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

Hi all,


My club has said they will support me if I want to go for my certificate so I’m ready to do my first ever FAC application. I’ve asked around and I think I’ve got it all worked out but I guess I like to double and triple check things so here I am online. It doesn’t help that the Police seem to have changed the FAC forms at some point but few shooting websites have updated their FAC pages. I was hoping someone here could answer my questions please?

I will be asking for two .22LR rifles for target shooting; one will be bolt action and the other a semi-automatic. Now I’ve read here and heard a few people mention that I don’t have to state the action and can just put them both on the application as Calibre: .22LR, Type: rifle, Reason: target shooting. Is that correct?
I was also going to get a moderator for each rifle as I’m polite that way and believe I can put them in as Calibre: .22LR, Type: moderator, Reason: health & safety?

Ammunition wise I was thinking to ask for 1500 in the hopes of being cut down to 1000. Truth is I’d have no problems with 500 to start with but I don’t think there’s any harm in trying my luck?

I’ll obviously be shooting small bore at my clubs range but I doubt all competitions I may enter will occur there if another club(s) involved. The guidance notes say I won’t necessarily be limited to shooting at that club so is permission to shoot on other ranges something I need to specifically ask for and if so how?

Finally, being a tight-fisted Scot I heard I can apply for a shotgun licence at the same time saving money with less renewal hassle too. I do intend to get into shooting clays but not for a few months after I get my firearms due to cost of purchasing them. Could I still apply for it? Some say the police would turn me down for the shotgun while others have told me they’ve got a shotgun sitting in a safe unused. I know I don’t need a “good reason” as defined for a FAC but in Scotland is simply having the intention to use it enough? It’s something I’m happy to wait for and do later but as I said I’m tight with money .


Hope this all makes sense?

hi
unsure how things differ in the North. down South, yeah just ask for 22, if you want to preempt any questions as to why 22's, you can put semi auto in brackets after saying for target use at your club, and likewise for the bolt. you don't need to do this, but it may answer a question before you are asked.
spot on for the mods.
ammo - think you'll be lucky, but why not ask, you never know what you might get.
I dont know what the first bit of the club shooting part is supposed to say, but yes, you get your ticket, and it should be conditioned for shooting at any range, with sufficient insurance in place, this means you can go to other clubs and shoot if they are happy with that.
shotgun as you say doesn't need good reason as you say, so yes, you can get a co-terminus ticket and get a shotgun to take up space in a cabinet for the rest of it's life. If they were to knock you back for a Shotgun certificate, you would also be knocked back for an FAC. no reason they would grant you an FAC but not SGC

In Scotland, it is wise to add an Air Weapons Certificate at the same time--another fiver, but offers the same benefit as getting your SGC along with your FAC. Five years is a long time. If you get the FAC, the SGC and AWC should be granted fairly easily.

My (Scottish) FAC lists the action type for all guns, so you are likely to have to clarify that during the application process--at interview if not on your form.

Try to get an ammo allowance slightly bigger than 500, 1000, etc. This allows you to have a little ammo in stock when you go to buy 500/1000 more.

If you are buying two different .22LR rifles, you may well wish to shoot different ammunition in each--justifying 500+ rounds for each.

Yup, we tell our club member new applicants to go for at least 3 x .22s, 1200-1500 rounds of .22, and the Air weapon & SGC certs at the same time if they think they'll ever go down that route. We also tell them to NOT specify the actions; just the calibres as required by the form. Moderators are good too, you can always swap unused slots for new firearms when required.

DavidRees wrote:
My (Scottish) FAC lists the action type for all guns, so you are likely to have to clarify that during the application process--at interview if not on your form.

your FAC will list the action for guns you own, but the permission to acquire only lists caliber. the action for guns you own is taken when you report what you have bought and what that gun is registered as, same as the make.

When I put in for a variation for a .22LR rifle late 2017 (issued Feb 2018) within the Falkirk region of Police Scotland constabulary, I had to give the action I wanted, and the variation granted in the "Firearms authorised to be purchased or acquired" section read: .22 RIFLE SEMI AUTO.

It is possible other areas within Scotland are operating slightly differently, despite it all being theoretically ONE constabulary now. This is also indicated by the time needed for applications/variations -- my last variation, mid-2018, took 16 weeks or so -- for a 1-for-1 (admittedly, a calibre change was involved, but even so!). Other areas within Scotland do them far more quickly.

Definitely try not to specify the action if you can avoid doing so. In the Falkirk area, sadly, I couldn't.

DavidRees wrote: My (Scottish) FAC lists the action type for all guns, so you are likely to have to clarify that during the application process--at interview if not on your form.

Action type is determined at time of purchase and not application (but having different types in mind when you discuss more than one slot of the same calibre is handy).
Although FACs now list many action types (and the police often would like it stated) it is not a statutary requirement to report the action type to them even when you purchase. The national database would have most of the types recorded from previous transactions anyway.

Thanks all for the replies as I thought there is a mixture of experiences with the FAC process across the UK; even in different parts of Scotland with the one Police force there seems to be differences in how the rules are interpreted and enforced. DavidRees your post is particularly interesting as I live in the Falkirk area. The time frame I was hoping for was a little shorter but

I reckon I'll not mention the action on the application. If they ask me then I've no problem being specific; they'll find out when I've bought the firearms anyway. I'll also apply for a shotgun and see how that goes. I best put pen to paper as I'm starting to procrastinate .

"Procrastination is the thief of time;
Year after year it steals, till all are fled,
And to the mercies of a moment leaves
The vast concerns of an eternal scene."

Edward Young



Procrastination is the chief thief of time.
Never put off till tomorrow that which you can do today.
You can never perceive the dangers therein.
Therefore make no delay

OK I procrastinated. Filling in the application now though... Not getting distracted by the Internet at all