Thanks for the quick replys! I thought that was still the case.
I do also fancy having a go at pest control for farmers as it will add a bit more variety, and it won't restrict me to the dates and venues of clay shoots as i work shifts, so the freedom to go when it suits me will be handy.

Just looked the 725 up....

If you do get around to the pest/ pigeon shooting I would look at using fibre wad cartridges the plas wads leave a lot of mess and your farmer will not be too pleased,as for the 725 it is lighter than most guns but the new recoil pad soaks up the 32g eleys as though you where using lighter cartridges,not used the 56g ones yet

The law for shotguns is quite straight forward " The chief officer of police SHALL grant a certificate " unless there are grounds not to. ( For a firearms certificate you have to show good cause). However the firearms enquiries officers are not daft and they are pretty good and will soon determine if you are genuine about shooting if you are not they will make you jump through hoops till you give up. Some police forces go too for example far West Yorks Police demanded on my last renewal ( after 35 year shotgun certificate holder) that I supply 2 extra character witnesses beyond the one reference required by law for a Shotgun certificate, I refused, the enquiries officer said he would have to note my uncooperativeness, I said he should note Mr B believes that under current legislation he is not required to supply this information and believes the enquiry officer is pressuring him to do so. The certificate arrived 7 days later.

So show a genuine interst, do not have a conviction for violence drunken driving or drugs ,join a recognised CPSA registered club, get some lessons before you apply to show how considerate you are ( plus £200 spent now is cheaper than a lifetime of wasted cartridges), if you only intend to rough shoot get written permission, still get lessons no one should shoot at animals untill they can hit a clay, get your safe installed before the inspection day , send your paperwork and cheque and bingo your ticket will arrive

and finally when you get the certificate buy a second hand browning/miroku or a beretta, 30" multichoke sporter, you will not lose more that a hundred quid on it and you will change it before 12 months is up 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Last edited by MartynB on 27th Apr 2012 5:49 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Thanks, any tips are greatly appreciated!
picked my forms up today, but will do a bit of research before i send them off coz if my cert arrives too soon i will prob end up rushing into buying something!!

most decent commercial shooting grounds will let you try second hand guns before buying. Browning/Miroku have a much different balance to Beretta, don't spend too much on a first gun and as part of the deal if you get it from a shooting ground get it fitted

and you will find one type of guns suits you better than another.

beyond those you are in the realms of Perazzi, Keyman, Krieghoff, Belgian Brownings , and the high end Berettas which even second hand could see you parting with 3 grand upwards with no ceiling.....  2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

I'll look more into those makes, that's saved me wasting time looking at others. I'd rather buy a tidy decent second hand than a cheap new one, I've no convictions or anything like that and live in a nice quiet area so the cert shouldn't be a prob.
I think I know the procedure now so will, spend some time talking to local dealers and ranges try a few different guns, then I know what I want before sending off my forms.

After trying a heap of different ones over the last few months i ended up going for a 12G O/U Browning 525 Game.

D99 wrote:

After trying a heap of different ones over the last few months i ended up going for a 12G O/U Browning 525 Game.

Well Done

Nice gun, my dad has the 525 Sporter

thanks i'm pleased with it, its S/H but i thought it better spending the same on a tidy S/H than the same amount on a new one that i will probably end up marking the wood! and it seems like a good all rounder with a 3" chamber because i'll also be using it out in the fields too, are there many BASC members here? seems worthwhile for the insurance.

Fantastic design, great alround gun, look after it and you will lose very little value. If the dealer didn't already recommend it Browning Legia spray is a great alround gun cleaner /lubricant.

the under/over design is classic can be traced all the way back to 1931 and it was the last gun designed by John Moses Browning ( probably the greatest gun designer ever) and has evolved today one of the two biggest sporting gun brands in the world( the other biggy being Beretta) . It's from the Japanese MIROKU factory and very, very good quality I used to have the Miroku MK38 trap gun which is pretty much the same thing with 32 " barrels and put 1000's and 1000's of rounds through it with just one service in 5 years - Just wish i could say the same about the Freelander.

Ps ref the 3" Magnum Chamber , you will buy a box to try them out we all did, but at £22 a box and the NHS charge for your fillings being put back in ...................  2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

I joined CPSA for my insurance, but I think I would join BASC if I got out in the fields shooting for the backup they give

How did you find the permissions to start shooting in the field

nice one about the FL2, you are a fountain of knowledge! as you will know it will also take 2 3/4" as well, the 3" just leaves me more options for the future, but you are right about recoil so will prob end up with a 3.5" semi auto as well eventually too,

NP I know alot of decent people who can't do enough to help out, some have let me in on their permission, and some land owners i know have given me permission, and another friend runs a small clay shoot.
Also it helps that i live in cumbria too so theres alot of land around!

It does help with lots of land around, it also helps if you have time to get out onto the land if you did get permission were I live, as the farmers need your pest control services, unfortunately it's time I haven't got, so haven't looked for any yet