Travelling with your Gun(s)

[DAVE_B]

Hi Everyone,

As a new shooter I am keen to find out the problems connected to travelling with your gun(s).

I have planned a couple of overnight trips one of them will be easy as I am shooting at the same ground over two days and will be able to store our guns in their Gunroom overnight.

We also have a trip where we plan to overnight between grounds and will therefor have our guns with us at a hotel. Is this allowed or what do we need to do?

This is also going to come up at the Shooting Show in February as we are booked up their for a couple of nights in a hotel.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Dave_B

 

[RobertBeard]

The Home Office Guidance to Police suggests that

Book an hotel with security facilities

Separate the parts to make each part useless without the other so perhaps keep shells and barrels locked out of sight in car with alarm and Immobiliser and stock with action in hotel room

Fit security devices such as trigger locks and or locking cables through barrels

The examples are mine

 

[RobertBeard]

I should say these are 3 options or combinations You don't have to do all three

 

[ips]

I keep barrels and fore end in car take stock into hotel wrapped in towel etc keep in suitcase if you have detectable trigger even better keep that on your person. Keep car keys with you at all times. Obviously never never advertise the fact that you are a shooter so dont leave shooting jacket hung up in car etc.

 

[Mike]

I'm waiting for someone to say "Tell your feo, before you go".

Locked hardcase in boot with barrels and use a cablelock to secure it, stock and forend in a bag in hotel, I agree with ips about advertising the fact that you shoot. If I leave owt in the car it's always in the boot out of sight and that means everything that could tell someone else that you shoot.

p.s. Hotels can only keep guns under lock and key if they have a SGC.

 

[Skeet UK]

As has been said.

Overall, regardless of where you or the guns are, you have to take "reasonable precautions" to prevent access to them by unauthorized persons...so at home that means for most people, a gun cabinet etc.

Away from home, if there are no facilities (a country hotel with SGC and Gun safe perhaps), common sense is the best answer.

Don't tell the hotel you are a shooter or have guns...they don't need to know. Leave the barrels in the car, perhaps a long cable lock through them as was suggested.

The other end of the gun, if you fancy buying a trigger lock, fit that, pop it in a sports holdall or similar etc or wrap up in your suitcase.

All you have to think is...if God forbid, you car was stolen or broken into at the hotel and when the Police arrive you inform them that your gun was inside, fully assembled, with cartridges...they will have the hump.

If you tell them that there were cartridges (which there are no legal constraints on being in possession of, only buying) and barrels but that is it...then I suspect that they will concede you had done your best to make sure that the gun was in separate bits and not able to be used.

 

[DAVE_B]

Great comments and suggestions. If I go with a cable lock I assume for barrel safety I need plastic coated.

Would around a seat anchor point be OK? I already have a pair of trigger locks so I would leave the barrels in the car and take in the stocks and forends.

Thanks again.

Dave