Gun security is a vital concern for anybody who owns firearms. Proper handling and storage of firearms needs to be in place to pass a firearms officer inspection, however this is only a starting point. Every year hundreds of firearms are stolen, either to be sold or irresponsibly used. In this article, our security experts will guide you through the full range of legal requirements, and best practices, for safe and responsible gun storage.
The bulk of the certified guns in the UK are shotguns, and that number is sure to rise given the unprecedented media coverage of Peter Wilson’s gold medal at the London 2012 games and his patronage of May – June’s National Shooting Week.
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The Olympics’ all-encompassing appeal has even brought shooting a seemingly incongruous popularity with teenage girls in India while, in the USA; infamous for the world’s highest levels of gun ownership, controversial reviews on gun control and storage are under debate in the wake of recent tragedies. Fortunately, in the UK, we have the lowest rate of gun crime in Western Europe and the vast majority of guns are held legally, mainly for professional or sporting reasons. The number of gun certificates issued here is far lower than the number of guns they cover, with holders able to own as many as they see fit provided they are stored to Police satisfaction.
Reasons to be safe
There are two main reasons for ensuring guns are suitably stored:
- To keep them out of harm’s reach
- To stay within the letter of the law
Guns are lethal weapons; the potential repercussions of their misappropriation could be disastrous and:
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Any application for a gun licence is subject to assessment by the Police Firearms Licensing Department. Different criteria apply depending on the nature of the weapon proposed, the two main types being:
- Firearms: use bullets fired through a rifled barrel or bore, i.e. one with helical / spiralled grooves inside, causing the bullet to spin and increasing accuracy over distance.
- Shotguns or muskets: fire cartridges or blanks.
With a few exceptions, for example; air pistols, antique powder guns, those used by hunters for humane despatch, or guns warranting particular historical interest, private ownership of handguns in the UK has been banned since 1997.
The Law and You
The licensing process firstly assesses your suitability as a gun owner. Different conditions apply depending on the type of gun concerned but will probably include:
- Criminal convictions
- Your reasons for wanting to own a gun.
- Where you intend to use it.
- The number of guns in question, including any you already have.
- Local crime rates
- If it’s widely known that guns are to be stored on the property and, therefore;
- The potential interest of criminals in them
- The number of guns to be stored
- How remote and / or isolated the property is
- How overlooked the property is
- How well-lit the property is
- Where the proposed storage is to be situated
Ask yourself…
It’s worth noting the considerations Licensing Police take into account when assessing you and your property as they can be of similar use in informing your choice of gun storage solution. For example:
- How many guns need to be stored?
- Will there be more in the future?
- What are / will / could be their dimensions?
- Will you also need to store ammunition? (Please note: it is best practice to secure ammunition separately in its own lockable storage. This can, however, be within a dedicated compartment in your gun safe or cabinet)
- Which kind of lock suits you best? Are you likely to lose a key or forget a combination code?
Safes, Standards and insurance
You are most likely, although not guaranteed, to meet gun safekeeping conditions by installing a gun safe or cabinet built to British Standard 7558 (1992). Cabinets built to this Standard should be sold with a certificate stating so. The criteria that certificated cabinets must meet are outlined in the Home Office publications, listed in our Disclaimer at the end of the guide.
Other British Standards can be applicable to firearm security depending on the individual set of circumstances. These may include:
- BS 4737: pertaining to intruder alarm systems in buildings; particularly relevant when storing several guns.
- BS 8220: relating to the security of buildings against crime.
- BS 3621: regarding 5 lever mortice deadlocks. This Standard could be relevant to the locks used in the construction of a gun safe, clamp (when only storing one gun), or to the final exit door of a gun room.
Whilst some of these Standards may not be applicable to your individual gun storage needs, bear in mind the issues they concern. You may find that generally improving your home security will have a positive effect on gun-related insurance policies you may hold:
Installation – where and how
So, your guns are locked away inside your shiny, new, British Standard-compliant gun safe. Great, but it’s of little protection against theft until directly secured to the fabric of a suitable building.
Police are likely to frown upon the use of sheds, garages or outhouses for gun storage other than in exceptional circumstances. Ideally, for domestic purposes, you should choose a room in your house that has no direct access to the outside.
- The corner of a room is the ideal location for a gun safe, naturally hindering potential intruders by concealing at least two sides of the cabinet and minimising the opportunity for leverage of the door, locks or the casing itself.
- Ideally, the wall/s used for securing a gun safe should be of a solid brick or concrete construction.
- The floor of a room is another useful anchorage point for a gun safe but its load-bearing capabilities should be assessed if the cabinet is heavy and / or a number of guns are to be stored.
We hope this guide has cleared up a few of the concerns you may have had with regards to gun storage and raised some practical considerations that need to run alongside the official ones!
We’d also like to offer our sincere thanks to David Taylor for his input and insight, and for taking time out from his job as The Countryside Alliance’s first point of contact for shooting enquiries to talk to us.
Disclaimer
This content has been written with reference to The Home Office publication, Firearms Security – A Brief Guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117794/security_leaflet.pdf) and the Firearms Security Handbook 2005 (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117636/firearms-security-handbook.pdf), produced by the Home Office, the Associations of Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Scotland and the British Shooting Sports Council.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is correct at the time of publication but this guide should by no means be considered a definitive or exhaustive statement of applicable laws. The opinions of the people we have quoted are their own and we would recommend that you consult the Firearms Licensing Officer of your local Police force for official advice.
One thought on “The Complete Guide to Firearms Safety & Secure Gun Storage”
A really great and informative guide Jonathan and I agree with what you say. I don’t think that gun ownership and safety is really taken that seriously, despite the constant string of violent crimes and horrific deaths that are being covered by the media. I think in the UK the gun laws are quite good. They are strict and that is why there are lower levels of gun crime. That isn’t to say that everybody is storing their guns properly. How many do you think are not? As for the installation of the safe, it can get quite confusing with the location because of differing advice.