Bad News, "it comes in threes"

[Jeff-7]

I totally disagree since the medical report which is required now for new + renewal certificates there has been a reduction of 90,500 shotguns licence holders in the UK now with licensing potentially going up to £400 it will be the final nail for shooting I was looking at changing my gun which is a high end Browning just before Xmas & the trade in values have plummeted the dealer actually told me they can’t take in guns as nobody is buying guns & his advice was your better off keeping your old

I think the gun trade is not in a good place at the moment. Overly inflated prices , especially in secondhand guns. Sometimes only a couple of hundred quid difference between new and used.
Finance interest rates do not help either, you can buy an expensive tv or pushbike on interest free, yet on a gun the rates are high.
Retail trade of any kind is tough right now but the gun trade needs to have a look at itself.

 

[k80ben]

I totally disagree since the medical report which is required now for new + renewal certificates there has been a reduction of 90,500 shotguns licence holders in the UK now with licensing potentially going up to £400 it will be the final nail for shooting I was looking at changing my gun which is a high end Browning just before Xmas & the trade in values have plummeted the dealer actually told me they can’t take in guns as nobody is buying guns & his advice was your better off keeping your old gun.

I totally disagree since the medical report which is required now for new + renewal certificates there has been a reduction of 90,500 shotguns licence holders in the UK now with licensing potentially going up to £400 it will be the final nail for shooting I was looking at changing my gun which is a high end Browning just before Xmas & the trade in values have plummeted the dealer actually told me they can’t take in guns as nobody is buying guns & his advice was your better off keeping your old gun.

exact opposite around me and all the grounds I go to to. Second hand market is flying and I’m helping clients buy and sell guns nearly every day

 

[vmax1010]

Personally I don't mind the £400 license fee it's less than £100 a year, but the thought of the increase going to fund knife crime is taking the Michael especially as most firearms departments are underfunded leading to a very poor service

 

[chesterse]

So what other area in your life would you roll over and accept a 700% increase in cost for nothing?

 

[Freddypip]

I have no issue paying £400 if is that is the correct amount to manage the licensing system. There are however numerous problems with the government saying that the increase is to fund “knife crime”, not least the implication (which they must be aware of) that shotgun licensing and knife crime are linked. Successive governments have, for some time, worked from sound bites and ignored the need for taxation to have a structure that allows transparent increases & spending. In short, charge what it costs, and sort knife crime out from general taxation.

 

[Jonny English]

Here's a question or two.

How long has a shotgun cert renewal been £49?

Even bigger question, how often has it gone up over the last 20 or 30 years?

The big problem is that we are taking a massive increase all at once. If the cost of renewal had gone up every year with inflation we wouldn't have such a big increase all at once. I can't recall the pricing structure over the last 30 years, but I would hazard a guess that the cost hasn't gone up anywhere near as much as what people's incomes have.

 

[PeeJay]

I totally disagree since the medical report which is required now for new + renewal certificates there has been a reduction of 90,500 shotguns licence holders in the UK now with licensing potentially going up to £400 it will be the final nail for shooting I was looking at changing my gun which is a high end Browning just before Xmas & the trade in values have plummeted the dealer actually told me they can’t take in guns as nobody is buying guns & his advice was your better off keeping your old gun.

Obviously there may or not not be a direct link between the cost of the medical report and nearly 100k not renewing their licence. Even if there is a link, did all of them decide that £75 was too much to pay to carry on shooting? Or was it that some decided they would not pass the medical requirement, and some failed to meet the requirements.

I would be astounded if keen shooters, who went regularly, decided to give it up due to a cost of £75 doctors fee. Most of the people I know spend that and more every time they shoot.

 

[Mad dog]

Google Government.com shotgun certificate holders then you can see year by year the decline in licence holders. I am simply not making the numbers up just look it’s shocking. Now with licensing going up to £400 + I am just being realistic, I for one can afford it but it’s going to kill shooting.

 

[k80ben]

Google Government.com shotgun certificate holders then you can see year by year the decline in licence holders. I am simply not making the numbers up just look it’s shocking. Now with licensing going up to £400 + I am just being realistic, I for one can afford it but it’s going to kill shooting.

Of people are giving it up they were not shooting anyway. The sport is stronger than it’s ever been people shooting more clays and game than ever

People who don’t shoot not shooting anymore will have zero impact

 

[Mad dog]

K80ben you have pm

 

[Mad dog]

Of people are giving it up they were not shooting anyway. The sport is stronger than it’s ever been people shooting more clays and game than ever

People who don’t shoot not shooting anymore will have zero impact

They have made a hell of a impact on s/h values try & p/x a gun

 

[PeeJay]

Google Government.com shotgun certificate holders then you can see year by year the decline in licence holders. I am simply not making the numbers up just look it’s shocking. Now with licensing going up to £400 + I am just being realistic, I for one can afford it but it’s going to kill shooting.

I never questioned the numbers, I’m questioning your assertion that there is a direct link between the introduction doctors fee/report and 100k shooters not renewing.

As I say I’m extremely doubtful that it’s the £75 cost that made nearly 100,000 shooters stop their hobby. Unless they were already not shooting and that made them not renew.