Joining the Club

We are open to all and we pride ourselves on providing a safe and enjoyable environment to participate in shooting sports. We provide all the equipment with comprehensive training for novices in all aspects of shooting sports utilising the NRA training system, supervised by our fully qualified training officer.

North Staffordshire Shooting Club maintains fully qualified NRA Range Conducting Officers to supervise shooting

We especially welcome youngsters and offer free membership provided they are accompanied by an adult member or adult probationer in training.

As you would expect, shooting sports are tightly regulated to ensure only trustworthy and sensible persons have access to firearms. This means there are necessary checks done by the club prior to acceptance as a probationary member.

All persons wishing to join a shooting club must be able to sign a declaration that they are not prohibited from access to firearms under Section 21, Firearms Act 1968. (This is called a “Section 21 declaration”)

The details of all prospective probationary members will be notified to the Police and they will conduct their own investigation to ensure persons are fit and proper to have access to firearms.

All prospective new members must be sponsored by at least one current Full Member and they will join as a probationary member, and subsequently they will be trained and assessed as suitable candidates for Full Membership.

Before progressing an application to join our club, please contact the Club Secretary so that he can help you through the process. The Club will consider an application to join from current full members of other Home Office Approved rifle clubs, current H.M. Armed Forces or current H.M. Police, without sponsorship by a NSSC Club member. Please contact the Club Secretary who will be happy to discuss the process.

Probation will be a minimum of three months (Home Office rules) with regular attendance and may be extended by either the Club Committee or by the probationer as required to achieve sufficient competence in the safe handling of firearms and ammunition.

On successful completion of probation and following assessment by the Committee, probationers may be made Full Members and may now apply to the Police for their own FAC.

Membership Fees

Club fees are paid in full at the time of joining irrespective of joining date. Fees are pro-rata adjusted in the second year to compensate for any initial ‘over payment’.

We do not charge range fees on club ranges, however there is a fee to attend Bisley (£35/day) or to use the Staffordshire County smallbore range (currently £5 per shooting day paid to SSBRA direct). Juniors (under sixteen) may join for free provided they are accompanied by an adult member (for example a daughter and father both joining as probationers, only the father pays the fee).

At the discretion of the Club Committee, we offer a 50% reduced fee to students 16 and over, still in full-time education.

2024-2025 Membership fees

Our club fee year runs from 1st April to 31st March.

Adult Membership	£140p.a.
Discretionary fee	£70p.a.
Junior (under 16)	£0
Staffs Smallbore range fee	£5 per day or part day (alternatively an annual pass is available from SSBRA)

NB: Club fees are subject to change as determined by the Annual General Meeting.

Fees are strictly non-negotiable and non-returnable should the probationary member not complete their period of training or be found unsuitable to become a Full Member of the Club (in accordance with Club Articles & Rules).