njc110381 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 (edited) Well guys, I've not posted so much lately but this one made me chuckle so I thought I'd share my experience. About two months ago I put in for a variation to change my .22 hornet to .17 Hornet. I also included a letter in which I had a grumble about the loss of my "any other lawful quarry" condition and the general poor state of the wording of my FAC. My key point was that I still had a buy and hold allowance for .243 which has long gone and been replaced with another calibre. I also had no conditions on my combi gun, not even a mention apart from ammo. Well seven weeks passed and I got fed up, so I emailed them to hurry them up. Sure enough I got an email back the next day saying my stuff had been passed on to the chief and would be sorted - two days later it arrived on the mat. I opened it up and eagerly read the slots, ammo counts etc. Well the new rifle is there. But wait - I still have .22 Hornet listed under the quarry conditions and no sign of the .17H? Great! So my question is this. In your opinion where do I stand? I've always seen that as conditions "may" be added by the chief of police, the lack of them suggests that they haven't felt the need and I can do as I please? Others feel that no conditions means I can't use it? What's the verdict from the PW team? Edited September 6, 2012 by njc110381 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 as long as the part relating to expanding .17 ammo is there id carry on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonseed Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 From what I've heard of Gloucestershire it sounds like pure inefficiency. I'd write to the Chief Constable, enclosing your certicate, and ask why his police force isn't doing its job properly. I'll bet it's returned word perfect and promptly when the Firearms Manager has grovelled to you on the phone. One of the reasons why SOME firearms departments are screwing up is because people are scared of complaining. There seems to be a fear among FAC holders--especially younger ones-- that they will be pursued by corrupt coppers and fitted up if they dare to fight back or query the biscuit scoffers. If you do this and don't get sorted immediately,I'll send you a bar of chocolate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I agree, if you get poor service then its perfectly OK to complain and ask for it to be sorted. However, just like when you complain about anything, be polite, accurate and concise, make it very clear what the problems are and what your suggested solutions are. Its very true that so few people do complain, so when we hear repeated reports of poor service etc from firearms teams and we go to the Ch. Constable to take him or her to task about it, they look at us with a bit of a quizzical look and tell us there are no complaints in the file, so there can’t really be an issue!! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 If you look at the helpful document we get to apply for firearms in Cheshire it says quite clearly that if you get angry or are rude to Firearms staff this will be considered along with your 'fit and proper person' references. I would advise you take NOTHING for granted - if it isnt on your cert dont do it and when returning your certificate confirm you feel unable to do anything not on the certificate or conditions. Be polite and avoid getting even a teensy bit angry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Why don't you do what I do when one of the girls in the firearms office make a genuine mistake. Phone up, ask to speak with the person who dealt with your variation and explain to her whats happened and ask for her name so that you can post it back to her so she can amend it. I guarantee it will be done by return of post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livefast123 Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Totally agree with the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Why don't you do what I do when one of the girls in the firearms office make a genuine mistake. Phone up, ask to speak with the person who dealt with your variation and explain to her whats happened and ask for her name so that you can post it back to her so she can amend it. I guarantee it will be done by return of post. Yup, the no conditions attached I'd take to mean you can't use the rifle for anything assuming yours like mine reads the xyz rifles shall be used for pest control and deer. If the rifle is not in the xyz section then you can't use it on anything, its clearly wrong so just have a polite conversation. My licensing called this morning as my tickets been in for a change of conditions and they realised they had put the wrong house number on my tickets, I'd not noticed but simple haven't even got to return my shotgun one they just print another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonseed Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Why don't you do what I do when one of the girls in the firearms office make a genuine mistake. Phone up, ask to speak with the person who dealt with your variation and explain to her whats happened and ask for her name so that you can post it back to her so she can amend it. I guarantee it will be done by return of post. Yes, I've done this, but for small clerical mistakes. You're right about it being sorted by return of post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Anyone can make mistakes, so yes it does no harm at all to pick up the phone and have a chat so they and get things sorted. But if they constantly mess up or constantly dump on daft or restrictive conditions for example, that the time to start complaining, all be it in a polite sensible way as mentioned earler. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 IICR. NJC has had a rifle in his cabinet, that he then sold and informed Glos that he had sold. They had no record of the rifle as they thought is was still in Canada. He sent his ticket in for a one4one and it cam back with 243 ammo still on but no 243 rifle. sent it back and on return it came back with conditions dropped on a couple of rifles, one with no conditions at all sent back again and asked for one 4one on 22 hornet to 17 hornet, ticket came back with new rifle on but no 17 ammo. 22 rifle taken off but 22 ammo still on. This is the reason i will not send mine in to try and get the condition lifted on the 6.5x55. I might end up a tank on the ticket and 50cal ammo. but only after waiting for 6 months for the variation. sorry NJC if i have missed something. ATB Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) Yeah that's covered a few parts of the cock ups. Perhaps I should mention the rifle that turned up on my FAC that I'd never had? I really should send it back and ask for it to be fixed but then they'll miss something else off for sure. It's a constant battle! They're a decent and polite force that rarely give bother, they just can't type out an FAC without getting at least one part wrong! At least for now I don't have the rifle that I cannot use, it gives me time to fix it. Perhaps I should ask for them to print another and then I'll return the one I have? That way I can keep the one with the least mistakes, or perhaps seperate the pages and make one good ticket out of two bad ones?! Edited September 9, 2012 by njc110381 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Phone up and speak to Les or Bob, explain your problems and I'm sure they will sort it. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 I can only guess that they're so busy that they don't read through what they've written before clicking print? It's going to be about a month before the rifle is ready, I'll get a load of ammo in for it and then send it back. I like Les but apparently there's a new head of dept. that's turned up recently? Any idea why H? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 No idea. Since I moved I don't go into the office anymore. First I've heard of it. I would still ring them but just before you send yours back in so they are expecting it and can deal with it promptly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 I would like to hear something, anything, from Glos Firearms, the silence is deafening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SakoQuad Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 I can only guess that they're so busy that they don't read through what they've written before clicking print? It's going to be about a month before the rifle is ready, I'll get a load of ammo in for it and then send it back. I like Les but apparently there's a new head of dept. that's turned up recently? Any idea why H? Linda the new Office Manager has been there about a year I believe. Word was she had been appointed to try to get the systems organised more efficiently but that might have been wishful thinking. In any event, if true, it seems there is still some way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazed Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 I rang my department yesterday as I am still waiting for my licence back after a veriation/ land check it's all done I checked. After about 10 mins I was rang back as they had forgot to print my licence ha ha ha O dear so be a few more days lol they are so un organised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mag44uk Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 One of my chums was really excited to get his fac back with a slot for a 303 pistol! Couldnt find one so sent it back.............. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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