How early to send renewal?

[Robert303]

Having read through this thread again the answer to the first question looks more like 'The Day after you get your new certificate!'

[TattooedGun]

I disagree.
It looks like sending the renewal forms as soon as possible with a copy of the certificate and letting them know the deadline, then destroying or sending back the cert on receipt of the new one.

Either way, I'm happy I asked, as I wouldn't have thought to have asked my force if I could do such a thing, had I not enquired with how people on here do it first. I'd have blindly sent everything off when notified of my upcoming renewal, then been without my certificate for upto 3 months...

[Racalman]

You don't need to destroy or return an expired FAC. I have all my old ones.

[HALODIN]

Here it is in black and white on page 81 of the "Guide on Firearms Licensing Law":

10.51 If a certificate expires before a renewed certificate has been issued and the certificate
holder has behaved in a reasonable manner returning the forms in good time, a temporary
permit (section 7 Permit) should be issued by default. With regard to renewal, the applicant
may submit a photocopy of their certificate and retain the expiring certificate in order to be
able to buy ammunition.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... aw_v13.pdf

[TattooedGun]

Here it is in black and white on page 81:

10.51 If a certificate expires before a renewed certificate has been issued and the certificate
holder has behaved in a reasonable manner returning the forms in good time, a temporary
permit (section 7 Permit) should be issued by default. With regard to renewal, the applicant
may submit a photocopy of their certificate and retain the expiring certificate in order to be
able to buy ammunition.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... aw_v13.pdf

Perfect, thanks Halodin :)

[Blackstuff]

Here it is in black and white on page 81 of the "Guide on Firearms Licensing Law":

10.51 If a certificate expires before a renewed certificate has been issued and the certificate
holder has behaved in a reasonable manner returning the forms in good time, a temporary
permit (section 7 Permit) should be issued by default. With regard to renewal, the applicant
may submit a photocopy of their certificate and retain the expiring certificate in order to be
able to buy ammunition.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... aw_v13.pdf

THIS is also pertinent and at a recent meeting of the FELWG they determined 6-8 weeks before expiry was considered "good time".

[Charlotte the flyer]

I am a target shooter and there was a new form asking how many times I have shot each rifle which my club secretary had to verify and sign.

Are you obliged to do this? I'm in three different clubs and I don't keep my own records.

[RDC]

I was under the impression that you are obliged, although I am no doubt wrong. The club I am in keeps them all together in the folder that goes along to every shoot so we simply find our own and fill it in with the date and what we are shooting, along with a signature block.

Either way, it's a handy way to 'prove' you are using what you have in your cabinet if the police were ever to challenge you because, in theory, the club secretary would be trusted by the FCO.

[Robert303]

I am a target shooter and there was a new form asking how many times I have shot each rifle which my club secretary had to verify and sign.

Are you obliged to do this? I'm in three different clubs and I don't keep my own records.

The police are NOT meant to introduce new forms locally. However it may be that they are trying to cut delays by getting you to fill in this form AND having the club sec sign it. Then they do not need to phone / e mail club sec / club police liaison officer with posible delays because Club Sec is away / on holiday etc etc. to getb the same info. If that's the case I'd go along with it. It does no harm to keep a note of what you shoot and when. If you enter any comps keep the results sheet. The better organised you are the faster you get processed.

[Blackstuff]

AFAIK records only need to be kept at club level, not individual. At all the clubs i'm a member of, have been a member of or shoot as a guest, you either fill in which firearms you're using that session on the signing in sheet or tell the club secretary when he's signing people in (in the case of the outdoor range i go to where its not practical for signing in sheet to just be left out as people need to be assigned a lane to shoot on)