Byrnsie44 Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Hi there, Before I applied for my FAC in Suffolk I applied in Buckinghamshire, so to gain a bit more info I rang the licensing department. I enquired about the fact I wanted .22lr and .17hmr for purely pest control and zeroing. She's asks me if I have any shooting experience, I reply 5 years in the army as a paratrooper,trained on machine guns , heavy weapons etc on calibre's from .223 to .50. My weapon handling is second to none as you would expect. She replies saying its not good enough as I do not have experience shooting a .22lr or HMR. She's said "even police officers need a mentor ", well obviously the overage police officer isn't on the ranges every week! Haha Tell me if I am in the wrong here guys but it made me laugh a bit, especially as about 2 days later I put about 600 link through a GPMG using night vision.... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Military service does not count as experience as far as fac applications go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrnsie44 Posted February 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Ah fair enough then! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Have you never shot on the indoor .22 range in simulations?that would be experience of using a .22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie-fox Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Military service does not count as experience as far as fac applications go. mine did but it was about 5 years ago...but i already had a .22 and a 17hmr i wanted a 22/250 and she asked what my experiance with centerfire rifles was..10 min chat on the phone and i got it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Have you never shot on the indoor .22 range in simulations?that would be experience of using a .22 Experience at what ? Blatting shots off down an indoor range in a controlled enviroment is not classed as experiance as far as public safety and shooting in the community is concerned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 mine did but it was about 5 years ago...but i already had a .22 and a 17hmr i wanted a 22/250 and she asked what my experiance with centerfire rifles was..10 min chat on the phone and i got it... Yes, they seem to be wanting to cover their backside more and more these days with mentoring conditions even for rimfires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Experience at what ? Blatting shots off down an indoor range in a controlled enviroment is not classed as experiance as far as public safety and shooting in the community is concerned Why have a dig at me? he needed to show experience of using a .22, using one on a range no matter how controlled would still be experience and count toward the overall picture. Funnily enough my firearms department were more than happy that i had used .22, 9mm, 7.62, 5.56 to list a few calibres in my 14 years military experiance, i had also been a range officer for 9mm pistol, this built up a picture that shows that i was aware of the safety side of things and because of the use of weapons and explosives my handling and thoughts were always on safety. I agree that it is different to shooting out in a field having to judge your backstop for each shot and quarry identification,but this is learnt while on the ground and you never stop learning. Mentoring is a fairly new concept for smaller calibres,what did the hundreds of thousands of people do before this? Do you remember your first time out with your first .22,how careful were you to get that first shot just right,how many shots did you not take because you were unsure,and you knew that if you mucked it up your ticket was gone.Now how many shooters out there who have been shooting for years have fallen into the trap of being blasé because they have taken the shot in that field a thousand times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrnsie44 Posted February 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 I uses to shoot small bore target rifles but they didn't count because they were not sporting rifles, I appreciate your replies guys, when on a live range doing attacks you have to be aware of who is running around you, much more so than shooting rabbits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houlsby Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Move up north! .223, .22, .17hmr first time no questions :-) ( there **** at everything else tho) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Hi there, Before I applied for my FAC in Suffolk I applied in Buckinghamshire, so to gain a bit more info I rang the licensing department. I enquired about the fact I wanted .22lr and .17hmr for purely pest control and zeroing. She's asks me if I have any shooting experience, I reply 5 years in the army as a paratrooper,trained on machine guns , heavy weapons etc on calibre's from .223 to .50. My weapon handling is second to none as you would expect. She replies saying its not good enough as I do not have experience shooting a .22lr or HMR. She's said "even police officers need a mentor ", well obviously the overage police officer isn't on the ranges every week! Haha Tell me if I am in the wrong here guys but it made me laugh a bit, especially as about 2 days later I put about 600 link through a GPMG using night vision.... Thanks Theres your first mistake, phoning first! Just apply if they give you any of this BS get onto your shooting org. If you aint a member of BASC etc you should be. There is no real grounds for Rim fire mentoring in the guidance only mentoring for deer calibre rifles. For a correctly trained ex-para its totally ridiculous I should appeal and kick up a heck of a stink." Even police need mentors" hardly surprising you might think they might get some better ones when you look at their accidental shooting of totally innocent persons and fellow officers in training Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrnsie44 Posted February 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 I did think it was a bit of a joke at first, I applied in Suffolk anyway and no problems at all , funny huh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Move to Cumbria,or ask your shooting organisation for advice.What they are suggesting seems ludicrous to me.You'll obviously be aware of backstops,safe arcs,and fields of fire.If it weren't true it would be comical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Move up north! .223, .22, .17hmr first time no questions :-) ( there **** at everything else tho) Same here no questions asked ,applied for 22 rim first then sent for 17 hmr, 22 hornet two months after getting Fac ,dropped on the mat ten days after posting no bother , did my stint in the army shooting big boys toys go for me who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alendil Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 huh i did service in navy (diver) in Poland and when apply for FAC in co.durham i was told that shooting 7,62x54 dragunov(about 10000 rounds) and 9mm pistol, mp5 H&K,AK47 etc etc is not experience to get .22 LR and my frend (gamekeeper) have to confirm i can shoot rabit in uk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) Its the way its going I'm afraid. The default position of the authorities, which includes the police and firearms licensing depts, towards the general public is one of distrust. We are all potential criminals until we establish a satisfactory record to the contrary. It is not helped by the fact that too many within firearms licensing depts, though conscientious and well intentioned know next to nothing about firearms. Ex servicemen who have used firearms professionally and then gone on to have a long careers in sporting shooting before hanging up their sticks are the ideal candidates to become FEOs. They've seen it all and done it all, met the idiots and can usually see them coming; but heaven forbid that a person who knows what they're talking about should ever be employed by the public purse. There is certainly a case for caution giving someone who has never shot anything more powerful than an air rifle in their lives a cartridge rifle and letting them loose in lowland farmland that's crawling with people and livestock. But that ought to be where properly experienced referees come in. The last I heard, Dorset's policy was to apply mentoring restrictions to first time deer-legal calibres. Why a .243 is inherently more hazardous than a 220 Swift I've no idea. Edited February 17, 2013 by Gimlet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 Are you range qualified? If you have an A Qual you can design and build a range for and calibre upto .50 this has counted for a mate recently. I guess it's also how you sell it getting all Para Reg over it may not help (gun ho squadie) or carm responsible person responible for x number of people on a field firing range you designed and assessed all aspects of saftey on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 why qualify it? "do you have experience of using firearms?". "Yes, lots. on ranges, off ranges, overseas etc........." you have range training in the army dont you? we have range competency test/cards etc as well. What exactly is the difference? you understand about back stops, trajectory, lethal ranges of various calibres/cartridges> I defy any admin doris on the phone to tell me I can't plink bunnies without some random mentor being there. throw it back at them and ask them to justify it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.