Hi Gang,

Just wondering if anyone else in my neck of the woods partakes in a shot occasionally..?

I've been going a while (year or so ) but still waiting for the old bill to turn up to grant me a license.. Only been a year so far..!!

Just wondering if anyone else has any experience of this or know how to push them a little (gently cos I don't want to drop down the list) Ash
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2016 SDV8 AB

I'm in Dorset and shoot occasionally, obviously not enough as I'm not improving very quickly.

My licence took about 6 months, mainly due to me filling in a Fire arms application rather than shotgun application. The police force was also snowed under with applications and renewals combined with being short staffed which delayed it further. Have you called the police to chase it up at all as a year does seem excessive?

yes - called them a couple of times - got the same answer - sorry a bit of a backlog... then one officer told me they had 470 in the queue..!!! but as mine was from last March, it should be in the next few weeks... Ash
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2016 SDV8 AB

I've not been for a while (for reasons various) but I enjoy clay shooting…..I could certainly do with depleting the store of shells I have!

When they were round for my licence renewal last year, that particular FO was retiring within the month and wasn't going to be replaced; he told me that the numbers in the office had already been cut.

Good luck with your application…..is your safe in place and secure and a location for shell storage sorted? If your safe is in place, that saves a second time-eating visit to check it. I made the decision to have secure storage for the shells; not a requirement but these 'little touches' seemed to smooth my first application about six years ago.

Thanks Giant....

Yep - the safe is installed (bolted to the wall in the back of a cupboard). Interesting about the cartridge storage... By all accounts they do not need any special storage but it may well help the process.

I just need to work out where to keep the keys to the safe... Ash
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2016 SDV8 AB

put the keys in another safe Ash...  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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They need to be somewhere that only I have access to - Adding another safe only leaves me with the same decision re keys for the new safe

Think I will think of a good hidy place.... Ash
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2016 SDV8 AB

what about an electronic keypad safe... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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If you are not yet a member of British Association for Shooting and Conservation you might find it worthwhile to join and get the benefit of their advice and assistance service for members. The membership fee includes insurance and is about £70 a year, I think. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Unfortunately, different FO have different approaches when it comes to the keys.

Officially, the keys need to be inaccessible to anyone else in the household but that don't necessarily mean in another safe…a locked drawer, lockable filing cabinet at a push but the last one was happy that inaccessible meant hidden in a place only I knew, the wife would definitely not go (I was tempted to say in my pants at that point) and could not be found without considerable effort….still tempted to suggest my pants being two for three at that point!

The trick is to ask when they come around. For example, you have thought about hiding the spare key in the loft/ behind a loose brick/ under the floorboards/ behind the kitchen kick boards i.e. somewhere where the wife will never go but what do they recommend?

I wouldn't worry about it unduly TBH. Check out CPSA membership for insurance out and about.

EDIT: I little tip for the application visit; you have priced up the CPSA safety and beginners courses at whatever shooting ground which you will do as soon as you get the licence.

Unfortunately it does seem to vary massively between constabularies and indeed individual officers.

I can't remember how long my original license took but the shotgun was only a few months when I was 14. Firearms certificate was again only a few months.

But this was Dyfed Powys who have more guns than adults. But when I transferred them to Surrey I didn't have any issues with either certificate. But I did have / have plenty of experience as a safety officer, coach and ran two largish clubs prior to moving house.

My advice, play their game. Any questions though fire away, had fun dealing with the Met so have covered most topics with them! Ed

Thanks Sako

Its been 12 months so far and not a call from them despite a couple of calls asking when it is likely to be. I was going to suggest I was in a rush because the local branch of Barclays is closing soon so it wouldn't be worth owning one after thats gone but thought better of it.

Seriously - I will just have to wait I guess... As an aside, I bought a small 4 number combination key safe and fitted that to the wall (somewhere in the house). Folks in the family will find it but still don't have the code so I guess that is safe enough.

Cabinet is nicely tucked away and locked up. I will probably be keeping my cartridges in a drawer in my office (out of the way). Its not locked but I don't believe there is a requirement to keep that locked away.

Thanks GiantLandy - Will remember that one. Will also mention that I'm having/had some lessons from the local club I'm joining as well.

Going shooting on Saturday morning weather permitting but may well end up buying a gun as well to use. The shop attached to the club have told me they are happy for me to keep the gun with them (as the shop is open when the club is I could do that to start with) My neighbour has also said he can add it to his license and keep it at his house for now if need be.

Question though - I assume I don't need a license to shoot the thing at the club or the shop would not have suggested I could use it and keep it there.?

Thanks Ash
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2016 SDV8 AB

12 months is excessive and I would get back onto your FAO. West Sussex took 2 months for mine and taking a rough average from the shooting forums 4 - 6 months is a good average. Shotgun shells don't require secure storage unlike rifle ammunition. Your FAO will advise on their preferred storage for the safe keys but as previously mentioned it has to be secure and available to only you - a small digital key safe is fine. "On first name terms with my local Dealer......now."

'61 Plate 5.0SC Autobiography - in Black ——— Gone
'53 plate 4.4V8 Vogue Bonatti Grey inside and out. ----- Gone

You cannot own a shotgun without a licence.

The shop can 'own' the gun you have paid for and allow you to use it on their land under supervision. Being RFDs, the rules are slightly different, I believe.

Your friend can't keep it for more than 72hrs without it going on his licence as his gun.

I am firm in my knowledge right up to the point when someone tells me I am wrong!

With regards to the application - I cannot emphasise enough just playing their game and keeping them happy.

I don't know what the situation is with Essex as I've only dealt with the Met, Surrey and Dyfed Powys. Dyfed Powys have more 12 bore shotguns than adult heads in the counties. Up until 18 months or so ago we only had a wooden (not locked) cabinet where the guns, both rifles and shotguns, were kept. They were perfectly happy with that because you would never have found it without us showing you where it was. However, when my father's firearms officer finally retired he decided to install an approved cabinet just in case the replacement had different ideas.

When I moved up to Surrey my appointed officer said that they had approximately 80 odd firearms officers just for Surrey (partly because of Bisley). I had no problem with them, he asked what my background in guns was so I started prattling it off. He stopped me and said "well you've got some experience for a 23 year old - let me know what you want up to 50 cal, I might think about 50 cal for 30 seconds but give it to you anyway". Ah the joys of growing up on a farm! He was also slightly astonished by my response to "how long have you had such an open ticket (i.e. basically no conditions on the FAC)?" to which my response was "umm, since I've had at from 16...".

So as you can see things vary massively from county to county. A friend of mine almost had his certificate revoked because the NRA wrote 7.62mm when buying some ammo rather than .308. They're the same thing (well for all intents and purposes), however with the introduction of the new national computer system you can't have dual calibres listed for ammo. Basically it's .308 or 7.62mm whereas before you might be granted 1000 rounds of .308/7.62mm.

With regards to the purchase of a shotgun - I would very strongly recommend against it, certainly whilst you don't have a certificate (what happens if they refuse it?). Use the opportunity to try out a variety of guns from friends / shops / clubs. The three most important things for a shotgun are fit, fit and fit. A rifle (except in some hunting scenarios) you can adapt yourself to - the quality of the rifle build is more important. However with a shotgun someone with a £20 gun can, and often does, shoot better than someone with a £10,000 gun because it fits.

A great example of when a gun fits it fits:
Several years ago I was coaching some of the girls from RVC. One of them was left-handed and between all the club guns and members guns there wasn't one that fitted her nicely. Consequently she used to shoot one of the 20 bores because it kicked her less. (Slightly) on a whim I gave her my gun which was a 32" trap gun which was about 1 1/2 times longer than the 20 bore but had a slight right-hand cast (I'm right eye dominant and normally shoot right handed). She liked it and commented that it felt lighter and had less recoil (both wrong but the gun is beautifully balanced hence doesn't feel heavy nor have much recoil).

Anyway fast forward a year or so and she had a gun custom built for her by Caesar Guerini with a suitable left-hand cast (again 20 bore because realistically didn't need anything more). I bumped into her later on at a competition, had a catch up and she asked if she could have a shot with my gun again. She did the stand again but with my gun, and did a couple more, and was hitting about 30% more than with her own, significantly more expensive, custom fit and custom build gun...

But then again I've found my trap gun very forgiving and yet to find someone who doesn't get on with it (and no it's not for sale!). Had 6ft10 Yorkshiremen shoot it, 5ft Essex ex-GB champions shoot it and all really get on with it.

Having said all this - I can shoot almost as well with my side-by-side which was >10x cheaper than the trap gun - the trap gun wasn't particularly expensive, the side-by-side was just very cheap! Ed