A legal loophole in the UK’s firearms laws – uncovered by the Sunday Mail – is to be raised at Westminster. MP Alyn Smith, whose constituency covers Dunblane – where 16 primary school kids and their teacher were killed by a gunman in 1996 – will demand Cabinet Ministers take action over practical shooting clubs.
It comes as a Sunday Mail investigation reveals how US-inspired gun clubs don’t fall under Government-approval rules. That is despite members – including those at a Lanarkshire club – using high-powered guns as they move their way around a combat assault course to take out human-shaped targets.
Anyone with a licence for certain types of gun is able to set up a “practical shooting” club on private land without the need for police, government or local authority permission and licensing.
They can also allow new members without any gun experience or licences to come along and take part in shooting.
Smith, the SNP MP for Stirling, said: “They seem to be exploiting a loophole between Scotland and the UK on legislation that needs to be fixed.
“Looking at the activities of some of these clubs, it strikes me they need to be regulated. Our gun laws are tight for good reason and we need to be vigilant to any attempts to get round them.”
The Sunday Mail began asking questions about the operating laws around practical shooting clubs after revealing a disturbing spike in interest in the courses which allow people to fire against the clock, using obstacles and improvised shooting positions to hit targets.
Our approaches to the UK and Scottish governments and police initially suggested they were unclear how the clubs were regulated. It later emerged they are exempt from strict guns laws, which were tightened after the Dunblane tragedy.
In Scotland, a shooting club which uses three types of weapons – full-bore rifles, small-bore rifles and muzzle-loading pistols – must apply for approval from the Scottish Government.
But practical shooting clubs which offer practical shotgun, mini rifle, long-barrel pistol and action air shooting weapons fall outside the approval powers.
Smith said he was shocked to learn about the loophole but plans to raise it in Westminster during Business Questions on Thursday.
He said: “Hats off to the Sunday Mail for some real public service journalism. I was shocked to read that these clubs exist and I have to say their very existence doesn’t sit well with me.
"I’ll be looking into this with a view to making sure we keep our protections as up to date as possible. I will be raising this in the House of Commons.”
Recoil Scotland – based in Shotts, Lanarkshire – runs practical shotgun, mini rifle and long-barrel pistol disciplines.
Its website claims it is “Scotland’s newest and fastest-growing practical shooting club” and boasts of plans to expand to more than 10 ranges.
Videos on the club’s Facebook and YouTube pages show members and guests on a course, pulling guns out of holsters before discharging quick-fire bullets.
In one video, uploaded in October 2020, a shooter runs around fences and barriers to hit human-shaped metal cutouts.
Recoil Scotland offers guests a three-hour safety session where those who have never fired a gun before are allowed on its ranges.
The club’s website said following a safety induction it expects probationers to have applied for and be in possession of a shotgun certificate by the end of six months.
Recoil Scotland’s range, which is down a farm track, isn’t advertised. Only map coordinates are given on its website and trespassers are warned not to enter due to “live firing 24 hours”.
Until the Sunday Mail asked, neither the Scottish Government, nor Police Scotland nor North Lanarkshire Council appeared aware of Recoil Scotland, its activities or location.
Gun control campaigner Jack Crozier, 29, whose sister Emma was among those who died in Dunblane, said: “The fact that a practical shooting club is allowed to operate with what appears to be no licensing or approval, less than an hour from Dunblane, is frankly disgusting.
"The Scottish and UK governments need to act immediately to ensure that lethal weapons aren’t falling into the wrong hands before another tragedy occurs.”
The Scottish Government said there are no target shooting clubs in Shotts that currently hold Scottish Government approval.
A spokesman said: “Firearms law is a reserved matter, with the exception of air weapons, and would be for the UK Government to amend.
“The enforcement of firearms law, the determination of most applications for a licence to possess a firearm and investigating any misuse of firearms is an operational matter for Police Scotland.
“UK firearms law gives Scottish Ministers a role in approving shooting clubs only if full-bore rifles, small-bore rifles or muzzle-loading pistols are involved. If other types of firearm are involved, Scottish Ministers do not have a direct role.”
There’s nothing to suggest any of the gun clubs in Scotland or their members are operating outside the law.
Last week police met with Recoil as part of engagement with licence holders. North Lanarkshire Council confirmed they were investigating because a planning application did not exist for Recoil’s site.
Last night, campaigners spoke out. The Gun Control Network said: “Hard-won legislation after Dunblane is being eroded because dangerous loopholes in gun laws are being exploited.
"In practical shooting activities, individuals without licences are able to access dangerous guns in ‘clubs’ and on gun ranges. The Government must act now to close the loophole and prevent another tragedy.”
Repeated requests to contact Christopher Toner, who calls himself the “CEO at Recoil Scotland”, and colleague John Prunty were ignored.
Firearms UK, which campaigns for the protection of firearms ownership, did not respond to our requests for comment. Practical Shooting Association (UKPSA), which rules on competitions, also failed to respond.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The UK has some of the strictest gun controls in the world but we keep them under constant review to ensure those with legal access to firearms use them safely.
“That is why we have recently brought in new Statutory Guidance for firearms licensing which means police must carry out robust checks on public safety grounds and ensure that these are consistently applied by all police forces.
“All practical club shooters will require a certificate from their local force, otherwise they are breaking the law.”
MP Luke Pollard, who represents Plymouth, where licensed gunman Jake Davison, 22, shot and killed five people last year, said firearms laws are “broken”.
He said: "“Britain’s guns laws are broken and need top to bottom review. Any loophole in gun laws that glorifies the type of shootings we have seen need to be closed.
"I never want a community to go through what we did in Plymouth in 2021 and the only way to make that happen is by strengthening gun laws.”
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