Posted: 10/6/2008 10:37:44 AM EDT
|
Got a call from my friendly neighborhood Firearms Licensing Officer (or whatever there correct title is) to say he had my application for a variation in hand and just had a few questions. This was quite a surprise as I only posted off the form on 19th September, but after explaining what I wanted and why he said 'sure ok, send in your FAC and it will be done'. Now that's pretty quick, I did not expect it done till the New Year. So now I have to find myself a friendly neighborhood dealer/gunsmith to help me fill my new slots. I want a reliable gunsmith though not one that 'promises mythical rifles' and then never delivers. 
|
9mm self extracting one of the slots by any chance? 
|
I believe that Kent have caught up with their backlog pretty well. Sussex certainly have, apparently they are at a near 2 week turnaround. |
|
today I made the second call to the firearms licensing manager after he failed to "call you right back" on Thursday.... tomorrow I will be making my third call to the firearms licensing manager because he failed to "call me back later" It's already been 3 weeks and I can see this going on for a while, as apparently I need a visit as I want to increase the amount of firearms I wish to hold, and apperently the person that needs to visit me is on leave.... and with my work schedule i can see two months minimum! seems that the feo's don't do a very good job first time around....... or second time around or third time around.... having been told by my first FEO that my security was more than adequate up to 24 firearms.... so either the feo's aren't doing a good job or aren't trusted or perhaps the firearms licensing manager likes to exercise authority?? I do find it funny that ex policemen are granted certificates in less time than it takes a mere mortal like myself to get a variation or a renewal.....  |
I think there's a general move to tighter security.... I have installed a monitoried security system and cameras at the request of my FLO....it was a request rather then a requirement, and I had intended to do it anyway. Plus my best mate owns a security company specialising in monitored surveillance systems so it was more than affordable.... 
|
Is this "tighter security" something people are experiencing nationally, or just another means of screwing FAC holders about in your area? |
Don't know to be honest....I think it is down to the number of firearms you allowed to posess. I was going to do the suggested security upgrades anyway so I didn't question it..... the FLO suggesting it would be a good thing just gave me the necessary incentive to follow through with my ideas. It hasn't been a problems to me personally, but I know that other ticket holders have been asked to do the same in our area and have been slightly unhappy about it. To be fair our firearms licensing dept. have always been very quick to deal with applications, variations and renewals and have a well reasoned and practical outlook on firearms ownership that doesn't disadvantage legitimate shooters. The way I see it is that if they are being reasonable in the way they deal with us I'm more than happy to meet them halfway. |
|
5 weeks so far for a variation here in **********shire and not a sausage. Mind you it took three letters and 5 months to add "target shooting" - my original FAC was for Fox control (.223) and vermin control (.22). I only got the .223 becasue when I asked for .243 originally I was told that I do not have enough experience with high power firearms, despite being trusted with a full auto rifle in Iraq, having shot the SLR since 1980 and being authorised to run artillery and air weapons ranges (that's air delivered weapons, not air powered....) But a .223 was much safer, so that was OK. These are the same lot who didn't want any of the FEOs to have any shooting experience becasue they might be biased! Still, I'm sure there's lots of tea to be drunk, newspapers to be read and windows to be looked out of. |
|
I had my feo round today, nice chap, he only got the paperwork yesterday.... Funny that he showed me the date stamp when it was received but the Firearms licensing manager told me he'd sent it to the feo weeks ago... we had a nice chat covering the subjects we've covered 4 times already, this time however he was asking me lot about clay pigeon... as in how did he get started and where should he go! He even upped how many guns I can store!! Anyone would think I was in the dog house for being the first person to get a suppressor for target shooting...
|
|
Waited 14 months for my renewal to come through and they still couldn't get it right Ticket just gone back in to add the ammo that got missed off, but not sent in until I'd bought a couple of guns and ammo Bought a BP pistol off the club RFD, turns out that there two others in the country with the same serial number.  |
