A police security reminder issued at the start of the game season has put registered firearms dealers (RFDs) into the answer, and dealers should expect the phone to reflect it. Police Scotland asked certificate holders to review how their guns are stored after a series of residential break-ins in England in which firearms, shotguns and ammunition were stolen, and for extended absences it suggests lodging guns with an RFD or another certificate holder rather than leaving a full cabinet in an empty house. The message was circulated to members by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) on Friday 28 August.

The force is explicit that there is no specific increased threat in Scotland. The English thefts are a reminder that legally held guns remain a target wherever they are kept.

Why does this reach the counter?

Storage enquiries are seasonal and this is the season. From now until February customers travel: shooting holidays, lets taken at distance, weeks away between drives. A police message naming dealer storage as the sensible option, arriving in the same week as an inspectorate report on licensing, is the sort of prompt that converts a vague intention into a phone call. Dealers who can quote a rate, a booking window and a receipt process will take that business; dealers who have to think about it will hear the customer go elsewhere.

What else is the customer being told?

The bulk of the advice is domestic and it shapes what people will ask about in the shop. Cabinets correctly anchored, locks fully functional, keys kept secure and hidden well away from the safe. Ammunition stored in a separate, locked container. Alarms and cameras tested rather than assumed to work. Discretion when carrying guns to and from the house, no social media posts that advertise an empty property, timer switches on lights and an arrangement to stop post gathering at the door.

For the trade that is a demand signal as much as a safety notice: anchoring kits and fixings, separate ammunition boxes, replacement cabinet locks and keys, and the security cords and cupboard hardware that suit air weapon owners in Scotland. It is low-margin stock that sells on advice rather than on price, and it brings certificate holders through the door in the weeks when they are also buying cartridges.

What is the wider regulatory picture?

The reminder landed in the same week the police inspectorate for England and Wales declared firearms licensing there not fit for purpose and recommended a single national licensing authority, digital certificate verification at the point of transfer and the alignment of shotgun and section 1 rules. Security and oversight of legally held guns are back on the political agenda, and a trade that can show its storage, transfer and record-keeping arrangements are in order is better placed for whatever consultation follows.

What happens next?

Police Scotland asks owners to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activity on 101, or 999 in an emergency. For dealers the practical step is smaller: make sure the shop’s storage terms are written down, that capacity is known before the enquiries arrive, and that counter staff can explain the process without going to find somebody.

Useful links

Scottish Gamekeepers Association – the full Police Scotland security message as circulated to members

Police Scotland – the force’s firearms and explosives licensing pages for dealers and certificate holders

Frequently asked questions

Is dealer storage what the police are recommending?

For extended absences, yes. The force suggests lodging guns with a registered firearms dealer or another certificate holder rather than leaving them in an empty house.

Is there an increased threat in Scotland?

No. Police Scotland says there is no specific increased threat there; the reminder follows residential break-ins in England in which firearms, shotguns and ammunition were stolen.

What should a shop have ready before the enquiries arrive?

Known capacity, written storage terms including rates and booking windows, a clear receipt and release process, and counter staff who can explain all three without escalating the question.

Related articles

BSSC calls for a national approach to firearms licensing – the umbrella body’s position on the structure under review

Parcelforce firearms transit guidance – the other place custody and paperwork meet in a dealer’s week

Home Office non-statutory firearms guidance – the guidance framework behind day-to-day compliance