ColinH

Just to clarify the membership cost at Grimsthorpe, the £225 includes one lesson and a complimentary members day . I should add I have no connection with the ground other than I shoot there occasionally.

MarcMaxus, I would still go back to the shop and argue your case. The sale of goods act still applies to secondhand goods although defining the length of the guarantee is more difficult. Basically, if it ever got to court they would look at what is reasonable based on the amount you paid for the item, so if you only paid £10 for the gun and it packed up after 4 months they would probably rule that as it was so cheap getting four months use out of it for £10 was reasonable. Obviously you paid a lot more and so if it got to court they would probably rule that 3 months was unreasonable given the amount you paid and therefore you would be entitled to repair/refund as appropriate. Just because a shop says 3 months for a secondhand item doesn't mean it is enforceable, often shops do it so if there is a problem after 3 months the customer automatically assumes there is nothing they can do. Hope this helps

I would try and keep hold of it if possible. I live in Lincolnshire and recently moved house and it took almost 5 months for them to change the address. When I first informed them of the change of address they asked me to send my licence straight away which was a pain as I couldn't buy cartridges. If they do ask you to send it straight away make sure you are stocked up on cartridges.

HDAV - it is 195 per person for a team of 10 I think, so works out at 4000 clays for £1950, ie just under 49p per clay. You get breakfast and lunch plus snacks.

It was a Beretta silver pigeon. It was a shame because I like the place, good layout and Julian the instructor was very good also. But now I am reluctant to go there, I go to Sporting Targets instead, the shop staff there are very helpful, they even took time out to show me how to clean and maintain my gun even though I wasn't going to buy anything. I think their philosophy is to provide plenty of free help and advice knowing that if they do you are likely to return, certainly worked in my case!

Try Julian at Atkins Grant and Lang in Markyate, Hertfordshire. I attended one of his simulated game days and it was very good,

I had a gun fit done at Atkins Grant and Lang and ended up with a gap between the stock and the right hand side of the top strap, you could see daylight through it! Took it back and was initially told that wood is a natural material and these things happen, I didn't accept this so eventually they took the gun in for repair in November. After 3 weeks of chasing I was finally advised they would not get around to looking at it until the new year. I pointed out that in the middle of the game season this was a bit inconvenient and took the gun back. So contrary to others my experience was not very good, I was left feeling that they were quick to take the money but not interested in resolving problems. This is a shame as I purchased the gun new from them last February and enjoy shooting there. Trying to decide whether to take the gun back to them to be sorted now the pheasant season has finished or cut my loses and take it elsewhere.

Thanks for the advice. I think I will gat it returned to 'pre gun fit' cast and go from there.

Sporting Targets in Bedfordshire. Plenty of stands to chose from and plenty of free advice.

I am new to shooting having got my SGC in January this year. After receiving the certificate I had some lessons and purchased a new Beretta Silver Pigeon. In September, on the advice of my instructor, I had the gun fitted to me, which apart from shortening the stock also included changing the cast. A month or so later I was shooting at another club and someone noticed that there was a gap between the top strap (the bit the top lever sits on) and the surrounding wood on the left hand side. Indeed when you hold the gun up you can see daylight through the gap. Being a newbie I hadn't noticed this, however it worried me because i thought is could let water in if I shoot in the rain plus it would devalue the gun if I ever decided to sell it. I took it back to the place that did the gun fit and which is also the place where I purchased the gun in the first place. They tell me that the only way to get rid of the gap is to change the cast back to where it was before they did the fit, which was a bit annoying as I had paid them £150 for the gun fit! Given my concerns about the gap I told them to go ahead, they told me they would need the gun for 2 weeks to do the work. 4 weeks later the work still hadn't been done and I was advised that they would not start until after new year, ie 8 weeks after I had handed over the gun. Their excuse was that they are very busy. Given that the gun is perfectly usable I have taken it back with a view to returning it to them in the new year. My questions are as follows. When changing the cast on a gun is it normal to end up with such a gap? Is it a problem having such a gap? Is the only way of getting rid of the gap to put the cast back to where it was? Have I acted in haste asking them to put the cast back to where it was? Any advice would be much appreciated because at the moment as a newbie i am feeling very confused! Thanks for your help

I submitted my SGC application on the 29th May last year (Lincolnshire) and finally received it yesterday. frustrating but found that phoning and emailing didn't make any difference.