The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Whilst the fee's are set at a certain price, yes, quite right people deserve a decent service.

Standardization is something that does not routinely happen. North Yorkshire has a massive area to cover, but are one of the better forces decision and speed wise.

I only had to wait just over two months for my initial FAC, I was more than happy with that and had no complaints at all.

Sim, I'm always careful what I wish for, just lucky I live in a decent area with a service with what I'm happy with so far. I truly feel sorry for the new shooters who sometimes just "give up" as daft horror stories are floated about.

Thank god we don't follow the Northern Ireland process !!!

Dahonis wrote:
Thank god we don't follow the Northern Ireland process !!!

But then some would be happy to in order to have their pistols back!!! :lol: :lol:

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I'd be inclined to believe this is a plan to deter us from getting hold of more guns!

I've just put in for a variation to add a couple of new rifles so let's see how long it takes. Last time, I had to hassle my FEO to put mine to the top of the pile but it shouldn't have to be like that!

I wouldn't mind so much if a few years back they hadn't 'recommended' I remove some spare unused slots I'd had on my ticket for a while. If they take so long to process variations and renewals, they should not make a fuss if I decide to keep a few slots open from one year to the next.

phaedra1106 wrote:7 weeks tomorrow and still not got my FAC back from change of address and a variation request.

Why did you give them your current certificate??

21 Weeks and still waiting *yawn*

Blackstuff wrote:Why did you give them your current certificate??

Change of address so my existing one's weren't valid (according to them) so I had to hand them back, probably complete b@ll@x and I should have checked before doing it

Sim G wrote:And you really think 26 quid covers the "service"?

During the firearms consultation a few years back, ACPO's submission included that Chief Constables would love to get rid of it because of cost. Likewise, it was touted a couple of years ago that fees were being looked at and if memory serves, the numbers being bandied around were frightening...... 4 to 500 for grant and renewal, 100 pounds for variations.....

It's a monumental pain in the 'arris the whole FAC system, however, be careful what you wish for.

Desperately trying to find the relevant article, but the police were asked (in late 2012) to provide a true cost to them of producing certificates, completing variations etc and the difference in cost was astounding. The true cost of issuing a certificate in Wiltshire was £15 + change, in the Met area it was £78 + change. I'll try and find the exact figures, I think they might have come from the Sportsmans Association. Any talk of multiple hundreds of pounds for anything is just the police putting up more barriers to gun ownership. That's the trouble with having the police act as judge, jury and executioner - no accountability.

This quote from the Police Review from October 1982, a view which has seemingly become more ingrained in some police areas over the years:-

"we consider that the number of Section 1 firearms held in private hands should be kept to the absolute minimum. There is an easily identifiable police attitude towards the possession of guns by the members of the public. Every possible difficulty should be put in their way

Dahonis wrote:North Yorkshire has a massive area to cover

But Dyfed-Powys is the largest geographical police area in the country (please, no jokes about there only being a 100 people and 1000000 sheep living here) and as just about every "country man” here has a .22 and a .243 for vermin control I don’t know why this one should be lighting fast whilst others takes an eternity, maybe it’d be interesting to compile a “league table” of different Licensing departments process times.

I'll kick that one off David, I live in Wiltshire and it's awesome :shakeshout:

When I applied for my SGC a few years ago, that was 3 weeks from start to finish - had never held any kind of firearm certificate previously.

FAC in 2011 - 3 weeks from application to issue (would have been 2 weeks, but our diaries didn't permit it). Since issue, I've put in 3 variations, 2 have been done while I waited, the third was hand delivered to the front desk on a Thursday lunchtime, done and on my doormat, 2nd class postage, Saturday morning, ie it was posted out Thursday afternoon!

Wiltshire FAL - surely without equal

Warwickshire can often beat that ! A variation posted to them on Monday can often be returned the following Friday. Superb staff there - firm, but very efficient.