British Shooting Sports Council

The APSI is a member of the British Shooting Sports Council, an umbrella body which brings together Britain’s major shooting associations to achieve consensus positions on political and legislative issues affecting the shooting sports. It is a non-profit making organisation financed by its member associations’ subscriptions.

The Council’s object is to promote and safeguard the lawful possession and use of firearms and air weapons for sporting and recreational purposes in the United Kingdom amongst all sections of society.

The Council’s focus is upon the legislation and regulation which affects shooting sports, and especially the lawful possession of firearms. It draws together representatives from the entire range of shooting disciplines, from competitive clay target shooting and rifle shooting, both smallbore and fullbore, to airgun shooting, practical shooting, muzzle loading and live quarry shooting with rifle, shotgun and air rifle in all its various aspects. Fully involved in the Council’s work are organisations representing shooting grounds, shooting instructors and the gun trade.

Meetings of the Council are held three or four times a year, receiving recommendations from BSSC’s key Technical and Research Committee and its Finance & General Purposes Committee. Representation of the Council’s views is undertaken by the Secretary.

In a sport as diverse as shooting there is frequently a wide range of opinions, and while the Council will always seek to present a unified voice on issues of importance through consent and co-operation, member associations are free to express their own views or conduct their own lobbying and representation in parallel to BSSC’s work.

Working with a range of Government departments and agencies, the Council addresses proposals which may affect sport shooting and its supporting industries across the United Kingdom. It keeps in direct touch with national politicians of all parties and endeavours to help them understand the sport, for example through facilitating visits to the National Shooting Centre at Bisley and through giving evidence to House of Commons Committees.

BSSC maintains particularly close working relations with Home Office Ministers and officials over a wide range of matters relating to firearms legislation. It works with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on wildlife management issues and game laws, the Department of Transport over movement of sporting firearms and ammunition, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on the Olympic Games and target shooting, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about arms trade issues and the Health and Safety Executive on the regulations affecting shooters’ use of propellant powders and explosives. Increasingly it is becoming drawn into the work of the UK’s devolved administrations.

Membership
APSI, BASC, CPSA, GTA, NRA, MLAGB, NSRA, Sportsman’s Association, UKPSA, HBSA, CA, ICSI, DWA, VAA, 50 cal SA

BSSC Quarterly Reports

BSSC Quarterly Report April to June 2017