Joining the Bristol Muzzle and Breech Loading Gun Club

The following will hopefully give you an understanding of what is required by the club and in law for any person who wishes to join a Home Office Approved shooting club. It may seem a little off putting at first but is not that difficult for any person seriously wishing to take up target shooting.

The Bristol Muzzle Loaders do not normally have a waiting list to join the club, however if we have a large number of probationary members we reserve the right to close membership for a short time.

All prospective members of the club must undergo a 6 month probationary period regardless of experience this is to allow the club members to get to know you, and for you to get to know the club, a probationary period is a legal requirement.

All prospective members must shoot regularly during their probationary period and must undergo training and shoot all disciplines within the club. That means every prospective member must shoot, Full bore rifle, Black Powder Muzzle loading rifle and Black Powder Muzzle loading Pistol.

You have 6 months to complete training if you fail to complete due to lack of attendance then membership is automatically terminated unless you can demonstrate to the club why you have been unable to attend, the committee may extend your probationary period at its discretion to allow you to complete training.

Membership of the club is by invitation only; at the end of your probationary period you will be invited before the committee for a meeting to discuss your probationary period.

For members that do not have their own firearms certificate the club will supply all relevant firearms and ammunition that you will need

The club must invest a great deal of its time and expense in training all new members.

We have a legal duty to inform the police when any person applies to join a Home Office Approved Club. We also have to inform them if you are accepted or rejected for membership and also when you leave the club. It is a legal requirement that the club formally interviews all prospective members before they may join a shooting club. The police have the right to object to any member who applies to join a club.

A criminal record may not necessarily preclude you from joining a shooting club but a conviction for 2 or more drink driving offences probably would. You would need to discuss any spent convictions with the club secretary.

Shooting is on a Saturday or Sunday, pistol shooting is generally morning only, but rifle shooting may go on through the afternoon.

To obtain a membership form please write to BM&BLGC, PO Box 110, Kingswood Bristol BS30 9AS (please enclose a stamped addressed envelope)

Please note

If you a foreign national with less then 5 years residency in the UK you may need to supply the British police with a copy of your police records from your country of origin before you are allowed to shoot in the UK. This is a matter for the police and is outside the control of the club.

Guests and visitors

A guest is someone that does not have a firearm certificate; they may shoot on recognised guest days. That is the days that the club announces as guest days and informs the police in advance. By law the club can have a maximum 12 guest days a year. All guests must be sponsored and accompanied by a full member of the club, who is ultimately responsible for the guest. The club secretary must be notified 48 hrs in advance in writing using the appropriate guest form.

A Visitor is someone who has a current firearms certificate and a current safety certificate signed by their club chairman, or by the NRA. Visitors can attend any shoot day if invited by the club secretary 48 hrs in advance, they must be sponsored by a full member of the club, a visitor’s form must be submitted to the club before any visitor may shoot. If the holder of a current firearms certificate does not have a safety certificate issued by a club or the NRA then they will not be classed as a visitor but a guest and may only attend guest days.

It is the responsibility of deer and vermin shooters who are not members of a target shooting club and who wish to shoot on MOD ranges to arrange their own safety certificates.

Severnside range is non MOD so a safety certificate is not needed and visitors may attend without being in possession of a safety certificate.

Guests and Visitors shooting on MOD ranges must be over 16 years old

Useful  Addresses

Members of Parliament
MP's can be contacted Via the HOUSE OF COMMONS, London, SW1A 0AA.  Tel. 020 7219 3000

Home Office
50 Queen Ann's Gate, London, SW1H 9AT.  Tel.020 7273 2884

European Commission
Sir Leon Brittan / Mr Neil Kinnock  Rue de la 200,1049 Brussels Belgium or c/o The European Commission office, 8 Storey's Gate London SW1P 3AT
MEP'S  Rue de la 200,1049 Brussels Belgium. or at The European Parliament Office 2 Queen Anns Gate London SW1H 0AA

Press Complaints Commission
1 Salisbury Square, London, E24Y 8JB.  Tel 020 7353 3732 e-mail: pcc@pcc.org.uk

Broadcasting Standards Commission
7 The sanctuary, London, SW1P 3JS. Tel. 020 7233 0397 e-mail: bsc@bsc.org.uk

SHOOTING ASSOCIATIONS

British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC) PO Box 11 Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex TN40 1ZZ

Shooting Sports Trust (SST) PO Box 47 Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2YP

Shooters Rights Association (SRA) PO Box 3 Cardigan Dyfed SA43 1BN

Office Of Legislative Affairs (OLA) Newton, Cambridge CB2 5PE

Gun Trade Association (GTA) PO Box 47 Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2YP

British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) Marford Mill Rossett Wrexham LL12 0HL

Countryside Alliance 59 Kennington Road London SW1 7PZ

National Rifle Association (NRA) Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Woking ,Surrey GU24 0NP

National Smallbore Rifle Association (NSRA) Lord Roberts House, Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NP

Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain (MLAGB)  82a High Street Sawston Cambridge CB2 4HJ

Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association c/o The Imperial War Museum Lamberth Road London

Contact email
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