oasis51

Can anybody tell me what the requirements are for taking sporting guns into France from the UK, and how easy or difficult it is to obtain a firearms permit in France. The relevant details are; I own a property in France but am mostly domicile in the UK. The weapons involved are 'sporting guns', specifically, semi-automatic shotgun (5 shot magazine) and 1 Remington, bolt action .243.
I have a registered firearms dealers licence in the Uk, and a European firearms permit, but due to the limitation of UK EU permit, can only put 3 weapons on the EU permit! The weapons are not destined to remain in France, once in France they will be in transit outside of the EU by vessel. Complicated I know, but a point in the right direction would be helpful. Initially it would just be good to know how to take weapons in by either Sea or air? The info I have so far is that I need an invitation to hunt from someone in France, however I have no intention to hunt, merely to take them onto a vessel.

Tweedpipe

Just seen this and can offer a little info - if you are still reading this......
Firstly let me say that I know little about hunting in France, as it's never really been of interest to me, so unable to answer some of your more specific hunting/arm transit related queries.
You ask how easy (or difficult) it is to obtain a firearms permit in France, although as you say you wish to take weapons by sea or air and that they would not remain in France I cant quite see the purpose of obtaining a French firearms permit.
Both guns you mention sound as if they are Cat. 5 sporting guns. This means that to own and retain in France one requires either a hunting permit or a Shooting License. A hunting permit is only obtained after successfully passing 2 exams. The theory exam has questions covering the knowledge of arms and ammunition, French wildlife, knowledge of different hunting techniques, and rules and laws concerning hunting policies and nature protection. There is also a practical exam, covering hunting simulation using blanks, shooting at targets depicting protected and non-protected species or animal, and also shooting at a moving target. Obviously a reasonable knowledge of French for both of these exams is essential.
A Shooting License (Licence de Tir) can only be obtained after being a member of a club (I believe this is possible without being resident but someone may correct me on that), and on receipt the licensee must have a medical examination and get the license counter-signed by a GP.
Regarding obtaining a firearms permit (for Cat. 1 & 4 handguns and rifles) this is not easy - and rightly so. One has to be resident, hold a Licence de Tir and be an active paid up member of a French club for some time with a regularly stamped up club shooting card (Carnet de Tir) before the club president can consider issuing a green card (Avis Prealable) which is effectively a recognition of readiness to apply for the purchase and ownership of a firearm. A written exam based on safety procedures must also be successful. On completion of all this, the full challenge starts - to put together a portfolio of some 10 pages of personal info together with the completion of the official request form (Cerfa No. 5).
For those who rise to and complete this challenge, the portfolio is then hand delivered to your local gendarmerie - always an interesting trip(!) - I can vouch for that - especially with an English accent - who then check all the documents before forwarding to the prefecture. If everything is in order, after a period of time ranging from several weeks to 18 months or more, the firearm permit is then addressed to the applicant - via the issuing gendarmerie who then normally hand deliver the permit.
New documents must be raised and a new portfolio resubmitted for every additional firearm purchase request.

I trust this may be of some help to the OP.
Incidentally if there are any potentially interested club shooters reading this and wish for more detailed info, you may PM me.

oasis51

Many thanks Tweedpipe. That sounds very complicated but interesting. I think gun owners/hunters in the UK would benefit from some kind of exam/test to ensure they don't shoot protected animals or innocent passers by. Sorry to be so vague about the use of the weapons, suffice to say they would only be passing through France en-route to destinations outside the EU, therefore a hunting permit is not required. It sounds bizarre but, although I am a registered firearms dealer and have all the necessary licences in the UK, the French authorities don't recognise it, they only recognise a EU firearms permit! Unfortunately the UK police will only allow a very limited number of firearms to be put onto an EU FA permit, as they only issue it for 'personal use', et voila a bona fides Catch 22. Back to the drawing room. Thanks again, et bon courage.

Etoile de Berger

Thank god for that! We will have people asking how to run drugs past the Border agencies next!!

Ka Ora!

Questions on Transporting Firearms here is/are a pretty legitimate question really considering where we live. We have a few firearms licensed members Sport and Hunters.

Etoile de Berger

Well fair enough but the poster said he was not a hunter and was passing the guns through France for sale.
It does suggest things to me. Large long brown paper packages marked "recommandee"???

Ka Ora!

He also mentioned

oasis51

Damn! You nailed it Etoile etc. I am an illegal international arms dealer, peddling in death. I might have known I'd get tripped up by some astute observer like you. I just hope the Gendarmarie don't cotton on. I nearly got away with it. Looks like Colonel Gadaffi will have to fight his war without my assistance. Back to the drawing board. Perhaps reading a little bit too much John LeCarre or Enid Blyton? Maybe you should get out more....... now where did I put those illegal drugs........?

Etoile de Berger

You never know to whom you are writing Oasis...I may well be the gendarmerie...

dmu

Even having passed the compulsory tests, French hunters still manage to injure and even kill innocent passers-by and fellow hunters!

Tweedpipe

Quite so DMU, but ditto for motorists having legitimately passed their driving test......

Ka Ora!

Working the national population down at an acceptable rate I say.

analyst

I never used to see the justification for anyone to own a gun, be it sporting or AK47.

Then I lived for 20 years on a farm,
and still could not see the justification for anyone to own a gun.

BigRobbo

Good for you, if every person who objected to anothers passtimes had their way we'd all live in a very boring sterile environment. I dislike motorcycling as I believe it's a lethal method of transport - but heh, not my look out so those that do - go enjoy.
And why hijack a thread which is a reasonable request for information from a person who legally owns firearms and is trying his hardest to comply with the law in a responsible manner.

As to the thread - wish I could help - just get miffed at negative people.

I attempted to get my three shotguns into France but the 25 pages of questions from the French Embassy finally defeated me. Good Luck though - I'll buy my shotgun here and go clay shooting locally. Mike

Peabrain

Without wishing to get bogged down in a sterile discussion here, just one point. Motorcyclists usually kill themselves, which may or may not be a good thing. People with guns may end up killing someone else. The hunting season is with us once more, and having people blazing away with shotguns around the countryside is not exactly conducive to peace and harmony. Walking through the woods or along one of France's many 'public' footpaths can be an unnerving experience once the camouflage pants come out.
I don't mind that much, but can see why others object.