Was maybe worth asking,

[TaxiDriver]

I know theres a thread running about SGC applications and/or delays in processing/granting

But I emailed asking for permission to use my 22lr at an address in Suffolk.

Within hours a member of staff had replied to say that they had contacted Suffolk Licening to request a land inspection.

On my other request (that having held my FAC for 3 years) would the firearms licencing manager consider removing the restrictive licence conditions in order to allow me a more flexible usage of my 22lr, I was told to make a written application, they would consider the 'evidence of useage of the 22lr' this could be the number of rounds purchased/used and Also supporting evidence of people who are experienced shots in their own right and who have shot with me in the past.......

 

Ahh well, better hope Suffolk look favourably on my new permission.

[team tractor]

I've just asked for open ticket in Staffordshire after 15 months . Always worth a try while getting a variation

[telf]

had my license 4 years now,applied for open ticket a couple of months ago,refused it,as they said had to have closed ticket for 5 years,would be looked at upon renewal,this is northumbria police who i must say are very quick at variations etc, and i have no complaints about at all, but obviously that is the way they do it for open tickets

[Albert 888]

Depends on how you come accross to the feo i suppose,and how much experiance you have and how many rounds you have gone through. got open on the 22lr and 223 asked for a 357 mag and two 308s and got them I had good reasons. Had my fac for about18 months at this time. Asked for all leagal quarry,(no you cant shot small vermin with cf) licence came back with all lawfull quarry :-D. Good luck and hope you get what you want. Im pleased with mine. The variation and opening my fac plus asking to hold more ammo took around 3 month.

[TaxiDriver]

Fair play to Essex for emailing Suffolk Police the same day as my initial email request,

Better still a call from the Suffolk FEO for the area saying he will do the land inspection tomorrow.

 

Had a bit of a chat and he came across as really helpful and pro shooting and letting people have what they need,

He expressed a little surprise at the refusal of an open ticket but, its down to individual forces to interpret the rules/guidelines however they see fit.

[TaxiDriver]

Took a ride upto Ipswich today and had a walk around with the feo,

Property has been signed off for 22lr and 17hmr.

. :)

[theosmith]

essex signed mine off in less than 8months

[Blunderbust]

TD, you had better hope that they don't check your usage as if I remember right you had not used it between one PW Catton Rifle meet to the other.

[HDAV]

Daft thing is buy 500 rounds of cheap ammo and spray it at a pay and play range and you are no better or safer shot than you were before but you have more rounds on your ticket! Hence more likely to get an open cert............ Go figure

[stokie]

I've just asked for open ticket in Staffordshire after 15 months . Always worth a try while getting a variation

Don't get your hopes up with Staffs . Me and stokeshooter did the same after 2 years we were asked to provide evidence of shooting so we sent letters from 5 different farmers saying we were there at least once a week . They still turned us down saying we had to wait until we had been shooting 3 years

[TaxiDriver]

TD, you had better hope that they don't check your usage as if I remember right you had not used it between one PW Catton Rifle meet to the other.

Lol thats right,

do you also remember someone offering to take me out for a weekends shooting that never materialised

Checked with my local shop and ive purchased (and therefore used) 900 rounds in 3 years, Have done some shooting where my host provided a couple of boxes of rounds which of course dont get entered on my licence which doesnt help.

[Blunderbust]

TaxiDriver

 

Yes you are right I do remember inviting you up for a shoot and I would have fed and watered you for the whole week end and given you a variety of shooting but I also remember being given an excuse that you could not make the dates that we agreed on (at very short notice to boot). I also remember the fact that you were running around with your shooting vest on during the last morning of the PW Catton Rifle meet which we all presumed you would then be taking part in the clay shoot. I also remember you deciding that you were going home early because "you did not have a shot gun with you" even after telling me you were shooting the clays the evening before. I also remember you having the audacity to ask for a refund for the day from Sparkie because you were leaving due to the fact that you were not able to shoot your .22, I also remember him telling you that you could shoot on the HMR range if you wished but you still left. I also remember that you did not have a clue about how to zero both your .22 FAC air rifle and your .22 RF, indeed I also remember you told me you left early from the PW Catton Rifle meet the year before because you were not hitting a barn door. I also remember you saying that you were going to throw them both away because you could not get them to work. Most importantly I also remember taking time to show you how it was done and then miraculously I also remember you hitting numerous targets there after. Strangely, I also remember various people trying to get your .22 RF sorted because you had fitted a new stock and used a bolt that was too long and stopped the rifle bolt feeding the rounds. I also remember you struggling to shoot and me telling you that you would be better shooting from the prone position and you telling me "I don't do prone position or was it just I don't lie down".

 

I hope you get the point. I would have invited you up again but after what I saw on the PW rifle meet I frankly would not waste my time. I have invited many people to shoot with me, I have never went back on any invite, I am sure that the people who have joined me will vouch for my character. An invite is an invite, but once the invite is counteracted buy a refusal/late excuse (as in your case) then the invite is no more.

 

I hope you enjoy your new ground.

[TaxiDriver]

Im sorry, to seem to have taken what was meant to be a tongue in cheek retort to heart, it was not meant to be any reflection on or attack on your character.

You were kind enough to offer to invite me up for a weekend and I'd no doubt been given a great weekend, but to the best of my knowledge/memory I never heard anymore about it and I never asked.

 

Youre right, I was having troubles with my CZ and the bolt not cycling and several people Dougy, Mad1 and yourself kindly had a look with Dougy spotting the problem and Fruitloop fixing it by polishing off the end of the stock screw on an oilstone, And to all of those I believe I expressed my gratitude at the time.

 

Again, you are correct in that you did help me tremendously with getting both my 22lr and Air rifle zeroed in, and Im sure I expressed my thanks at the time as I wish to again, If you thought I appeared in any way ungrateful towards yourself at the time then Im sorry that wasnt the case.

 

As for laying down or prone position, you almost make it sound like I refused, Being rotund meself im pretty sure i may have joked about laying down, ie not being able to get up, or rolling around like a beached seal I dunno.

 

You obviously think terribly of me and for that Im sorry, :( So I think its probably just left at that.

[Blunderbust]

You are right I do think terribly of you and any tongue in cheek remark that effects the way others perceive me as an individual, I take very serious. I am sure if you check your PM list you will find that you had actually forgot about the dates we had pre arranged and explained why things had been forgotten. I can tell you exactly what your excuse was but will not put it on a public forum. You are right it is probably better left at that but I will say you are the only person who has been invited to shoot with me who has not eventually done so. You were going through a bad time, having spoken to you at the NF I thought I would cheer you up with the offer I made. You were the one who changed my attitude towards you and no one else, thankfully you did, as I would have had a pretty **** week end trying to keep you happy. As I said, enjoy your new permission.