh with no restrictions to speak of.

Whilst we are only a small island - this is a great benefit when it comes to accessing shooting, as a few hours drive normally gets you to what ever shooting you are looking for!

If you have any questions, please PM me - I am more than happy to get you the answers.

Having travelled fairly extensively, there are only a few places I would prefer to the UK. As a base for travel it is excellent!

Rgds Ian

Sounds like a good idea for a while.

Just try to base yourself OUTSIDE of London. England is a much nicer place if you live in the country or another English city. The pay is considerably more in London though but all the costs are more. Even commuting from the country into the city is a pain.

Just my personal experiences and they are from a decade or more ago, so things may have changed. I doubt it though.

quote:

Originally posted by brass thief:
this is all subject to the whim of the authorities, but i think that"s the case everywhere.

Not in about 95% of the US.

quote:

Originally posted by HP Shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by brass thief:
this is all subject to the whim of the authorities, but i think that"s the case everywhere.

Not in about 95% of the US.

I live in the other 5% already!

HP Shooter.

Here in the UK we have elected representatives who take positions in a democratic government. We have a Bill of Rights guaranteeing our rights to self defense.

We have politicians who tend towards kneejerk legislation - being 'seen' to have done something - rather than actually hitting the root cause of a problem - be it drugs, terrorism or greenhouse gas emissions.

Think carefully - if all this sounds not too dissimilar to life in the USA then take note.

Your 2nd amendment rights will be ignored, circumvented or just plain steam rollered the first time it is politically expedient to do so. It will be done 'to enhance our homeland security'.

It will be done by registration, restricting purchase by prior authorization, a cooling off period or partial bans of 'bad' guns.

To enhance your security, you can identify yourself to the government as a firearms holder - by applying for a permit to carry concealed firearms.......strange, why should you have to do that ..... with your mighty 2nd amendment already in place?

Hang on - don't a lot of these already apply in many states in the US? Think it through - you really are on the same slippery slope as the rest of us!

What you do have in the NRA is a single cohesive voice - backed by sufficient clout to grab the ears of those in government. We in the UK do not.

Be a member - get others to join. Be loud and assertive as soon as you are offered registration in order to 'permit' you rights that already exist.

Most important of all - dont sit at your keyboard, smug in the knowledge that gun control will not happen in the US of A.

It already has - and things are not going to get better - just the opposite!

Keep well.

Ian

As has been noted, firearms laws within this assembly of disparate regions ;-) vary wildly. More liberal firearms laws are to be found on the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Carcano

quote:

Originally posted by IanF:
HP Shooter.

Here in the UK we have elected representatives who take positions in a democratic government. We have a Bill of Rights guaranteeing our rights to self defense.

We have politicians who tend towards kneejerk legislation - being 'seen' to have done something - rather than actually hitting the root cause of a problem - be it drugs, terrorism or greenhouse gas emissions.

Think carefully - if all this sounds not too dissimilar to life in the USA then take note.

Your 2nd amendment rights will be ignored, circumvented or just plain steam rollered the first time it is politically expedient to do so. It will be done 'to enhance our homeland security'.

It will be done by registration, restricting purchase by prior authorization, a cooling off period or partial bans of 'bad' guns.

To enhance your security, you can identify yourself to the government as a firearms holder - by applying for a permit to carry concealed firearms.......strange, why should you have to do that ..... with your mighty 2nd amendment already in place?

Hang on - don't a lot of these already apply in many states in the US? Think it through - you really are on the same slippery slope as the rest of us!

What you do have in the NRA is a single cohesive voice - backed by sufficient clout to grab the ears of those in government. We in the UK do not.

Be a member - get others to join. Be loud and assertive as soon as you are offered registration in order to 'permit' you rights that already exist.

Most important of all - dont sit at your keyboard, smug in the knowledge that gun control will not happen in the US of A.

It already has - and things are not going to get better - just the opposite!

Keep well.

Ian

Ian, I am well aware of all that you have mentioned, but thanks for the reminder anyway.

The restrictions you mentioned do apply in some parts of the US. They do NOT, however, apply in "many states". As I said, it is but a handful of states out of 50 that have such restrictions. We are also agressively rolling back firearms laws, such as the bullshit "assault" weapons ban that assclown Kliton forced down our throats. How many firearms restrictions have been lifted or rolled back in the UK lately? What you hardly ever hear over there is that firearm laws refularly die at the Federal and State legislatures before they even see the light of day. That is the real power of the gun right lobby in the US.

In any case, it is a fact that the gun laws in about 95% of the States would be incomprehensible to much of Europe.

For example, in my state (Ohio) I can buy any long gun or handgun (unless it is fully autmatic) from any private citizen w/o so much as a by your leave from the Government. Can you? I don't think so.

If I wish to buy one from a licensed dealer, I merely need undergo an instant background check to make sure that I do not fall under one of the very *narrowly* defined prohibited categories. That is a Federal, not State requirement. If I do not fall under one of those categories, I HAVE to be permitted to buy my firearm. For you to be granted an FAC, first it is solely at the discretion of the Police. Second, they have the right to do some very intrusive interviews with people for whom your firearms ownership is not germane.

I can also obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun very easily. The Government CANNOT deny my application unless I fall into one of the very *narrowly* defined prohibited categories (certified mentally insane, convicted felon, minor, etc.). IIRC, you can hardly own a handgun, much less carry it with you almost anywhere for defense. Right?

I do not have to have an "approved" method of storing my firearms. In fact, some are lying loose around the house (but not in plain view), fully loaded in case I would need them. Police cannot come into my house to inspect my firearms or my storage of them unless they have a warrant from a judge, and I know of no judge would would issue such a warrant because merely wanting to "inspect" someone's guns or their storage doesn't even come close to meeting the probable cause standard needed for such a warrant.

Do tell me more about your "right of self defense". Has anyone ever been NOT prosecuted for defending himself with a firearm? Most of what I have read about says that while you might have that right on paper, its exercise is a very perilous thing because of the aftermath with the Queen's Prosecutors. Have I been misled?

By the by, I am not only a life member of the US NRA, but I also make sure that my elected representatives know exactly what I expect of them. And I am pretty much a single issue voter. It does not matter one bit to me if a politician is great otherwise, he does not get my vote unless his firearm views align with mine.

I think there's more people than you think here who would resist by all means possible when it becomes apparent that our rights are being removed w/o any avenue for redress. That IS how the US came into being.

Feel free to PM me with a reply if you think we are taking this thread off topic.

Gentlemen,
Is there a limit on the number of firearms that police will let you have in England? I have heard that there is a need to prove that you need certain calibers.

If I bring over a couple of Savage rifles in 243 and 300 WSM is there any problem with having extra barrels in 308, 22.250, 270WSM, etc.? Or. would these be considered firarms in their own right?

Thanks for any information.

P.S. Also a Life Member of the NRA

Fjold please come to the uk and ill swap with you so i can get out lol,
you will be ok with your bolt action rifels ie 243 308 22-250 270wsm and the 300wsm , as long as you have permission from a land owner that you have the shooting rights on his land,
but amother matter as well it also deppends on where you settle in this damp miserable place,
because the different police county`s have different ideas as to what THEY will let you own as in rifels,
if you do move here the first thing to do is join BASC
www,basc.org.uk they will give you all the advice you will need, good luck

any essential part of a firearm eg- barrel would have to be listed on a firearms cerificate, so it"s basically another gun as far as licensing goes.
if you can show "good reason" for having them, then you are entitled to own any calibre that you can show a need for. it"s only when you try to get two in the same calibre, or something "controversial" like a 300 win mag for roe, that the cops complain. different constabularies in different areas will apply the law in different ways, depending on attitude. also some constabularies are notoriously slow to process applications, while others are prompt and courtious.(usually more rural areas) the service you get from the police will depend on where you live.
basically, if you"re prepared to do all the paperwork, and jump through all the hoops, you can squeeze your way into shooting syndicates, clubs etc, and the more contacts you make in the shooting comunity, the easier it would get.
good luck, and good shooting.