Do I have to tell police when I move my gun cabinet?

Q: I have decided to move my gun cabinet within my existing house. I think it is a better position than before because I have now been able to rawl-bolt it to a brick wall. Now that I have moved it, do I have to tell the police and will they want to look at it again?

A: Firearm security is the responsibility of the certificate holder not the police. Read condition 4(a) on your certificate. Police involvement is limited to advice only.

You don’t need to tell police when you move your gun cabinet

There is no statutory duty or need to tell the police that you have moved your cabinet. If you do you will only contribute to the general delays because someone will feel the need to come round to your house to look at it.

The Home Office Security Handbook has many useful tips and is available online. It’s certainly worth reading and digesting and should answer many firearms queries you may have.

Advice on where to put your cabinet

When you are deciding where it is best to put your gun cabinet, it’s worth remembering the four “D”s which are a useful way to remember some key tips.

The first D is for DENY: You need to deny easy access.

The second D is for DETER: You can effectively deter a thief by making his life harder. Additional security measures such as window locks will do this.

The third D is for DEFLECT: By making life harder you can force a thief to go for an easier target. Criminals are generally lazy and will go for the target that offers the least resistance.

The fourth D is for DISGUISE: conceal the cabinet so the thief does not know where to find it. If he can’t find it, he can’t attack it.

Clever and practical – this gun cabinet doubles up as a coat rack

Note from Shooting UK editor.

At the British Shooting Show in 2017, I came across some gun cabinets that offer excellent disguise, created by the Bespoke Gun Cabinet Company (see above). Although they aren’t cheap, they are a very effective way at hiding your shotguns away and certainly worthwhile if yours are particularly valuable. The gun cabinets do double duty as useful pieces of furniture so certainly worth a look.