The PSRA rule book can be read at - PSRA RULES
SHOOTING LAW as it applies to MINORS.
NOTE - THESE LAWS REFER ONLY TO ENGLAND AND WALES
This brief summary of the law as it relates to minors who shoot
represents the bare minimum that shooting coaches and their charges
should know. These notes should however be treated as no more than
guides to a complex subject. Further advice may be had by contacting
your police firearms licensing department or any of the shooting
organisations such as the NSRA, NRA or BASC.
1 . It is an offence for a person under the age of 18 to buy or hire
any firearm or ammunition. This includes air weapons (air rifles and air
pistols) and their pellets .
2. It is an offence to give or to part with possession of a firearm
(including air rifles or air pistols) to a person under 18, except in
certain circumstances (see below.) It is therefore not possible in law
for a parent to gift an air rifle or pistol to a child under 18 . Any
such rifle or pistol remains the property of the parent, to be used
according to exemptions (see 4(b) below)
3. A person over 14 but under 18 may use a firearm without supervision,
but may not buy or hire one.
4. A person under 14 may not handle or use any firearm, except:
a) At a school or other Home Office Approved club, at a miniature rifle
range/gallery, or as a member of a cadet corps.
b) With respect to air weapons only, a child under 14 may not use an air
rifle or air pistol without supervision of a person of or over the age
of 21.
5. The 14-18 age range may shoot unaccompanied on private premises only
where they have permission.
6. Pellets fired from an air weapon on land where one has permission to
shoot must not travel beyond the boundaries of that land.
7. A person under 18 may not possess an air rifle or air pistol in a
public place unless supervised by someone of 21 years or older.
8. Young people need a personal firearm certificate if they wish to
shoot a cartridge rifle anywhere other than on a range. A firearm
certificate can only be obtained from the age of 14
9. No firearm certificate is required for an air rifle with a muzzle
energy not exceeding 12 Ft/Lbs or an air pistol with a muzzle energy
not exceeding 6 Ft/Lbs.
Extract from the Home Office document “Guide on [sic] Firearms Licensing Law”
Criteria for schools
17.24 The approval criteria for school target shooting clubs differ significantly from the
criteria found via the link in paragraph 17.6, and are as follows:
i. target shooting with full or small-bore rifles should be an authorised school
activity;
ii. all aspects of shooting at the school must be under the control of one
experienced person who is nominated by and responsible to the Head
Teacher. This person must have personal experience of shooting with the
firearms used by the club and at least one year’s experience of exercising
control for the age group of pupils concerned;
iii. the school must have regular use of ranges which are suitable for the
categories of firearm to be used;
iv. the security arrangements for storing the school firearms and ammunition
must be satisfactory;
v. all shooting activities, including the handling of firearms and ammunition,
must be supervised at all times either by the responsible adult at the school,
or by at least one other equally experienced person nominated by the Head
Teacher, or by someone who is a coach with a qualification recognised by
the NRA or NSRA;
vi. shooting is normally available only to pupils and staff of the school, visiting
teams from schools which have also been approved by the Secretary of State
or the Scottish Ministers under section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act
1988, full members of rifle clubs approved under that section, members of
Cadet Corps or individuals who hold a personal firearm certificate and shoot
in accordance with the terms of that certificate;
vii. the school does not allow shooting by guests on more than twelve days each
year. On such occasions, only parents, guardians and other relatives of
pupils of the school or other adults known to the person responsible for
shooting, may handle firearms and ammunition. Guest members must be
under constant one-to-one supervision when handling firearms and
ammunition either by the responsible adult at the school, or another equally
experienced person nominated by the Head Teacher, or someone who is a
coach, or Range Conducting Officer with a qualification recognised by the
NRA or NSRA. The Head Teacher or the responsible adult at the school must
tell the local police about guest days at least 48 hours in advance;
viii. the Head Teacher must appoint a person to act as liaison officer with the
police and the chief officer of police must have confidence that this person
can provide the police with such information as they require to ensure that
shooting is conducted properly and gives no cause for concern;
ix. the school will maintain a register of the attendance of all members together
with details for each session of the firearms which they used and the
competitions, if any, in which they took part;
x. the school will inform the police of any holder of a firearm certificate who has
ceased to be a member of the club;
xi. the school will inform the police if any member who holds a firearm certificate
has not attended a meeting for a year; and
xii. there is nothing else that would make the school unsuitable for approval.
Criteria for schools
17.24 The approval criteria for school target shooting clubs differ significantly from the
criteria found via the link in paragraph 17.6, and are as follows:
i. target shooting with full or small-bore rifles should be an authorised school
activity;
ii. all aspects of shooting at the school must be under the control of one
experienced person who is nominated by and responsible to the Head
Teacher. This person must have personal experience of shooting with the
firearms used by the club and at least one year’s experience of exercising
control for the age group of pupils concerned;
iii. the school must have regular use of ranges which are suitable for the
categories of firearm to be used;
iv. the security arrangements for storing the school firearms and ammunition
must be satisfactory;
v. all shooting activities, including the handling of firearms and ammunition,
must be supervised at all times either by the responsible adult at the school,
or by at least one other equally experienced person nominated by the Head
Teacher, or by someone who is a coach with a qualification recognised by
the NRA or NSRA;
vi. shooting is normally available only to pupils and staff of the school, visiting
teams from schools which have also been approved by the Secretary of State
or the Scottish Ministers under section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act
1988, full members of rifle clubs approved under that section, members of
Cadet Corps or individuals who hold a personal firearm certificate and shoot
in accordance with the terms of that certificate;
vii. the school does not allow shooting by guests on more than twelve days each
year. On such occasions, only parents, guardians and other relatives of
pupils of the school or other adults known to the person responsible for
shooting, may handle firearms and ammunition. Guest members must be
under constant one-to-one supervision when handling firearms and
ammunition either by the responsible adult at the school, or another equally
experienced person nominated by the Head Teacher, or someone who is a
coach, or Range Conducting Officer with a qualification recognised by the
NRA or NSRA. The Head Teacher or the responsible adult at the school must
tell the local police about guest days at least 48 hours in advance;
viii. the Head Teacher must appoint a person to act as liaison officer with the
police and the chief officer of police must have confidence that this person
can provide the police with such information as they require to ensure that
shooting is conducted properly and gives no cause for concern;
ix. the school will maintain a register of the attendance of all members together
with details for each session of the firearms which they used and the
competitions, if any, in which they took part;
x. the school will inform the police of any holder of a firearm certificate who has
ceased to be a member of the club;
xi. the school will inform the police if any member who holds a firearm certificate
has not attended a meeting for a year; and
xii. there is nothing else that would make the school unsuitable for approval.
