FIREARMS SECURITY - GOV.UK

1 FIREARMSSECURITYA Brief GuideTHIS LEAFLET GIVES ADVICE ON THE LEVELSOF SECURITY REQUIRED FOR SECTION 1 FIREARMS , SECTION 1 AMMUNITION ANDSHOTGUNS. ( FIREARMS MEANS BOTHSECTION 1 FIREARMS AND SHOTGUNS).WHAT DOES THE LAW REQUIRE?Under the FIREARMS rules 1998, a prescribedsafekeeping condition is attached to all firearm andshotgun certificates. It is an offence not to complywith these conditions. The maximum penalty forthis offence can be up to 6 months in prison, or afine, or safekeeping condition attached to FIREARMS orshotgun certificates requires that the guns andsection 1 ammunition must be stored securely toprevent, so far as is reasonably practicable,unauthorised people taking or using them.

2 Anyother person who does not hold a firearm orshotgun certificate is included in the term unauthorised .When a gun or section 1ammunition is being used or the holder has the gunwith him for some purpose connected with its use,transfer or sale,reasonable precautions must betaken for the safe custody of the gun(s) andsection 1 condition does not apply to the ammunitionfor a shotgun. However, as a matter of commonsense, you should take reasonable precautions forits safe local police FIREARMS licensing department cangive you advice on SECURITY IS SECURE STORAGE ?

3 The FIREARMS rules do not prescribe how firearmsmust be kept securely, but the Home Office hasissued guidance. Briefly this recommends that youstore them in a locked gun cabinet or other similarlysecure container. In some cases if you don t have agun cabinet, it maybe acceptable to remove thefiring mechanism from a firearm and store it in a secure container, for example, a safe. In these casesyou should then lock away the rest of the firearm . Asecurely built gunroom or cellar with a steel door thatlocks can also be an acceptable form of 1 ammunition can be stored in a separatesecure compartment within a gun cabinet or in itsown secure container.

4 When considering whetherstorage arrangements are secure enough, the policewill look at the circumstances of each case andatthe overall SECURITY arrangements, includingthe SECURITY of the premises where the firearmsand ammunition are may be helpful to think of SECURITY in terms oflevels that may be applied in any given case. Tothis end 3 levelsof SECURITY are generally 1 This will be applicable in most cases and can bemet by using a suitable gun cabinet. Where onefirearm only is held, a gun clamp may suffice. Otherconsiderations would be a low crime rate area andwhether the property has outer doors and windowsfitted with suitable locking 2 This will be applicable where extra SECURITY isdesirable.

5 This may be because of a high crime ratelocation, repeat victimisation or that a substantialnumber of FIREARMS are being held. Additionalsecurity would be exit doors fitted with locks toBS3621, an audible intruder alarm covering the areawhere the guns are stored and possibly splitting therisk by the provision of more than one 3 Where the risk is deemed the greatest, thensplitting the risk is desirable especially where largenumbers of guns are involved. Additional targethardening of the storage cabinet(s) and an audibleintruder alarm protecting the whole of the premisesmay also be considered.

6 Please note that more detailed information isavailable from your local police FIREARMS TYPES OF SECURITY ARE AVAILABLE?Perhaps the most important time when both youand the police will need to consider your SECURITY iswhen you apply for the grant or renewal of yourcertificate(s). A FIREARMS Enquiry Officer (FEO) mayvisit you to discuss and advise on sucharrangements. More information about the varioustypes of SECURITY is given below. In practice thereshould be no need for significant change if therecommendations made at the time of grant or lastrenewal were accepted and implemented, and therehas been no subsequent change in circumstances.

7 The SECURITY of your FIREARMS will depend not only onhow the FIREARMS are stored, but also on the overallsecurity of the property where the FIREARMS are cabinetsAs commercially manufactured firearm cabinets arewidely available, this will probably be the preferredmethod of SECURITY for most people. There is a Britishstandard for gun cabinets (BS 7558). Before you buya cabinet you should ask the seller to show you atest certificate to confirm the cabinet meets theabove standard. It is not compulsory to have acabinet that meets the British Standard however, andhaving such a cabinet does not necessarily guaranteethat you are meeting the safekeeping is recommended that a cabinet should have thefollowing features: It should be made from sheet steel at least 14 swg(standard wire gauge) (2 mm) thick.

8 All seamsshould be continuously welded, or the cabinetbody formed by bend construction. All hinges should be on the inside of the cabinet,but if they are external or exposed, then hingebolts, blocks or anti-lever bars should be provided. Lock mechanisms should be on the inside of thecabinet. The lock should contain at least 5 leversto BS 3621 standard or equivalent. Alternatively,good quality hardened padlocks and staplesshould be fitted to the cabinet. Full-length side hinged cabinets should have twolocks at points one third and two-thirds the heightof the cabinet.

9 The cabinet may contain, or have attached, aseparate lockable container to store clampsFor one firearm , an alternative option to a cabinetmay be a gun clamp. It should: be made out of steel that is at least 14 swg(2mm) thick; have seam-welded joints, or be formed by bendconstruction; and have a lock that meets BS 3621 standard orequivalent. Alternatively a good quality hardenedpadlock should be cablesIncertain circumstances a high tensile steel cablesecured with a hardened padlock may be anappropriate SECURITY adviceAny SECURITY device should be securely fixed to thefabric of the building.

10 For preference it should be in a room or areathat does not have direct access to the outsideof a building. It should not be in a garage, shed or otheroutside building, except in certain circumstances. When considering large or heavy gun cabinets,you should consider the load bearing strength ofyour floors. Wherever possible, it should be fixed to a wallthat is built from bricks or concrete blocks or tothe floor. The container should be out of sight (unless thefirearm is held for display purposes). If it is in acorner, it is more difficult for a thief to attack it.