Firearms permits for the London Olympics and World Cup

[PaulB]

It looks like one will need at least 3 or 4 different permits to bring a pistol into the U.K. See the website:

http://www.issfshootingworldcup.com/hom ... pplication

How much of a problem is this going to be? What happens if your primary and back-up guns go bad right before the event and the gun you now want to shoot is not permitted? What if some local anti-gun official chooses to move a little slow on the approvals? Anyone reading this ever had any experience with the permitting process? Does it work? Can one "easily" get a competition .22 semi-auto pistol into the country for a competition?

[RobStubbs]

Are you going there then Paul ?

No wc is easy and there are always forms. It is more complex for pistols because of UK gun laws hence the advice to get applications in as early as possible.

Rob.

[David Levene]

There will be hardly any difference from the processes that have applied at many international Championships going back at least to 1980 (and probably earlier).

National bodies are well experienced in the sort of paperwork that is required.

[Spencer]

...Can one "easily" get a competition .22 semi-auto pistol into the country for a competition?

'One' cannot, but your National Federation can if you are part of their team.
I doubt that the London experience will be much different from that at any other recent Olympics where your firearms are collected at the airport by the organisers and transported to the Armoury.
For the Manchester Commonwealth Games the difference to 'normal' for an ISSF championships was that the pistols were security transfered between the Armoury and the the range (and back)

[PaulB]

Let me try a little different wording to my question. My understanding is that England completely bans the individual private ownership of semi-automatic handguns, even if they are stored at gun clubs. Is this correct? If so, when this law was passed by Parliment (I assume) did they allow exceptions for the temporary import by non-citizens for competitions and/or other purposes? If they did not make such allowances in the law did they have to pass special laws just for the Olympics? Since the British team gets automatic quota slots into all the shooting events as the host country how do their athletes get their pistols into the country (where do they keep them out of country, where do they train)?

Just interested in how this all works (coming from a state where the big debate is to repeal a law whereby the average citizen (without a carry permit) can only purchase one handgun per month.

[David Levene]

If so, when this law was passed by Parliment (I assume) did they allow exceptions for the temporary import by non-citizens for competitions and/or other purposes?

Yes, the law allows it; as it did in 2002 for the Commonwealth Games.

It's called a Section 5 Authority, which you will see mentioned in the paperwork.

[Spencer]

Interesting that at the Commonwealth Games and the test event before it, to enable us to legally handle pistols for EC, malfunctions, etc. overseas members of the Jury were given 5-year pistol permits. I still have mine somewhere around the house and will get it framed one of these days.

[Trooperjake]

It will be the responsability of your coach and the US team.
They will get you any forms you need.
World competition is not like a local match.

[Mike M.]

To be fair, I shot in the UK at the 1998 and 2000 World Muzzle-Loading Championships. There was lead time on the paperwork, but it was not terribly bad. Certainly not the nightmare that was Australia in 2008.

FWIW, the hands-down easiest process was in France.

[Brian G]

Interesting that at the Commonwealth Games and the test event before it, to enable us to legally handle pistols for EC, malfunctions, etc. overseas members of the Jury were given 5-year pistol permits. I still have mine somewhere around the house and will get it framed one of these days.

The English ROs also needed these permits to handle one pistol at a time, they expired immediately after the games.

[BEA]

When on the USA Team, we traveled to communist countries several times. Paperwork had to be submitted ahead of time listing all firearm models/serial numbers. These were verified upon arrival and before leaving. I imagine the procedure for London will be similar.

[RobStubbs]

When on the USA Team, we traveled to communist countries several times. Paperwork had to be submitted ahead of time listing all firearm models/serial numbers. These were verified upon arrival and before leaving. I imagine the procedure for London will be similar.

Exactly, and even Europe to Europe you still have to fill in the same sort of information for competition entry and as a team official, having a list of those details in your hand, makes going through customs easier.

Rob.

[BEA]

I did the same thing Rob. Before leaving, I went to a US Customs office and filled out a form with with my firearms info on it. Then they stamped it. When returning to the US, I had this as proof that I left with these same pistols and did not obtain them while away.