Scully Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 So how are all you people with S7s coping with ammunition as it is not legal to hold S5 expanding ammunition on a Section 7 are you just shooting with solid or match ammo.If you are shooting deer on a section 7 one way or other you are breaking the law I wasn't aware of this until someone on here mentioned it a while ago, but at last renewal I was given a S7 without even requesting one ( I also hold expanding ammo ) and told by my FEO that if I wanted ammo just give him a ring and he'd give me my current ticket back ! I didn't ask how that would work as the expiry date had already passed, but only last year mate renewed his tickets, was given a S7 when renewal date was passed and he too holds expanding ammo. My renewal is due in October and now knowing what I do I'll be ensuring my application is in well within time so that if I am issued a S7 I can then ask what I should do about holding expanding ammo without the relevant authority. Beforehand I intend to contact my organisation about this matter, just to check my facts first. One question I'll be asking is that if our shooting organisations are aware of this matter then why does it still occur? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimmie Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Hi.Rimmie. well its taken that long to get a visit for an address change and variation so did you get any indication of how long it might be before you are going to get the altered cert in your hand and are able to get out and get a new tool? What new tool have you put a variation in for? Surprisingly when he'd checked my cabinet, we done the usual paper work and he HANDED ME MY NEW CERTIFICATES !!!!! Which any other time would of been great BUT, as I wanted to do a variation I had to hand my shiney new fac back to him 😩 And in his words :- "I have no idea when you'll get this back" "The office are 7-8 MONTHS BEHIND" Took a .223 off and added a .243 and .17 hornet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 who is your feo? I was told that they had teamed up and sent out 1500 S7's in one week. There is one serious problem in the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimmie Posted February 10, 2016 Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 Il pm you fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominicrobed Posted February 10, 2016 Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 I'm in Kent. If the waiting times are so bad when should I put my renewal in ? SGC runs out in December this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted February 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 I have been told that the reminders and paperwork are going to be sent out 12 weeks before expiry date for you to get a start on. They are going to expect you to get it back in to them by 8 weeks before expiry date. The word is that if it isn't in then they are going to say that you haven't applied in time and that they won't issue a s7" and that you have to lodge your weapons with an RFD until the new certs are issued which could be whenever. This could become quite expensive if you have a lot of guns. What the legality of this is, is anyone's guess. So when the paperwork arrives you better not put it in the cupboard, you better get stuck into it straight away and send it in by reg post. How long you will have to wait for the new cert: could be months and in this case you will be on a s7. Make sure that you are stocked up with enough lead for 6 months unless you have access to other supplies and or a good mate. You had better get the calender and put a circle around 12 weeks before expiry date and a bigger one around 9 weeks before to allow post time so that it is in before the 8 week deadline. So what are the orgs going to do about this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominicrobed Posted February 11, 2016 Report Share Posted February 11, 2016 Is there a limit before I can put my renewal in ? Can I send it to them if it is taking 6 months in mid June ready for the December expiry date ? My wife also has a SGC so if they get funny simple the guns will go on her one until my new one arrives. More paper work for them if they want to be funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruster Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 You guys need to move down to Devon I just sent in my fac for a mentor removal, .243 removal and .308 to be added on Friday and I just got it back today exactly 1 week later, this is the second time I have sent my licence in for amendment and got it back within a week, I'm super impressed with Devon and Cornwall firearms department Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominicrobed Posted February 13, 2016 Report Share Posted February 13, 2016 Spoked to BASC today and they are going to put the heat on Kent police to sort this problem out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted February 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) Putting heat on the department ain't the way to go because they just haven't got the TRAINED office staff to cope with the amount of applications that there are in at the moment. I was told that they have two of the staff that have been in the office for a year and that they are still being trained to do the job. All putting the heat on will do is trigger the department to contact all waiting applicants and advise them that they are in possession of firearms without a valid certificate and that you have to lodge the weapons with an RFD at your expense until your application is prossesed This could get very expensive if you have a load of weapons and the time is for XX Months. Being in possession of illegal weapons is a very serious offence with mandatory sentence. This could get very expensive if you have a load of weapons and the time is for XX months. There is no way that the department is going to just hand out certs without going through due process. Imagine the poop that would drop on them if they handed out certs to complete nutters who then went out on the rampage up the local high Street. Although this certificate thing is very important to us who are waiting for the cert to arrive, the department couldn't give a monkeys if you can't buy or sell and to a degree it might weed out a few applications of those who just say "I can't be bothered with it all" and pack it all in and withdraw the application. One less to deal with. We will just have to keep calm and be patient. If you start jumping up and down you will get marked up as a hot head and a trouble maker. And basc can only enquire about procedure they have no power or sway more than my granny over the department and government financing. Unless you want to pay treble for the privilege and that ain't going to help in the short term. Why is it that Kent have a seven month delay and other places it is a couple of weeks? Edited February 13, 2016 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 13, 2016 Report Share Posted February 13, 2016 Spoked to BASC today and they are going to put the heat on Kent police to sort this problem out. I await the result with eager anticipation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted February 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2016 I await the result with eager anticipation. Perhaps basc will go down and give them a good rodding or march up and down outside with sandwich boards and placards with a message of "release the unjustly detained certs" or"justice for the certs ". They could even strike up a rousing chorus of" we shall not be moved " ECT. I can imagine the department staff quaking in their boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominicrobed Posted February 13, 2016 Report Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) Was only trying to help. Edited February 14, 2016 by Dominicrobed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margun Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 I put my renewals in mid December, expired 17th Jan. Got temporary SCG and FAC early Jan and a renewed pair of certificates yesterday, no home or phone interview. Nowhere near the 9-10 months my FEO told me, although a mate who put his renewals in in May had his interview in December and still has no tickets! However they've only renewed the WMR and I still have to wait for an interview for .243 variation which according to the letter 'will take place during the substantially delayed process'. So well done to Kent Police, perhaps they are starting to address things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted February 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Sorry Dominic. I didn't mean to be nasty and offensive to you. It's just the frustration of the situation. It has been known that this year was going to be a peak year for applications partially for reasons going right back to the Hungerford and Dunblane cert modifications eras. Although this potential problem was known about by both the authorities and the orgs nothing has happened to address the situation in a substantive manner. The main fact boils down to money and resources. Guns and shooting is just a hobby and no one is going to starve as a result of not having a cert. Therefore everyone has got to keep calm and wait for the situation to ease and the cert mountain to subside as it will do. Both you and I have a way around this problem and carry on as normal. I don't quite understand why some counties can issue certs in a few weeks and others take many months. This must either be down to numbers of certs in for attention or the amount of trained staff to be able to deal with them but this is an internal operational matter. On the lighter side of the situation I now have received my certs back. As for calling basc. All they can do is no more than you can do and enquire about the situation. They have no power to demand that any cert is given priority over someone else or that resources that aren't available be transferred from other areas of the budget. Even if money was transferred to this department it wouldn't help because by the time that the extra staff were trained the mountain would have receded and they would have no work and either made redundant or transferred elsewhere and have to be retrained again. basc had no influence over the loss of handguns, autoloading rifles, multi shot weapons, hunting with dogs and a whole raft of other things. There is no point saying we have a seat at the table and the ear of government when you are treated like an irritation and then ignored. If they had any kind of influence the current situation wouldn't exist and when have they issued out any sort of statement of: this is what we have done and achieved for member xy&z today. It wasn't all that long ago when there was a big thread on here involving a lot of very disgruntled wildfowlers and the performance of basc. Not a very good performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominicrobed Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Sorry Dominic. I didn't mean to be nasty and offensive to you. It's just the frustration of the situation. It has been known that this year was going to be a peak year for applications partially for reasons going right back to the Hungerford and Dunblane cert modifications eras. Although this potential problem was known about by both the authorities and the orgs nothing has happened to address the situation in a substantive manner. The main fact boils down to money and resources. Guns and shooting is just a hobby and no one is going to starve as a result of not having a cert. Therefore everyone has got to keep calm and wait for the situation to ease and the cert mountain to subside as it will do. Both you and I have a way around this problem and carry on as normal. I don't quite understand why some counties can issue certs in a few weeks and others take many months. This must either be down to numbers of certs in for attention or the amount of trained staff to be able to deal with them but this is an internal operational matter. On the lighter side of the situation I now have received my certs back. As for calling basc. All they can do is no more than you can do and enquire about the situation. They have no power to demand that any cert is given priority over someone else or that resources that aren't available be transferred from other areas of the budget. Even if money was transferred to this department it wouldn't help because by the time that the extra staff were trained the mountain would have receded and they would have no work and either made redundant or transferred elsewhere and have to be retrained again. basc had no influence over the loss of handguns, autoloading rifles, multi shot weapons, hunting with dogs and a whole raft of other things. There is no point saying we have a seat at the table and the ear of government when you are treated like an irritation and then ignored. If they had any kind of influence the current situation wouldn't exist and when have they issued out any sort of statement of: this is what we have done and achieved for member xy&z today. It wasn't all that long ago when there was a big thread on here involving a lot of very disgruntled wildfowlers and the performance of basc. Not a very good performance. No worries mate and I'm glad you have now got your SGC I don't mind waiting to much as with a section 7 I can still shoot my guns and buy cartridges with it. It's would only be a issue if I had FAC then I would not be able to bu ammo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypig Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 8 months to the day for a coterminous grant from Hampshire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie-fox Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Hows GMP doing with variations at the moment?? Last year it was 7 months... Is it still the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxfordfowler Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 Hands Up - 6 months has now past. No interview, no new SGC - infact no contact whatsoever unless I count the arrival of my Temp Cert. On the bright side my renewed Explosive Licence has arrived - bloody fantastic. Trouble is I have now sold my Muzzle Loaders so no longer have any need of an explosives ticket. Patience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimmie Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Well FAC on the door mat this morning, everything fine except I asked for the permission for .223 rifle, mod and ammo to be removed, and they have taken the rifle bit off but left the mod and expanding ammo on !!! Could've been worse I spose, whole process have taken exactly a month to the day. Not good, but a lot better than I expected!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Well FAC on the door mat this morning, everything fine except I asked for the permission for .223 rifle, mod and ammo to be removed, and they have taken the rifle bit off but left the mod and expanding ammo on !!! Could've been worse I spose, whole process have taken exactly a month to the day. Not good, but a lot better than I expected!! Can't understand what's going on then; another PWer from Essex has claimed on another thread he's been waiting over a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimmie Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I'm in Kent, a friend of a friend has waited since October for his first application for a SGC, he haven't even had a date for the fro to come out yet !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted March 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2016 (edited) I read this post on the lincolnshire firearms thread and I can see this being real as it seems to be a countrywide problem but how is it that some counties have no problem and others have months and months delay. In Kent they are all civilian and they pack up early on a friday afternoon. If there was any professional standard being applied they would be working until late and every weekend until the situation was got under control. I wonder how long prince XXX's or lord blogg's certificate takes to process? Again are the orgs doing anything about this, because anyone with 2 cells can see this is going to lead to a massive hike in fees at some stage. There is a deadly silence from those that take money from the shooting public on the pretext of having influence and standing up for shooters rights. Post #23 http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/331803-lincolnshire-firearms-licence-department-delays/page-2 Edited March 5, 2016 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted March 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 This subject off how long it is taking to issue tickets in Kent was on the ITN Meridian news at ten -ish tonight, Mon 7/3/16 There was quite a good bit and the local politicians were on the case. there was a bloke shooting in a range and out in a quarry shooting metal targets and out in woodland. The bloke off of fieldsports tv was on there. A statement from the police commissioner basically said that too much plod money was being used up to support someones hobby. the Question was asked why is it taking nearly a year for kent to process tickets when Essex and Sussex can do it in a few weeks. Kent said that we are a rural area with a high number of cert holders. Of course Essex and Sussex are totally non rural. >> Yeah right. At least something is happening and cages are being rattled at long last. The section on Meridian was balanced and pretty good which is a novelty in itself. If you didn't see it you might get it on catch up. It is worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belly47 Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 (edited) http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/topic/kent/ The video is on this link for those interested, scroll down and it's the second or third headline Edited March 8, 2016 by belly47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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