Firearm & Shotgun security/safety
Security
When not in use firearms must be kept secure at all times to avoid unauthorised access.
Information on security is available by visiting the Home Office website below
Safety
Keep your firearm locked up
- Lock your gun in a cabinet, preferably hidden within a larger storage area. This will prevent curious children, house guests or even burglars from accessing your firearms
Keep your ammunition safe
- Keep all cartridges and other ammunition in a secured cupboard or out of reach of children. Firearms ammunition should be locked in a separate container to the firearm.
Never point a gun at anybody
- Even if you know it is unloaded, it will scare somebody if you point any gun at them. Are you absolutely sure that the gun is not loaded?
Never trust a safety catch
- Treat a gun's safety mechanism only as a second line of defence because it could be faulty. No one was ever shot by an open, empty gun.
Transport your gun safely
- Guns should be locked in the boot or placed in the back of an estate car under a cover (e.g. travel rugs and coats).
Before you use it
- Keep your gun in its container until you are ready to use it. Carry the gun to the location in its slip so that if it rains, there is somewhere dry to stow it. Open the gun as you take it out of the container - that way it can immediately be seen to be unloaded and that the barrel(s) are clear. Keep the gun broken until just before you are ready to fire it.
- Check your gun is unloaded before removing it from the slip
- Show your gun is unloaded when passing it