TSAD03050 - Approval of premises: storage of firearms

ERTS operators who want to store firearms that fall within Section 1 and 2 of the Firearms Act 1968, must have their premises separately approved.

Under section 9 of the FA, a person carrying on a business of an auctioneer, carrier or warehouseman, or an employee of such a person, may, without holding a Firearm Certificate, have in their possession a firearm or ammunition in the ordinary course of that business.

This exemption does not apply to weapons covered by section 5 of the FA. Thus ERTS operators can only store imported firearms that fall within sections 1 and 2 of the FA (ie standard length single and double barrel shot guns, pump and semi-automatic shot guns provided that they do not have a barrel less than 24 inches or (excluding any detachable, folding, retractable or other movable butt-stock) are less than 40 inches in overall length, single shot bolt and lever action rifles, self loading rifles chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges, guns designed to be loaded from the muzzle end of the barrel or chamber with a loose charge and a separate ball, and firearms designed as signalling apparatus).

Before granting approval, control officers should review the approval of ERTS operators to ensure that the storage facilities and record keeping are of an acceptably high standard. Your local police firearms Crime Prevention officer may be able to give advice on the best measures to take. As a guide to granting approval the ERTS operators system of security and control should include:

• an alarmed store-room , lock-up or cage
• gun/security cabinets securely fitted to solid walls etc within store-room, lock-up or cage
• firearms and ammunition must be stored separately
• key holders be limited to named and trusted personnel
• two key holders must be present whenever firearms are deposited or removed from storage
• a firearms register be maintained into which must be entered the:

• • date of receipt of the firearm(s) into the ERTS and appropriate cross reference to Customs declaration
  • maker's name and type of firearm(s), eg Mossberg Model 500 pump action 12 bore shot gun
  • serial number of the firearm(s)
  • amount and description of any ammunition
  • date and details of disposal

• the register, along with the firearms, must be produced to Customs or the police, whenever requested.

To store weapons falling within the Firearms Act 1968, section 5 (ie hand guns, machine guns and military types weapons) ERTS operators must have Home Office authority. Applicants are to be advised to contact the Home Office for information. (See Notice 199A Temporary Storage paragraph 2.4(b) for address details for the Home Office.)

Any operator storing firearms without the relevant authority commits an offence under Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.