It's never too early to fire their interest

You can sow the seeds of sporting enthusiasm in a child long before they pick up a gun, but what is the right age to start, asks Simon Garnham

- Simon Garnham

Eyebrows were raised at the last round of Home Office firearms licensing statistics when it was revealed that a seven-year-old had been approved for a shotgun certificate. That decision led to lively debate at my local clay ground. Opinions were split.

A significant number of regulars felt that the decision offered fuel to antis and drew unnecessary attention to one of the last remaining liberal pieces of firearms legislation. Others expressed support for the decision, remembering that they, too, had begun shooting at a similar age. The Home Office’s 271-page Guide on Firearms Licensing Law expresses three principles that must be met before a licence is granted. To obtain a firearm or shotgun certificate, the chief officer “must be satisfied that: (i) the applicant has good reason for having a weapon; (ii) the applicant is fit to be entrusted with a weapon; and (iii) the public safety or peace will not be endangered”.

No one under the age of 15 may acquire a gun or use it without adult supervision. But children aged 14 may be granted a firearms licence and there is no minimum age for the granting of shotgun certificates.

The Home Office in its guide also observes a number of interesting principles. Unlike the US, “gun ownership is a privilege not a right”. The legislation acknowledges that “the subject of minimum age to carry a firearm or shotgun is complicated” and “it is in the interests of safety that a young person who is to handle firearms should be properly taught at a relatively early age”.