HOW TO TRANSPORT AND STORE HUNTING RIFLES AND AMMUNITION?

The main objective of the new weapons regime, established in September 2013, is to control the distribution of weapons, and thus safeguard public law and order. In the table above, you will find the rules relating to the acquisition and storage of ammunition.

To summarize, the acquisition of ammunition for weapons classified in category C or D 1° can only be done on presentation of the hunting permit issued in France or abroad, or any other foreign document in lieu of a hunting permit, accompanied by the validation of the current year or the previous year, or a valid shooting permit (acquisition reserved for adults only, and only concerning the categories of ammunition sold at Decathlon).

However, please note that tight control over the sale of ammunition has been introduced by the decree. Thus, for ammunition classified by decree in 6° and 7° of category C, you must also present the declaration receipt for the corresponding weapon. In other words, in order to be able to purchase this ammunition, it is necessary to legally own the weapon. We therefore advise you to carefully classify the declaration or registration receipts for your weapons, these documents being invaluable in the event of an inspection.

Any hunting weapon, to be transported in a vehicle must be unloaded, and placed in a case or sheath, or dismantled. In both cases, it must not be immediately usable. The law provides that the case must be closed, without specifying the content of the device: neither padlock nor key are compulsory; the “sock” type of case remains authorised, if closed. By definition, a hunting weapon is a long gun, the total length of which is greater than or equal to 80cm and the length of the barrels, depending on the mechanism, greater than or equal to 45 or 60cm.

Note that when you travel with hunting or shooting ammunition, they must be stored separately in  a carry-case" or a different accessory than the one containing your weapon.

To transport weapons, you must have your hunting permit with you as well as a validation document for the current year or a valid shooting permit with doctor's stamp. And just like the transport of a shotgun, it is prohibited, outside of hunting seasons and without a legitimate reason, to transport ammunition (except for sport shooting).

For additional safety, we recommend that you add a trigger guard to your weapon to block its use during transport.

The basic rules of storage also apply at home. Ammunition must be stored separately from weapons, under conditions preventing free access, the ideal being a locked cupboard, and of course out of the reach of children.

Weapons must be stored either in security cabinets or safes adapted to the type and number of equipment held. Weapons can also be secured by dismantling one of their essential parts such as the forearm, for example, a part which must be stored separately from the rest of the weapon, thus rendering it unusable. If these solutions do not suit you, you can use an anti-theft device preventing the removal of the weapon such as a cable passed through the trigger guards, under a padlock.

Where to place your gun cabinet Which size to choose Which opening system to prefer (key, electronic or mechanical) These basic issues must obviously be taken into account when choosing your security cabinet: so do not hesitate to contact our team of experts to obtain the right advice.

In order to maintain the performance of your ammunition, avoid storing it in damp rooms or opt for a sealed cartridge case. We recommend that you store your ammunition in a room at room temperature, ideally 21°C, with a maximum humidity of 60%. Extreme temperature variations should also be avoided as much as possible. For example, don't leave your ammunition in a car in the summer sun.

To keep your weapons and ammunition away from humidity, we recommend that you add anti-humidity bags, or fabric bags filled with a mixture of rice and coarse salt in your safe, security cabinet, or storage furniture. If your room is very humid, you can purchase a dehumidifier.

If the cartridges are stored in good conditions, you can keep them for several years. Be careful, however, cardboard cartridges are much more sensitive to humidity than plastic cartridges, and are more difficult to store. In the event of corrosion on the bases in particular, it is advisable not to shoot with them because they will have become humid.


For more information on the possession of weapons & ammunition for hunting & sport shooting, as well as the list of risks incurred, visit the ONCFS website.

Sources:
* http://www.oncfs.gouv.fr/Fiches-juridiques-chasse-ru377/Port-transport-et-conservation-des-armes-de-amp-nbsp-ar1672
* http://www.armes-ufa.com/spip.php?article1418