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SOME of the country's biggest gangland criminals are travelling to Prague and other Eastern European destinations to learn how to fire deadly weapons. For just 50, criminals can legally fire a range of lethal firearms, from the Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol to submachine guns like the AK-47. Gardai are growing increasingly concerned that gang members are flying to Europe to train in the use of firearms and that they are powerless to stop them.

Six members of the McCarthy-Dundon Limerick crime gang recently travelled to Bulgaria to learn how to shoot, while Wayne Bradley . . . a Finglas crime figure branded "notorious" in court . . . told gardai that he went to Prague with friends last June and fired Magnum revolvers.

Gardai have recovered photographs of notorious criminals posing with firearms while abroad and say that members of a feuding Crumlin gang regularly shoot in Prague.

The Avim range in central Prague is one of several in the Czech Republic that are growing increasingly popular with criminals eager to perfect their shooting skills. The owners of the range have no idea that some of their customers have been involved in murders and criminality in Ireland.

A person can walk into the Avim range from the street and does not even have to present identification or sign a visitors' book.

Last week, the Sunday Tribune visited the shooting school and, after watching a short safety video, I was brought into the indoor range and handed a loaded Glock pistol.

The 9mm semi-automatic weapon is by far the most commonly used gun in gangland murders and the three most recent victims were all murdered by gunmen using Glocks. I shot from six different weapons, including a Magnum .357, which is one of the world's most powerful firearms. I also used a pump-action shotgun and a deadly AR-15 rifle.

An instructor is present throughout the shooting session and coaches you on how to properly use each firearm and adopt an effective shooting stance. The instructor tells you to aim at the paper 'humans' 40 ft away and asks you to shoot the left target in the head and the right target in the body. When you are finished, the target automatically comes back to the firing bay and the instructor goes through how you performed and gives you a score.

The main firearms instructor at the range, George, says that up to 40 Irish people a month come to shoot during busy periods, and around 15 to 20 during quieter periods. Most of his Irish customers are men in their 20s, and stag groups regularly book as well as smaller groups and even individuals.

He says that many of those who come are repeat customers who show a great interest in guns and how they operate.

"In Ireland, it is illegal to shoot guns so a lot of people come to this range and others to practice.

A lot of people have never shot before but others have, and are very good. Most of our customers come from Dublin and Northern Ireland and we get many people coming back again.

"We have people who ask a lot of questions about the guns and know a lot about them, especially because they are illegal in Ireland. Some customers are very serious and want to learn all they can and get more experience."

When asked if he believed that Irish criminals are coming to his range and others to become more proficient at shooting, George is circumspect. "I have heard stories that some criminals do come to shoot but I do not know. We are a legal range and we are very conscious about safety. It is perfectly legal in the Czech Republic to fire weapons so people are entitled to come here. I do not know who is a criminal."

The last two years have seen a big increase in the number of Irish people flying to Prague and elsewhere to shoot.

Wayne Bradley (28) was recently stopped by gardai in Finglas and told them that he had travelled to Prague last June and gone to a shooting range in the city to fire a Magnum .357 and a Magnum .44. Bradley rose to public prominence in February 2006, along with his brother Alan 'Fatpuss' Bradley, when they launched a libel action against the Star newspaper.

The pair claimed they were identified as having earned 4m out of the proceeds of cash-in-transit robberies and were involved in murders, violence and intimidation. During the case, Detective Inspector Brian Sherry gave evidence that the pair were regarded as "serious criminals" by gardai and had a "notorious reputation."

A local parish priest also gave testimony that the pair were known to be involved in crime in the local area. The brothers lost the case and are being pursued for costs by the newspaper.

Other criminals known to have travelled to Eastern Europe for shooting practice include six members of the Limerick-based McCarthy-Dundon gang. The six men travelled to Bulgaria in July and spent the day shooting Magnum .357 handguns and semi-automatic pistols. They had been ordered to improve their shooting skills following a number of botched assassination attempts in the ongoing gang feud that has now claimed nine lives.

The McCarthy-Dundon gangsters went to a pub in Varna after their shooting practice and annoyed local mafia bosses by talking loudly and flashing wads of US dollars. A group of gangsters produced handguns and held up the Limerick criminals, making them hand over their money, watches and mobile phones.

Last year, gardai raided the home of a man in his 20s who is a senior figure in the gang feud between two Crumlin and Drimnagh drug gangs.

They found photos of the man and three of his associates posing with weapons they had rented while on a trip to Prague.

Gardai say that Darren Geoghegan (26), the prime suspect in a number of shooting incidents and suspected of murdering gang member John Roche in March 2005, spoke about going to the Czech Republic to shoot. Geoghegan was himself shot dead gangland-style in November 2005 as he sat in a car at a housing estate in Firhouse, Dublin.

Gardai say that shooting ranges in Prague and other eastern European countries are very attractive to criminals because of the frequency and cheapness of low-cost flights. One senior source said: "You can board a plane and be in Prague in less than two-and-a-half hours and can walk in off the street to shoot. You don't usually have to give ID so you leave no trace of ever being there.

"The weapons available to rent are phenomenal. You cannot just pick up a semi-automatic pistol or rifle and just fire away; it doesn't work like that. You need to practice and learn how the weapon works. Guns are not toys and you need experience to use them properly.

"Criminals cannot go to their local field and start firing rounds so the fact that they can legally shoot in Prague and other places is obviously a massive attraction. Criminals often combine a shooting break with cocaine binges and would be in and out of strip clubs and brothels.

There is nothing we can do about it, even though we are very concerned."

There are no reliable figures available for the amount of guns that are in circulation on Irish streets, but it is likely that several thousand firearms are smuggled into the country each year.

Gardai have had notable successes in confiscating some high-profile shipments but it is accepted that for every weapon that is seized, several more come into the country undetected.

Foreign drugs cartels offer free weapons to Irish criminals as sweeteners when they purchase massive shipments of cocaine, heroin and cannabis. If a Dublin criminal buys 2m worth of drugs, he could receive up to 50 firearms of all sorts, from handguns to automatic rifles.

In May 2005, gardai launched Operation Anvil, aimed at reducing the activities of armed drugs gangs. A total of 574 firearms were seized during the first 18 months of Anvil, according to figures given in the Dail by then justice minister Michael McDowell.

Gardai simply do not know with certainty the amount of weapons that are in the hands of criminals but all officers agree that it is now easier than ever before to source a firearm.

A lethal 9mm Glock pistol like the ones used in the three recent gangland murders is easily available to buy on the street for just 600.

Criminal gangs now even offer rental facilities and a Glock can be rented for around 250.

AK-47s can be bought for 2,000, while .38 revolvers sell for just 400. Huge quantities of weapons have been available since the end of the communist era, with the majority of firearms originating from Eastern Europe.

According to the gardai's annual report for 2006, 900 firearms were seized last year. This figure includes 231 shotguns, 356 airguns or pistols, 125 rifles and 82 revolvers. However, there was a gun amnesty for much of the year so this figure is higher than previous years.