Very Pistol Inheritance

[grumpygit]

Mmmm dilemma. We have inherited a Very pistol with the purchase of our liveaboard. The plan is to cruise the Med for probably three years or so before maybe heading off for the Caribbean.

Question is, should we keep the Very pistol, or should we hand it in to be disposed of?

The boat is currently in Italy, under British Flag. It's been mentioned that we'll probably need a fire arms certificate if we decide to keep it.

Can anyone advise a) Should we keep it, b) If so, how do we go about obtaining a firearm certificate for it and c) How would we dispose of it.

Sounds like opening a can of worms to me.....

 

[Amari]

We also inherited. The pistol is probably 22 years old (previous owners circumnavigated). No idea whether it still works, daren't test it in case it backfires/burns hole in genoa etc. I should probably discard it (why not just drop it overboard when depth 200m?). But it's in such a nice wooden case and maybe it might come in useful..................................?

 

[JasB]

Probably better contacting the Police for advice rather than a boating/sailing forum.

 

[ITH]

Advice from both the RYA and the MCGA is that it is classed as a firearm; requiring a European firearms certificate if you want to take it to the EC (don't know about outside the EC) and requiring you to keep it under lock and key.

When we asked the local constabulary, they referred us to their firearms unit who sent us yards of paperwork to complete an application. However the forms seem to be designed for land-based folk joining gun clubs or seeking a shotgun license for rough shooting. Completing it would have been such a procedure that we gave up on the idea.

 

[carben]

I'd advise do not even think of bringing it back to the UK. I'd also say leave it on the boat and deny all knowledge of it whatsoever.

I tried to buy a Sterling a long time ago to take to Oman - the export form wanted to know how many wings it had, and whether or not they rotated.

 

[pyrojames]

Firearms certs aren't too hard to get. A bit of a paper work effort, but as long as you show clear justification why you need one, your local firearms officers should oblige. Though they may want to inspect your storage facilities.... My locals seemed quite reasonable, although that was for house based weaponery.

 

[snowleopard]

I licensed a verey pistol many years ago. The formalities were the same as for other firearms licences but there was no charge for a 'distress weapon'. There was a police inspection to view the lockable metal container secured to the fabric of the house but I could keep it in a tupperware while on board. Ammo is hard to get and every purchase has to be logged on the FAC. The flares are pretty feeble compared to parachute rockets but they might be handy for putting a white one on the bridge of an errant ferry (don't say I told you to!)

 

[richardwatson]

Mmm. Tricky one. If you apply for a licence, the firearms licensing officer from your local police station will almost certainly want to inspect the storage cabinet and approve its installation. He is normally going to expect to see a lockable steel gun cabinet fitted in a way that it cannot be removed, furthermore the licence is renewable every five years, when there will usually be a reinspection.
In the Med it is still possible to buy a flare gun over the counter in some EU countires quite legally without requiring any licence whatsoever.

 

[marksaab]

Drop it overboard and forget you ever saw it! Would you really want to rely on an old "piece!" of safety equipment that you may have to fetch from a locked steel cabinet in an emergency?
If you ever made the mistake of bringing it to the UK you could possibly end up with a 5 year automatic prison term!!
It cannot/should not be used as a defensive weapon (except in Hollywood movies!)
My Ex Father in Law used to shoot handguns the paperwork was not straightforward and all purchases has to be be very carefully recorded if not you also leave yourself open to prosecution from our ever so paranoid boys in blue!

 

[grumpygit]

Cheers for all your input, I think it should probably be sent to D J's L ! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[mandlmaunder]

if in doubt Sink It and buy a regular flare gun, they are not fire arms and it is easy to get and replace the cartridges

 

[Searush]

Why not get it disarmed (remove firing pin) and mount it over the fireplace. They are a rare piece of kit these days and likely to gain a collectable valuation in the near future. Most visitors will think it is a blunderbus!

If you do decide to keep it in working order and get an FAC then a personal document safe (at 20-40squid) will be adequate as a gun cabinet for UK storage. On the boat it is highly unlikely to be inspected!