Bobba Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Last night after rabbiting I left my permission when in a nearby gateway I saw two cars and four heavily armed policemen. Overhead was a helicopter!! I stopped and asked if they were looking for a man with a gun as it may be me. They asked if I had been in full cammo (I had changed clothes). I said yes so they confirmed it was most likely me. They said they had received a call about a man in the road with a gun. I said I would never be anywhere near the road. I produced my SGC explained how I transported the shotgun (my choice, I dry fire the shotgun then carry the foregrip in the glovebox the remainder in a gunslip in the boot. Cartridge belt under the seat.) I then put my point of view that this could perhaps be a mischievous call as the farm is completely arables and without gates and locals treat it like a park, walking off footpath and trespassing and getting disagreeable if they see me going about my legitimate pursuit. It was agreed I should inform my permission. After a few radio calls we concluded our meeting. I was complemented about my safety procedures. They would include this in the log. They would call the complainant and inform them that all was OK but that the complainant should respect the fact that it was a farm on which shooting takes place. We parted on good terms Throughout the whole incident the Avon and Somerset ARU were very thorough and professional. A very measured response. With shootings taking place worldwide and the public geting increasingly wary about guns then it is not too surprising that once in a while someone will call the police when they see a man with a gun. We may sometimes feel indignant when we are in the right but It seems it may be something we have to learn to live with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Without a snap cap, it's not a good idea to dry fire a shotgun particularly if you do it frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livefast123 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Think of how much tax payers money anti's waste every year getting ARVs and helicopters out because shock horror, they have seen a person in a field with a gun......in rural Somerset. Have people really been nannied into reacting like that! I would have imagined the difference between Bobba and a terrorist would be fairly marked........ I had the Dyfed Powys chopper out when I was shooting the family farm in Wales with my Howa 1500. I put the gun on the floor and it hovered overhead for a minute before deciding that we ok and flew off. Was expecting a welcoming committee at the farm but nothing arrived. Nice to hear we are getting it right Bobba. Edited July 1, 2015 by Livefast123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Think of how much tax payers money anti's waste every year getting ARVs and helicopters out because shock horror, they have seen a person in a field with a gun......in rural Somerset. Have people really been nannied into reacting like that! I would have imagined the difference between Bobba and a terrorist would be fairly marked........ I had the Dyfed Powys chopper out when I was shooting the family farm in Wales with my Howa 1500. I put the gun on the floor and it hovered overhead for a minute before deciding that we ok and flew off. Was expecting a welcoming committee at the farm but nothing arrived. Nice to hear we are getting it right Bobba. A waste of time but rather they came to nothing than not turned up and there was another massacre I've had em out before whilst shooting in a field, chopper came over, I put the gun down, a van pulled upto the farm gate and the farmer was there splitting logs. Said to him "There's a bloke with a gun in your field!" N he told em "I know... I told him to go down there!" They didn't even bother to come see me they just **** off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) I suppose once reported the police have to respond, but I would not dispell the possibility it was someone anti gun, anti shooting that is stirring things up! It's a pity the police don't investigate these type of reports with a view to recouping the money it costs to mobiles the ARU........ if it transpires it was a vexatious complaint! That should read mobilise!!!! Edited July 1, 2015 by panoma1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Prawn Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Perhaps we should all carry an A3 copy of FAC that you can hold up and the helicopter can read it with their camera? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy518 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 It is possible by using just the police national computer and your car reg number to see if the keeper of the car holds a SGC or FAC. PNC shows the keepers name n address, insurance database often gives date of birth. Combine the two on another database within PNC and you get details of any convictions and firearm ownership. Not totally foolproof of course, the person with the firearm might not be the keeper of the vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 It’s really nice to read of a positive outcome for once! Maybe they used some discretion and common sense for once. Am sure some will disagree with me here but I personally fear the police armed units. I don’t have anything to hide from them, I fear there approach at times and from some of the weapon handling I see by them at work on a daily basis I fear there safety standards etc. Well done Avon and Somerset. ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 i have all ways found avon and somerset very good,and very fair, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lister22 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 just tell them to go away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy518 Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Don't make the mistake of thinking that being firearms cops they know firearms law. I met two of Cambridgeshires finest a while ago. Claimed that we had damaged a tent with falling shot in a field over 300m away and behind us with i line of trees between us too. One had a real attitude. After a while I told him what I did for a living and suddenly he got a radio message via his earpiece that no damage had been caused after all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted July 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 just tell them to go away I really despair at the inane thinking from tosspots like this. Hopefully the minority view otherwise, over time, it will not only be the anti's against us!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Don't make the mistake of thinking that being firearms cops they know firearms law. I met two of Cambridgeshires finest a while ago. Claimed that we had damaged a tent with falling shot in a field over 300m away and behind us with i line of trees between us too. One had a real attitude. After a while I told him what I did for a living and suddenly he got a radio message via his earpiece that no damage had been caused after all I bet his face was a picture I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I used to work as staff at avs hq and i can say that the firearms dpt and arm response guys are all top notch. You explained what you were doing there, they responded to what was called in and all ended as it should have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 just tell them to go away what a silly post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ordnance Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Overhead was a helicopter!! I stopped and asked if they were looking for a man with a gun as it may be me. Unless stopped I would have being on my way, and said nothing. A similar report here of someone shooting would probably of got a response of two police no helicopter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Unless stopped I would have being on my way, and said nothing. A similar report here of someone shooting would probably of got a response of two police no helicopter. So instead of approaching them and saving them time and us money you would just walk on by.. I think the op did the right thing. They were looking for him, he let them know what he was doing and that was that.. If he had just walked off that could have been a few hours looking for no one.. Do you know how much it costs to put the eye in the sky..... More than the average yearly income.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted July 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 So instead of approaching them and saving them time and us money you would just walk on by.. I think the op did the right thing. They were looking for him, he let them know what he was doing and that was that.. If he had just walked off that could have been a few hours looking for no one.. Do you know how much it costs to put the eye in the sky..... More than the average yearly income.. I agree. Totally. Whilst the complete list of reasons didn't come to mind at that time it just seemed to me to be the correct thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lister22 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I really despair at the inane thinking from tosspots like this. Hopefully the minority view otherwise, over time, it will not only be the anti's against us!! the police lobby to limit firearms and shooters rights want us to pay for their slow inefficient licensing depts they are imho anti ps sticks and stones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I have had them out quite a few times,both the normal armed response and the terrorist armed respose unit because I shoot on some sensitive land,they have always been polite as have I to them,they have done their checks asked a couple of questions and then had a general chat,one unit even had a look through my nv. In return for being polite the police managed to get the security team who kept calling them out to give me their tel no which the security team had refused to give me as it was confidential.Now I can let them know I am on their perimeter shooting and everyone is happy. Common sense prevails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Don't make the mistake of thinking that being firearms cops they know firearms law. I met two of Cambridgeshires finest a while ago. Claimed that we had damaged a tent with falling shot in a field over 300m away and behind us with i line of trees between us too. One had a real attitude. After a while I told him what I did for a living and suddenly he got a radio message via his earpiece that no damage had been caused after all Are you in the force by any chance Ozzy? looking at your avatar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 There are some silly comments on here, Why can't we just be polite? If you were stopped whilst driving a car for a random test would you just tell them to go away? Yes not all police know the firearm laws but if when stopped you are polite and answer whatever questions asked you might enlighten them to one or two things they didn't know, As for fining people who report such things, surely that would stop people reporting, just in case they get fined, They may not then report something that needed reporting. Too many people with axes to grind methinx. The OP did the right thing by talking to the police and saying it might be him they were looking for, If, as suggested he just walked away, how much more money would have been wasted looking for the "man with a gun"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy518 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 It's all well and good saying just be polite mate, but my latest experience, one of the guys really had an attitude, he was abrasive and refused to hear our side. The allegation that we had damaged a tent that far behind us was ludicrous. His attitude only changed when I told him that I was in the Job too. He then strangely enough happened to get a message that no damage had been caused. It was essentially a noise complaint . My point is, it's a two way street. We as police cannot expect people we interact with to do so politely, if we don't extend the same courtesy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 My point is, it's a two way street. We as police cannot expect people we interact with to do so politely, if we don't extend the same courtesy. Exactly. Slightly off topic I admit, but my nephew was in a local car park talking to friends who were parked in their cars when some boy racers decided to drive in, do a few donuts and handbrake turns etc and then disappear. My nephew was still there talking to friends when the local rozzers arrived in response to a call, surprisingly. He started to walk away when they drove into the car park, but was shouted at by one who asked him where he was going. He simply said 'home' and carried on walking. 'No you're not, you little ******, not 'til I've finished with you' came the response. He was stopped and searched but complied as he had nothing to hide. He was then taken round the corner and told 'If we have any more trouble from you you'll be getting a thick ear one night, alright?' He was furious, understandably, but stood and took it as he's a firearms owner. The copper wouldn't let him go until he acknowledged the threat. He had nothing to do with the boy racers and was simply there when the cops arrived. He's never been in trouble with the police so where the 'more' came from he had no idea. He wouldn't let me make a complaint and told his Dad, who suggested not telling his Mother (my sister) as she would have been down there like a shot. I told him to put his phone on record if there's a next time. I wouldn't mind so much but one of the two coppers who arrived knows him as he used to go beating with him on the same shoot and knows he's not the troublesome kind, but neither have done anything for police/public relationships in that young mans mind. Way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 It's all well and good saying just be polite mate, but my latest experience, one of the guys really had an attitude, . My point is, it's a two way street. We as police cannot expect people we interact with to do so politely, if we don't extend the same courtesy. Yes but surely the OP did the right thing in telling them it was possibly him they were looking for? You get bad apples in all walks of life, I suppose I'm all for the quiet life really, but would take offence at the above post and would have possibly taken it further. But by all accounts the police in the original post did nothing wrong and were only doing their job, so telling them "just go away" would have just caused confrontation, Treat people how you expect to be treated, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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