airgun confiscated

[andrewnud 0]

just been pulled up off police ,and they have took gun for power testing,no probs but the gun is soaking wet,any idea if you have rights to go and clean ,or how long roughly do they take to test,could do with drying as its only 5 days old

[Buster321c 1,010]

You say the gun is 5 days old . Was it purchased new ? and if so i presume you have the receipt ?

 

As far as drying it , you can try your luck , but i cant see anyone letting you touch it untill its been tested .

 

This can be a time of concern for many airgun shooters , and is why its important to keep an eye on power levels . This is why it`s not a good idea to have your gun doing 11.8 ftlbs , as when a really heavy pellet is used it will go over , then its the owners responsibility .

 

Out of interest , what gun ?

 

 

Bust

[andrewnud 0]

yes mate the gun is brand new out of shop ,its a BSA r10.

[Buster321c 1,010]

Well although its on ly five days old , like i said , the blame would be laid at your door , so to speak . On the other side of the coin , at five days old its hardly had time to `run in ` so it`s extremly doubtful it would be over power . If you have insurance with anyone i would give them a ring and get some legal advise on it , but dont worry too much as its doubtful you will have a problem. Also i would get in touch with the police and see about the `drying ` or general care and get them to give a ( in black and white if possible ) a statement on the condition of the gun , as it is now . You never know , it would be bad news if it came back damaged , and their not cheap , so somebody need to be responsible for itr while its in their care .

[froggy43215 1]

I had a rifle taken for power testing a few years ago now. It took around six - eight weeks to come back. It came back in the same condition as it went in, but it was dry.

They send them to a testing unit in Leeds (I remember it was in Air Gunner or Air Gun World, the police diddnt tell me where it went). Its the only place in the UK the police use (apparently). Out of interest did they note what pellets you were using/ take a sample to correctly chrono it? It could easily be pushed over if they use a different weight/ style. Although as its not run in its doubtfull, but you may have a loop hole if it clocks it.

I will try and see if I can find the article in AGW

[J Darcy 5,871]

I don't think it matters what pellets you were using, the police will test their own types through the gun. Which i think is unfair.

[matt_hooks 188]

The law says "capable of producing energies in excess of 12 ft.lb with ANY projectile. If the gun is over the limit, then you are responsible as you are in posession, even if it is only a few days old.

 

Out of interest, why have they taken it for testing? They normally won't bother unless you've done something silly with it, or been cheeky to them when they've stopped you. You should have been given a receipt for the weapon, stating condition and the reason for seizure under PACE. Tony (Phantom) will be along shortly to advise more.

 

As for cleaning, there is NO WAY they will let you near the gun once it's been seized. They do however have a duty of care, so if it comes back damaged you should make them sign for the condition they hand it over in, and then make a complaint to the chief constable about them failing to look after your property.

[Buster321c 1,010]

Agreed Matt , and i for one would be taking it up with not only the RFD , but BSA if it does go over .

[froggy43215 1]

Found it! AGW Aug 08 - Darstardly Dieseling.

 

The national firearms centre is a government sponsored agency that conducts forensic work on firearms for the police, mod, home office etc.

It is situated in a bunker under the royal armouries museum in Leeds. Their chrono measures over 3 sensors and it can measure the power of a projectile as it travels down range, not just on leaving the barrel.

[terrierone 32]

Siezed 3 guns off us , even though were on permission, they lay in police station for 3 days supposed to be collected then took for calibration test,, never tested them returned 3 weeks later after advice off clive reece, according too mr reece if your on permission police are breaking law taking your guns, or even touching them without your approval, mine went too that big place lol in ponteland never tested them , atb T1

[matt_hooks 188]

according too mr reece if your on permission police are breaking law taking your guns, or even touching them without your approval

 

Who is Mr Reece? Never heard of him, and in this case he's patently wrong. They can seize a firearm at any time if they believe an offence has been committed with it. If it's over the limit then an offence is committed just by posessing it without an FAC. The suspicion that it is over is enough grounds to seize it for testing.

 

Normally Mr Plod won't bother, unless you give him reason to, for example you are lippy with them, or someone has reported shot leaving the permission. If you fancy telling mr Plod that he can't take your rifle, then good luck getting it back! I would offer to transport it to the station with them, to prevent it being chucked in the back of a police car and bounced around.

[danw 1,748]

according too mr reece if your on permission police are breaking law taking your guns, or even touching them without your approval

 

Who is Mr Reece? Never heard of him, and in this case he's patently wrong. They can seize a firearm at any time if they believe an offence has been committed with it. If it's over the limit then an offence is committed just by posessing it without an FAC. The suspicion that it is over is enough grounds to seize it for testing.

 

Normally Mr Plod won't bother, unless you give him reason to, for example you are lippy with them, or someone has reported shot leaving the permission. If you fancy telling mr Plod that he can't take your rifle, then good luck getting it back! I would offer to transport it to the station with them, to prevent it being chucked in the back of a police car and bounced around.

 

think he means this bloke http://clivereessolicitor.com/

[Buster321c 1,010]

http://clivereessolicitor.com/?p=136

[davyt63 1,845]

http://clivereessolicitor.com/?p=136

 

 

could not resist but comment!! on one of the articles lol

[DIVERD 34]

sorry if i have missed something, but why did the police take the gun?

 

I have very occassionally met the police when i have been out, and they have never even given the guns a second look, last time we met them they had blocked my landy in, and we thought that they had done this for some reason. I called the helpline and told them that their car had blocked me in and that i was now back at my car. It turned out they had parked there knowing we were shooting (they heard the shots)but on a totally un related matter. They were most appologetic for blocking us in, saying it was the only place they could park safely. It turns out they spoilt the shooting with all the wondering about they were doing but this was because of what they were doing, a missing person case i believe. When we packed up and were back to the car they asked about an elderly chap seen on the river bank, long story but we were able to direct them to where we had seen him earlier.

 

Anyway, the reason i ask is that the police should not be taking lawfully held guns off folks who are legally using them on land where they have permission. If this is the case then write to BASC or whoever insures you and also to the chief constable, with full details of the situation. i would also make a formal complaint to the police. If were being naughty, then BASC and a decent solicitor will probably (and i am no expert) tell you to plead guilty or to surrender the gun.

 

If you have not been complying with the law, or had given them a reason to take it off you then it getting rusty is the least of your worries. There are at least 3 gun crime stories on BBC news at the moment, and all this will make legally owning and using a gun far more difficult and expensive in the very near future.

Edited December 28, 2010 by DIVERD