When I started shooting a FAC was £15 and a shotgun cert was £2 and that was a must issue rather than showing good reason. Now it costs £88 and the police may raise objectiosn to the issue without actually having any real grounds to do so and in reality the number fo firearms offences has risen as a result of the legislation failing to do anything about those who dont obey the law in the first place being the problem, not the law abiding. Statistically speaking police officers are more likely to commit crime than a FAC holder so the checking procedure should be the other way round.
And we are back to the old chestnut of insurance. yes, a club is insured for certain acivities but insurance is there to provide soem protection when things dont go to plan. that is now settled with the business interruption insurance court decision so it isnt an issue as long as the club isnt neglectful or dishonest. Shooting with a very powerful crossbow on an archery field is a matter of occupiers liability rather than a ban because of AGB insurance worries.
Licencing of bows wont just affect bows. I used to reload my cartridges and for some calibres eve had to turn up my own brass as the cartridge was so obsolete. Now there is no legal requiremtn to show any Id when buying propellant powder, primers, reforming ies and presses ect but no gunshop will ever sell you any of those without sight of your FAC. Why? the police will shut them down if they dont obey the restrictions placed upon them. For a gunsmith to deactivate a gun nowadays yu ahve to have a police officer present to amke sure that you are doing it properly in some contabularies. In Kent they will accept a live videolink to your workshop whilst you are choppingup a gun. needless to say there is a cost involved. Nothing in the Firearms Act around such strictures but the ACPO, (a private company but mouthpiece for senior plod that tell the Home Secretary what to do or esle) have guidelines and any firearms enquiry officer who happens to have 22 years service in the marines to call upon as experience will be disciplined and sacked if they dont follow this as a minimum to inconvenience the dealers.
So, arrows on certificate? what about piles, nocks, bowstring? Your fletching jig getting inspected once every 3 years?
I gave up shooting because of ill health and wold hate to lose my only real enjoyment because a group of peopel agreed amongst themselves it was OK to throw certain archers to the wolves as long as they dont get eaten themselves. That methodology has failed 3 times with firearms act amendments and Scotland WILL suffer more than england because they have a leadership that has a particular doctrine for absolute control at its heart but we will all suffer, not just the sacrificial lambs.
Can I see a use for such a
compound crossbow? I would love to see one used with suitable arrows for flight shooting or the equivalent of long range pistol so loosing off at a boss at 200yds would be a worthwhile challenge