Scotland's gun laws are among the strictest in the world, according to a former police chief, amid concern over the stringency of checks.
The UK Government is considering if any changes should be made to licensing laws including more closer scrutiny of the mental health of applicants.
There is some concern that gun owners may be reluctant to come forward to GPs because of fears licenses may be revoked.
The inquiry is focussed on Scotland with its high concentration of farms and strong links to country sports and comes just over a month after a man was killed in a shooting on the Isle of Skye.
John MacKinnon, 47, was killed after a firearm was discharged, with gunshots also being heard on the mainland at Dornie, Wester Ross.
The responsibility for gun control lies with the Home Office, though applications to own firearms or shotguns are handled by police.
Tighter gun controls were put in place following the 1996 mass shooting in Dunblane Primary School, which remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history.
GPs in Scotland have been involved in applications being granted or renewed since 2016 and ownership is added to medical records.
New rules came into force in 2021 to bring England and Wales into line and require all firearms applications to be accompanied by a medical document signed by a registered, practising doctor.
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The change was prompted by the mass shooting earlier that year when Jake Davison, 22, killed five people in Plymouth before turning the gun on himself.
Retired Chief Inspector Fraser Lamb was in charge of gun licensing is Scotland but now works as an advisor for the Scottish Association for Country Sports (SACS) which he says allows him to "see the situation from both sides".
He said the public should be reassured that the country is "head and shoulders" above the rest of the UK in terms of gun safety.
Despite successful campaigns to raise awareness of mental health in farming, those in the industry say there is still a lasting stigma which has left the agricultural industry facing a battle with suicide which has claimed the lives of so many.
In Scotland all licence holders have been sent leaflets urging them to disclose any mental health difficulties with their GP.
Mr Lamb said round table talks held by Police Scotland, the Scottish Government, mental health charities and Nature Scot recognised that some owners may not come forward because they would assume their gun licence would be removed.
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"We wanted to dispel the myth that if you were suffering from mental ill health, this would automatically affect your firearms licence," said Mr Lamb will provide evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee inquiry later this month.
"And that is not always the case.
"Leaflets have been sent out to anyone applying for a gun licence saying it's okay to tell us you are not okay. It means that sensible decisions can be made.
"Certificate holders are just as susceptible as anyone else to mental ill health so what we wanted to say is that it's okay to come forward.
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"It was recognised that some people might not want to go anywhere near police or their doctor for help because there is a mechanism in place Scotland, which is five or so years ahead of England and Wales."
He said police would carry out a "rigorous inquiry" if any applicant disclosed mental health issues with a GP.
He added: "The system works really well in Scotland."
He said Scotland stands alone in introducing air gun certification in 2016. It came 11 years after two-year-old Glasgow toddler Andrew Morton was killed by an air gun pellet by Mark Bonini, who was given a life sentence for murder.
His death provoked widespread condemnation about the availability of air guns.
However, animal charities say too many weapons are still "getting into the wrong hands" and leading to cruelty.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent, Mike Flynn, said: “It is legal to use an air weapon for the purpose of pest control if licensed in Scotland however, we would only expect this type of lethal pest control to be used once every other method of deterrent had been explored.
"Unfortunately, every year we see instances of domestic animals being injured or killed by these weapons suggesting that the licensing restrictions are sadly not enough to stop some people using them irresponsibly."
Figures show 3,914 applications for air guns were approved by police from 2021-2022, with 47 refused. A further 1349 applications were granted for shotguns and 874 for firearms including rifles.
Since 2015-16 the number of firearms offences has fallen by 15%, from 402 in 2015-16 to 341 in 2019-20.
"The vast majority of certificate holders are law abiding, law respecting members of the public," said Mr Lamb. "You wouldn't get a gun otherwise.
"There will always be a sector of society who would call for all guns to be banned and question why we need them."
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