Frenchieboy Posted November 17, 2010 Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 I always had nothing but praise for the Lancashire Firearms Office with extremely quick service in the past with variations being handled in a matter of days in the past. However things seeem to have taken a turn for the worst recently. I phoned them today to find out if there was any developement on my variation application (Which they received a week and a half ago) only to be told by my FEO that it was going to be AT LEAST a couple of weeks more before he could deal with it. He even told me that he hadn't even seen any of the paperwork relating to my application for a variation on my FAC yet but he knew that it warranted an enquiry? How does he know what the request is without even seeing the application and related paperwork, maybe he is telepathic! Has anyone else experienced this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rec-baller Posted November 17, 2010 Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 just recived mine back yesterday-- got my .243 granted !!! and it was turned around in 8 days so i don,t think thats too bad, p,s thanks to my f.e.o George Stokes + Nicole at Preston firearms !!! shaun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbivvy Posted November 17, 2010 Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 How does he know what the request is Might be his way of saying. bend over and brace yourself. :lol: on the good side peter, you may have a nice xmas pressy for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted November 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 (edited) just recived mine back yesterday-- got my .243 granted !!! and it was turned around in 8 days so i don,t think thats too bad, p,s thanks to my f.e.o George Stokes + Nicole at Preston firearms !!! I have not had any dealings with george Stokes but I have only praise for Nicole and Jennifer! My FEO used to be Peter Wilkinson who was a true gent and very helpfull, now I have "another officer" for an FOE and things seem totally different! How does he know what the request is Might be his way of saying. bend over and brace yourself. on the good side peter, you may have a nice xmas pressy for yourself. You could be right there mate! Just to be on the sage side have you got any Vasaline handy I have been to my RFD this evening and had a look at my new .243, and very nice it is too! I have dropped off the scopes to be fitted and zeroed in with a bore sighter. I have even asked him to hold back 3 or 4 boxes of Partizan 100gr softpoint ammo to bed the barrel in with at just £9.50 per box! Edited November 18, 2010 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstevouk Posted November 17, 2010 Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 I hope it gets sorted soon Pete, there's nothing like bl00dy waiting for people to pull there finger out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 I put mine in with Derbys yesterday and was told it could be 8 weeks. Lancs doesn't seem too bad by comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymc Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 I submitted my variation to the PSNI a month ago. Looking at another 5 months before it gets back to me. Such is life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethb Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 It took my mate three weeks with lancs feo for a 243 variation this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrelsniffer Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 My mate bill applied for his FAC sept last yr with merseyside..hes still waiting now..apparently been granted..hes had SGC for 15 yrs..work that one out .. not a clue what hold up is..but over a yr is taking the xxxx...is say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonevo Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 My mate bill applied for his FAC sept last yr with merseyside..hes still waiting now..apparently been granted..hes had SGC for 25 yrs..work that one out .. not a clue what hold up is..but over a yr is taking the xxxx...is say. speechless :o :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted November 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) Just a quick update! My FEO came round today and spent a while with me talking about my application. He has said that there could be an issue as it would need to be "primarily for deer stalking" and much of the use that I will be giving it for the time being is on fox - and with that in mind they might say why should I want a larger caliber when I had been shooting foxes in quite a satisfactory way with a .222? At the end of the "interview" he would not commit as to whether his report would be either positive or negative but said it would more likely be "neutral" but he would say in it that I had shown good responsibility, honesty and openness, whatever that means? He says that he will submit his report to the issuing officer by Friday and I will hear back from the issuing officer within a reasonable time, but he would not commit himself and say what he thought might be considdered "a reasonable time"! Oh well, we will see! Edited December 6, 2010 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted November 30, 2010 Report Share Posted November 30, 2010 what a plonker, the simple fact is if you want to shoot anything other than the small deer species then the .222 is illegal so you want a .243. Doesn't matter is you want to shoot one or one hundred, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbivvy Posted November 30, 2010 Report Share Posted November 30, 2010 "primarily for deer stalking" Why would it, guidelines say it can be used on fox. All you need is good reason,some where to shoot it and some thing to shoot at, you have it, if they have a problem with it then that,s down to there department policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psyxologos Posted November 30, 2010 Report Share Posted November 30, 2010 Mind you, the Lancashire Firearms department is SEVERELY understaffed and there are going to be three more people going. I heard this from the horse's mouth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye Posted November 30, 2010 Report Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) Well i put my variation in to Cleveland police at 1pm the other day got a call 12.45pm the next day to say it was ready to pick up any time i wanted..less than 24hrs ... Had a read then after advise from a mate i contacted BASC as Cleveland had refused to add vermin on my 223 and 243.. Another phone call to police HQ resulted in me dropping my ticket back in, Picked up again the following day now it say Vermin and ground game on both CF's..Result. :good: Edited November 30, 2010 by hawkeye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted December 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2010 (edited) Just a quick update! I have jioned the SACS and they say that they will be happy to help sort things out if need be so I am waiting till Wednesday to phone the Issuing Officer to ask for any update on progress. In the mean time I have been on another forum and found out that I am not the only person that has had almost identical problems with this FEO. One person with an identical application to mine had to get the BASC to contact the Head of Firearms and it was sorted out straight away. I would be interested in hearing from anyone else that has had "problems" with this same FEO! I have to say that I have no complaints whatsoever with the girls in the office, they are very helpful! Edited December 6, 2010 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 5, 2010 Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 Simon although a decent bloke and very knoledgable about military history and firearms seems to believe that there are shots that are safe with say .222 that wouldn't be so with .243. I say if you think that then you want to seriously examine some of the shots you might take with the smaller calibre. I have actually told him such personally he seems to have a perticular thing for people upgrading from .223's to 22-250 even though they both use the same bullet heads, for pete's stake we are not firing the things up into the sky to see how far they will go (indeed talking tecnical being faster there might be better fragmentation from the 22-250 ) As FEOs go though he aint a bad one but you are just pressing the buttons he personally don't like pressed currently. Hope it turns out well let us know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted December 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) As FEOs go though he aint a bad one but you are just pressing the buttons he personally don't like pressed currently. Hope it turns out well let us know I hear what you are saying Kent but I think questions need raising in view of the fact that a neighbours son who put in for a SGC for Clay shooting told me that when the FEO did his home visit he openly said that "He had no problems with Clay or Target shooters but was not so keen on people that shot live animals"! If that is true (And I have no reason whatsoever to disbelieve the person who told me this) which buttons should we press to avoid that one I wonder? Edited December 6, 2010 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bop Posted December 5, 2010 Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) It's not bad at all- my last psni variation (grant for centrefire) took 9 months. It's the norm here. I see regular letters in the shooting press about how quick gb forces are! We wait for months here! Edited December 8, 2010 by bop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted December 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) It's not bad at all- my last psni variation took 9 months. It's the norm here. I see regular letters in the shooting press about how quick gb forces are! We wait for months here! In that respect you lads over that side of the water have my total sympathy. That sort of wait would have me climbing the walls! What gets to me is that another member of this forum (with a different FEO) in Lancashire (The same as me) got his variation for a .243 sorted out in just 8 days from start to finish - How the hell can they justify these sort of time differences for what is basically the exact same variation? Edited December 5, 2010 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted December 5, 2010 Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 How the hell can they justify these sort of time differences for what is basically the exact same variation? Unless he sent it in on the same day it's not comparable. One week they might get 100 applications, renewals and variations - another week 10. Realistically I had a variation in North Yorkshire in 3 weeks and was really happy. That didn't include a visit. I thought that was quite good. I had to wait a month for a sky dish fitting, 6 weeks for a BT phone line installing. How quick do you think they should be? As staff are cut it's all going to take longer and longer and longer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste12b Posted December 5, 2010 Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 Hi all, I had no problems with Simon he was great. It was for a sgc application for vermin and clay. Speed was good for time of year and number of staff. ste12b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted December 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 Unless he sent it in on the same day it's not comparable. One week they might get 100 applications, renewals and variations - another week 10. Realistically I had a variation in North Yorkshire in 3 weeks and was really happy. That didn't include a visit. I thought that was quite good. I had to wait a month for a sky dish fitting, 6 weeks for a BT phone line installing. How quick do you think they should be? As staff are cut it's all going to take longer and longer and longer! I understand what you are saying Apache and you are quite right but there are limits. In this case it seems quite hard to understand why mine is taking so long compared to the one that I mentioned which was dealt with in just 8 days. I have just heard back from the one that was dealt with so quickly and from what I can see it was an addition to the chaps ticket and there was not even any mention of a home visit. The chap was just told to put down that he wanted it for deer and that was that. With this in mind why is there so much difference in not only the time but the way that things are done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poontang Posted December 5, 2010 Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 I was actually speaking to Simon Vann (Lancashire FEO) the other day about this as I was thinking of putting in for a .243 and doing my DSC1 at a later date. His advice was that I might be best to do my DSC1 first and then make sure that I can secure enough land with a reasonable head of deer or get some written invites to stalk before getting a .243 This does make a lot of sence to me, even though some people might disagree. (I don't want to get involved in the rights or wrongs of this in here, this is just my opinion) From what I can see there is nothing to stop you going on "Accompanied Stalks" and using an Estate Rifle in the mean time to see if deer stalking is for you or not! FB Just as a matter of interest, have you done your DSC1, secured any land or got any written invites to stalk as your FEO suggested? If not, then that could well be the reason he's holding back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted December 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) I can happily answer your questions quite easily poontang. Have I done my DSC1 Yet? Not yet but I have started an in depth study in readiness to sit the DSC1, something that my FEO discussed with me last Tuesday and was quite happy with! Have I secured any land yet? I assume that you are refering to land with deer on it. If so yes, I already had permissions with deer that I was authorised to shoot and further to that I have just had my FEO clear another 2 permissions with deer on them which I am authorised to shoot - These were cleared for up to .270 by my FEO! Have I got any invites to accompanied stalks? Yes I have been invited on stalks and culls by a deer Management Specialist that is known to my FEO but these invites have not been put in writing yet, they are however checkable! I also have another experienced stalker ready to mentor me if needed who is also willing to help prepare a Deer Management Plan if need be - The FEO is well aware of this. I have not only met as much of what was suggested as is practically possible I also meet all of the requirements in the HO Guidelines for being authorised to posess and use a .243 for deer and fox so there really is no justifyable reason to refuse my application for a .243 for deer and fox at this present time! Edited December 7, 2010 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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