UK bushcrafters with firearms...

[knowledge=gain]

i have to agree the people are non ready for such res-specific nature

will there be a time here in this country known by many names and with a currently dissolved government as seen on companies house...??

will there be a time for home-guard...??

i know that those folk [not ye armed ecilops] with licenses are discreet on ye street and do non advertise or draw attention to ye fact

yet ye street gangs are a different kettle of fish and where possible need to be taught that they are better than they have already been taught and brainwashed by the folk they associate with or are deceiving them by showing them ye more pleasant alternatives to gang life

i agree with use for

survival [food]
predators

yet i can non agree killing and murdering innocent animals for sport

i do agree with clay-pigeon and inanimate object shooting for practice in safe use of fire-arms taught appropriately yet still not for a sport

when having to kill an innocent animal for food please pray for the right animal to help you for survival and always say thank you and show your gratitude for ye animal that chose to end their life to help you survive

 

[TeeDee]

No one's stopping you discussing the topic at all. Just asking that you are aware of the issues other folks face and act courteously about it.

As for the vegetarian option, it's often much more interesting than the meat ones on the menu

The vegetarian punt wasnt aimed at you at all Toddy! In fact I quite enjoy the odd non-meat plate. Used more as an example for peoples bias influence.

I think I was trying more to make the point that if you are interested in an activity , want it to remain as a licenced right to practice - then there is no point in shutting down comms when the topic arises because you fear it will be end up directed negatively.

If one can't be willing to converse on the hows and whys to defend ones licence , then I'm not surprised people against it ( even uninformed people ) can come away with certain negative perceptions that can in the end influence and affect laws.


I'm not sure what you mean by this bit however?


"No one's stopping you discussing the topic at all. Just asking that you are aware of the issues other folks face and act courteously about it."

Aware of the issues other folks face??? What do you mean?

 

[TLM]

OK, somewhat understand it but reality ...

We here have for historical reasons a conscipt army which means that on my generation almost 90 percent have had armed service. So they know how to use an assault rifle. That still does not make most of them soldiers in the sense of a professional army. Some catch it though.

An awful lot of hunters combined with the above fact means that most people are not shy of guns by themselves.

Though seeing french gendarmiers carrying their submachine guns horizontally in the crowd looks like a bad idea ...

 

[TeeDee]

OK, somewhat understand it but reality ...

We here have for historical reasons a conscipt army which means that on my generation almost 90 percent have had armed service. So they know how to use an assault rifle. That still does not make most of them soldiers in the sense of a professional army. Some catch it though.

An awful lot of hunters combined with the above fact means that most people are not shy of guns by themselves.

Though seeing french gendarmiers carrying their submachine guns horizontally in the crowd looks like a bad idea ...

I need to point out that the OP question was relating DIRECTLY to the UK.

RTFM.


"I'm curious as to what you have and use for firearms and what you are able to use them for?

My "ASSUMPTIONS" from hearing things over time that you are mostly able to get shotguns and can hunt small game. (Beyond target shooting.)

So I'd like to hear from actual UK firearm owners as to what you are actually able to get/own and what you use them for?

Thanks!"

 

[TLM]

I guess I am commenting on my and Herman's attitude to guns not your situation of which I know next to nothing

 

[Toddy]

The vegetarian punt was aimed at you at all Toddy! In fact I quite enjoy the odd non-meat plate. Used more as an example for peoples bias influence.

I think I was trying more to make the point that if you are interested in an activity , want it to remain as a licenced right to practice - then there is no point in shutting down comms when the topic arises because you fear it will be end up directed negatively.

If one can't be willing to converse on the hows and whys to defend ones licence , then I'm not surprised people against it ( even uninformed people ) can come away with certain negative perceptions that can in the end influence and affect laws.


I'm not sure what you mean by this bit however?


"No one's stopping you discussing the topic at all. Just asking that you are aware of the issues other folks face and act courteously about it."

Aware of the issues other folks face??? What do you mean?

It was one of the long term members who got hassled in the University IT lab. He opened the forum and someone saw a photo of something 'for dinner' with the gun beside it, and complained to the lab supervisor. It kind of brought it home that even the most innocuous thing can set folks off. So, we advise that folks are 'aware' of where they are, and especially about opening FG.
That was all it was really.

Personally I have no issues with folks using guns for dinner, for vermin control, for sport, but I have to admit there are neighbours that I would be very unhappy to hear had access to such firearms....but then, I live very urban these days, and it's very peaceful. The biggest issue isn't guns, but knives. Local MPS actually state, "Carry a knife, go to jail".
Now that's a bushcrafting issue beyond the licencing of firearms for a few.

I gave our air rifles away to the son of a forum member because mine didn't want to go through the hassle of sussing out a licence. So we don't even have one at hand to plink at rats.

As for National Service @TLM that finally stopped here in the very early 1960's, iirc.
I know my youngest Uncle was called up to do his when he finished his Uni degree and spent two years as the MO for the 2nd Battalion Gurkha Highlanders in Hong Kong. He came home on my first birthday and he was the last person I know of among family or friends to do it. I know my big brother who is thirteen years older than me didn't serve.

That's a lot of years, and several generations, who have no experience of military life.
The BB's (Church of Scotland, Boys Brigade) didn't do rifle drills much after the war either, and neither did the Scouts.
Unless for 'country' pursuits, guns aren't really all that familiar to most here.....except in films or on the news.

M

 

[abilou]

Well as far as I am concerned I can accept the Fair Game hiding pictures is animals that have been processed to eat but I just think the attitude to firearms is censorship taken too far. Given that half of the discussions on here are about knives, being used in exactly the same way as I use firearms as a tool of my trade. Therefore I am out. Please cancel my membership and direct debit forthwith.

 

[Wildgoose]

Nobody is being told they can’t discuss firearms, just being asked politely to discuss it in fair game.

 

[knowledge=gain]

Nobody is being told they can’t discuss firearms, just being asked politely to discuss it in fair game.

exactly as i read it

 

[knowledge=gain]

Given that half of the discussions on here are about knives, being used in exactly the same way as I use firearms as a tool of my trade.

difference being more folk are used to and are accustomed to knives in society for a myriad of reasons here in the UK

folk are non accustomed or are non-used to the use of fire-arms here in the UK since laws changed in ye 1960's if i remember correct to merge common-law with horrible statute-law

 

[nigelp]

I think the forum needs a ‘gift a chill pill’ option!

 

[fenix]

I talk about firearms openly at work, starting to organise a have a go clay shooting afternoon and have permission to email everybody on site. If anybody questions it I just say its an Olympic sport. BBC news website has plenty of firearms images.

Shooting - BBC Sport

The home of Shooting on BBC Sport online. Includes the latest news stories, results, fixtures, video and audio.

www.bbc.co.uk

Amusingly they did have a web filter that blocked sites featuring gun stuff, but it had to be turned off because we use rifle sights to align some of our analysers, and had to source new models.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

I grew up around shotguns, rifles, airguns, hand guns (whilst they were legal), muzzle loaders etc, and have no problem with them at all, in fact they're quite second nature to me in that regard, I have an interest in them.

However, I agree with less images on here in a manner.. or maybe "firearm image warning" in the title... I think people need to be a bit less sensitive about firearms, but equally sensitivity works both ways. I have a lot of friends who are very anti firearms, my wife is less so these days after she'd come shooting with me and my dad (at the range) and I've talked about them to her, but she was always shocked to see armed police, for me its not a worry at all. But then I also grew up overseas where the police had sidearms anyway... but there are lots of people who have concerns about guns (however valid or misplaced). Whilst firearm tragedies or atrocities are few and far between in the UK, they're not unheard of and some people may have experienced these first hand or closer than the majority of us.

I also think, whilst this is a "public platform" in one manner, it also isn't... its a members club, private forum...

 

[Plainsman]

Thank you for the information! Most of what I had heard as to availability and access along the way seems to match up with what several of you posted. I was hoping to hear more about what people actually are able to hunt...

As to guns in schools in the US, I am a High School Mathematics Teacher and whole heartedly welcome it! As to janitors being able to carry, I worked with two that I especially wished were able to carry while at school. Both were retired military and one was a Ranger from the 75th Airborne Regiment. They would have been way better guards than any "rent a cop" that may be found in many schools here.

Many schools have SROs which are School Resource Officers. Which may be anything from a private, non-armed security guard to local city police who are assigned to the school. This is what was at the Florida school shooting and he failed to engage the attacker.

Culture does have a major influence on how these things are perceived. I grew up with firearms on the farm. Every neighbor had firearms and all us kids grew up learning how to use them, just like a shovel, rake, tractor, truck, etc. They were just another tool. We learned to shoot to protect livestock and provide meat for the table. Few people grow up this way anymore. Even here, our family farm had a half dozen family farms within 1 mile and each had at least 6 kids. Now those same farms are mostly uninhabited or only have an older couple living on them. Most of the cropland is being farmed by one or two LARGE farmers. People are losing touch with the land accordingly.

Thanks for a great discussion everyone!

 

[Toddy]

I think the cultural divide is as enormous as the ocean that divides us.

My husband was a Grammar School Physics teacher and the thought of guns in school is a total anathema to him.
That a teacher thinks it is something to be wholeheartedly welcomed is a horrific thought to most of us; but then we can still count the number of school atrocities by someone using a firearm, on one finger of one hand.

For all it's troubles Ireland has none but two instances of eejits firing air rifles/catapult pellets into a playground.

This is normal to have so few incidences. America is the outlier

Truthfully, you have my sympathy.

In Britain, it took just one school shooting to pass major gun control

After the Dunblane massacre in Scotland left 16 students dead, parents organized to make sure it could never happen again. What can the U.S learn from them as we struggle to combat gun violence?

www.npr.org

M

 

[Toddy]

MOD hat on.

Thinking on this thread. It was moved into Fair Game and that ended up in a discussion that while relevant, took it totally away from the topic the OP started.

@Plainsman

If you would prefer, now that everyone knows why the thread was moved, I could split it and bring it back on topic ?

On t'other hand, we could just stick to answering your original query ?

M

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Sadly that gun law that was passed in the UK was (imo) unnecessary. Considering the perpetrator was a serial oddball, he should never have been near firearms in the first instance!

@Plainsman hunting for food in the UK would be:
Birds - pheasants, pigeons, ducks etc
Rabbits
Deer - time of the year
Squirrels

Other hunting can come under the bracket of humane efforts:
Foxs

Can't think of anything else... oh dogs that are worrying your livestock...

 

[ESpy]

WIld boar, other vermin control....

 

[slowworm]

The rules around what can be shot and when is very complex and can be different in each part of the UK. I've had a rummage about and this link might be helpful, scroll down to the bottom and there are some helpful tables.

Quarry species and shooting seasons

Find out everything you need to know about what you can legally shoot and when.

basc.org.uk

I'd also add that just because I can hunt something it doesn't mean I would. Hares for example, very tasty but even though they occasionally do damage in the garden I don't think there are enough about to consider hunting them for the pot.

On the other hand, if anyone has got a good recipe for rat...

 

[Broch]

I'd also add that just because I can hunt something it doesn't mean I would. Hares for example, very tasty but even though they occasionally do damage in the garden I don't think there are enough about to consider hunting them for the pot.

100% with that! The last time I had a hare in my rifle sight was probably 30 years ago and I just saw this beautiful golden eye watching me; I put the gun down and have never shot one since.