Shot Gun Licence - whats involved these days??
Discussion
Fill out the form,
Get some 'professional' references
Send off paperwork and fee
Wait ages for anything to happen
Continue to wait ages
Wait some more
Phone up and tell them that you have been invited to shoot at the weekend and that you really need the licence
PC turns up at short notice
Make him a cup of tea
Answer some questions
Let him check your safe
Get approved
Job done
Get some 'professional' references
Send off paperwork and fee
Wait ages for anything to happen
Continue to wait ages
Wait some more
Phone up and tell them that you have been invited to shoot at the weekend and that you really need the licence
PC turns up at short notice
Make him a cup of tea
Answer some questions
Let him check your safe
Get approved
Job done
pies said:
Dont ypou also need to be able to demonstrate you are a member of a gun club or have somewhere to fire it?
Not as far as I am aware, I think thats rifles and handguns. You can have a shotgun for work or sport. Clay pigeon, game hunting, pest control etc. You don't need a farm or anything. Just permission from land owner to hunt on it.pies said:
richyb said:
pies said:
Dont ypou also need to be able to demonstrate you are a member of a gun club or have somewhere to fire it?
Not as far as I am aware.... Just permission from land owner to hunt on it.
The old take on it was you had to prove you had a good reason to have an FAC, but the police needed to prove you didn't need an Shotgun Cert.
Most of these harks back to the "Farmer's son" idea, where 14y/o and above could have a shotgun for farming stuff, like blowing spuds out of the ground, nailing burglars in the back etc.
It was pretty much a right to be allowed to have a Shotgun unless a good reason not to.
All i remember is you need to have a decent gun case bolted to a real wall (ie not a plasterboard partition.
Most of these harks back to the "Farmer's son" idea, where 14y/o and above could have a shotgun for farming stuff, like blowing spuds out of the ground, nailing burglars in the back etc.
It was pretty much a right to be allowed to have a Shotgun unless a good reason not to.
All i remember is you need to have a decent gun case bolted to a real wall (ie not a plasterboard partition.
It still is a right to have a shotgun.
The chief of Police has to be able to raise a reasonable objection to you holding a license assuming you don't fit one of the restricted groups of people (most notably various crimes exclude you from holding any firearm including air rifles even). It is not a valid objection that you have not provided proof of need to hold a license, it has to be a firm problem with your history or current situation that he believes you will pose a risk to others, yourself or the peace.
So get a form, fill it in, send it off. Leave it a week, ring up check it has got there, then pester them weekly till it gets sorted, some departments are great, some are chronically slow, while I usually don't agree that pestering works in the case of the Police it does.
Semis and pumps are restricted to 3 shots on SGC. To hold more you need FAC, this will make using the gun far less fun as you will have to have land cleared for it as with any other firearm (with SGC as long as you have land owners permission and shoot safely that is fine, not going in to safe shooting here will take too long), most clay grounds except those which hold PSG won't allow you to shoot an FAC gun, indeed most will get very upset if you load your semi or pump on SGC with more than 2 carts.
In effect the only purpose an FAC semi has is for pest control, the negatives just outweigh the positives you would have to be so desperate for the extra capacity to consider it. In reality a 3 shot semi or pump makes an outstanding pest control gun anyway as you don't have to break the gun like an O/U or SS and can reload in between shots.
The chief of Police has to be able to raise a reasonable objection to you holding a license assuming you don't fit one of the restricted groups of people (most notably various crimes exclude you from holding any firearm including air rifles even). It is not a valid objection that you have not provided proof of need to hold a license, it has to be a firm problem with your history or current situation that he believes you will pose a risk to others, yourself or the peace.
So get a form, fill it in, send it off. Leave it a week, ring up check it has got there, then pester them weekly till it gets sorted, some departments are great, some are chronically slow, while I usually don't agree that pestering works in the case of the Police it does.
Semis and pumps are restricted to 3 shots on SGC. To hold more you need FAC, this will make using the gun far less fun as you will have to have land cleared for it as with any other firearm (with SGC as long as you have land owners permission and shoot safely that is fine, not going in to safe shooting here will take too long), most clay grounds except those which hold PSG won't allow you to shoot an FAC gun, indeed most will get very upset if you load your semi or pump on SGC with more than 2 carts.
In effect the only purpose an FAC semi has is for pest control, the negatives just outweigh the positives you would have to be so desperate for the extra capacity to consider it. In reality a 3 shot semi or pump makes an outstanding pest control gun anyway as you don't have to break the gun like an O/U or SS and can reload in between shots.
Last I looked, I thought they would ask where you were going to shoot and if you didn't have a suitable site then they can refuse. My local field where the foxes run (on the way to our chickens 
) would get refused. Neighbouring property and public footpath way too close.
Joining the local clay shooting club sounds like a good plan here. It gives you a reasonable use at suitable location the for the gun and they'll have local knowledge of the firearms dept. You can also find advice from the BASC and they are well informed but for me, having read their magazine, have a tendency to attitude and front vs diplomacy and reasoning.
Oh, and if you are considering reducing the number of pests in your area, there are clear definitions and offing anything else could get you prosecuted. You also have to ensure that the ammunition & weapon is appropriate for the target - fox with a shotgun, for example, is something like a 12-bore, 6-shot and a max range of 50 meters. We just use an electric fence around the chickens instead.
) would get refused. Neighbouring property and public footpath way too close. Joining the local clay shooting club sounds like a good plan here. It gives you a reasonable use at suitable location the for the gun and they'll have local knowledge of the firearms dept. You can also find advice from the BASC and they are well informed but for me, having read their magazine, have a tendency to attitude and front vs diplomacy and reasoning.
Oh, and if you are considering reducing the number of pests in your area, there are clear definitions and offing anything else could get you prosecuted. You also have to ensure that the ammunition & weapon is appropriate for the target - fox with a shotgun, for example, is something like a 12-bore, 6-shot and a max range of 50 meters. We just use an electric fence around the chickens instead.
B.J.W said:
Fill out the form,
Get some 'professional' references
Send off paperwork and fee
Wait ages for anything to happen
Continue to wait ages
Wait some more
Phone up and tell them that you have been invited to shoot at the weekend and that you really need the licence
PC turns up at short notice
Make him a cup of tea
Answer some questions
Let him check your safe
Get approved
Job done
dead easy to be honest. Get some 'professional' references
Send off paperwork and fee
Wait ages for anything to happen
Continue to wait ages
Wait some more
Phone up and tell them that you have been invited to shoot at the weekend and that you really need the licence
PC turns up at short notice
Make him a cup of tea
Answer some questions
Let him check your safe
Get approved
Job done
I just filled in an application today too - just need to get it countersigned by the accountant.
On a related note, and assuming I get the licence, is there a an equivalent website to PH for shooting? I'm only really interested in clay, but as a beginner have no idea about which brand or type (trap, game?) of gun to buy.
On a related note, and assuming I get the licence, is there a an equivalent website to PH for shooting? I'm only really interested in clay, but as a beginner have no idea about which brand or type (trap, game?) of gun to buy.
N24 said:
I just filled in an application today too - just need to get it countersigned by the accountant.
On a related note, and assuming I get the licence, is there a an equivalent website to PH for shooting? I'm only really interested in clay, but as a beginner have no idea about which brand or type (trap, game?) of gun to buy.
This is a good starter gun to get a feel for things and to see if you want to pursue the sport long-term http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/shotguns/126690/B... - i've had mine for about 7 years now and although have inherited my father's guns, still use this regularly for clays.On a related note, and assuming I get the licence, is there a an equivalent website to PH for shooting? I'm only really interested in clay, but as a beginner have no idea about which brand or type (trap, game?) of gun to buy.
N24 said:
On a related note, and assuming I get the licence, is there a an equivalent website to PH for shooting? I'm only really interested in clay, but as a beginner have no idea about which brand or type (trap, game?) of gun to buy.
http://www.cpsa.co.uk/ to find a club nearest to youhttp://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ closest to PH in the shooting world I suspect. Read the posts on there for SGC applications
To the OP. I would advise - join a clay club get some lessons and at least give the impression you're interested in shooting rather fancying a a new toy after seeing it on youtube. Although the burden of proof is on the police to show you don't have just cause to own I believe it makes sense to stack the odds in your favour and show genuine intent to pursue a sport. If you haven't got land/legit pest control/invite to rough shoot etc. the best reason to own a shotgun is clays - don't talk about blasting squirrels pigeons and foxes
if you don't have genuine permissions/cause it will make you look like a nutterDon't forget they want all your convictions even a spent sp30
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