Open fac ticket

-ben-

Well-Known Member
I'm looking for some advice on getting a ticket opened. I've had it 3 years and only had a 243 for a year but out with it about once a week and have problem is I've got land that's not cleared for calibers no higher than rimfire but in the right hand its can quite safely be shot and especially from highs seats. Will a force open a ticket up in a year?
Cheers Ben
 
I'm looking for some advice on getting a ticket opened. I've had it 3 years and only had a 243 for a year but out with it about once a week and have problem is I've got land that's not cleared for calibers no higher than rimfire but in the right hand its can quite safely be shot and especially from highs seats. Will a force open a ticket up in a year?
Cheers Ben

Put it in a letter that you req an open ticket, post it to your flo,,, tell them why you req it open ,,
 
I'm looking for some advice on getting a ticket opened. I've had it 3 years and only had a 243 for a year but out with it about once a week and have problem is I've got land that's not cleared for calibers no higher than rimfire but in the right hand its can quite safely be shot and especially from highs seats. Will a force open a ticket up in a year?
Cheers Ben

West Mercia opened mine after a year, after I wrote them a letter outlining why I wanted it opened and asked nicely. So try your luck and see what they say...
 
I will give it a go would be handy as allot of land around Suffolk is very flat and it can be shot safely and it's a nuisance getting land cleared when you have just been given permission.
Cheers Ben
 
I will give it a go would be handy as allot of land around Suffolk is very flat and it can be shot safely and it's a nuisance getting land cleared when you have just been given permission.
Cheers Ben

Tell me about it! I waited ten months to have my permissions cleared after the centre fire variation. The condition was lifted after three years but only after another protracted wait for land to be cleared.

If the land has previously been cleared it should almost be possible to get the register checked and the okay over the phone. However....one of my ten month delayed permissions had been cleared previously...The ten months was required to phone the landowner and ask if any more roads or houses had been built on the land.

I read somewhere that lifting the condition was often done (upon request) on renewal of the first FAC. This was in the days of three year certificate terms. The three year condition lifting review has apparently been carried on by many firearms department even after the advent of the five year certificate period.

Worth a letter of request to lift the condition to your FLO outlining the reason...not too sure about the advisability of using the "nuisance" argument though!

Alan
 
Compose a letter stating that you have now been shooting your 243 every week for a year now and have gained experience in recognising safe backstops, when not to take shots, public rights of way, boundaries and respect for livestock etc......
Also state that you have had to pass up invitations to shoot and taking on more ground because the landowner does not want the intrusion of a land check.

Ian.
 
Mine was opened for 243 in just under a year. When i put a variation in i asked them to consider a less restrictive ticket as i had 6 new pieces of land just acquired which i would have to get cleared so it would save them work!!
 
If you make your case in writing and are reasonable and focus on safety issues and your experience, you will find the Firearms Licensing Manager will also reasonable.
What they do not want is get lots of outstanding cases of land to clear (time...costs...)
 
Write a letter that they can put on file which removes any responsibility from them to you, box ticked, Cert opened!
 
Ben, it might be helpful to your request if you could get a written letter from a fellow Fac holder that's seen you shoot and can vouch for your safety with assessing land and safe backstops.
 
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Hi guys
ive had a shot gun license for 15+ years and a firearms license for 18 months I've used firearms a lot longer than that due to shooting with family that have had them.

I rang up the licensing department last week about opening my license up due to me doing a lot of stalking shooting with other friends and family and not also sure on weather the land as been deemed suitable by the chief officer of police and would like to stay on the right side of the law.

The lady on the phone said send your license in with any testimonials/receipts of pay outings and she would get it looked at.
I sent my license in last Friday along with 5 documents 1 from a farmer that has three different farms that I shoot on 2 were in depth testimonials from guys that I've stalked with a few times and 3 receipts from outings.

I got a phone call this afternoon from one of the licensing department saying that my license can't be opened up at the moment because I've not use enough bullets to which I replied I use my guns for shooting live quarry, I'm not into target shooting and I thought 140 .243 rounds in 18 months with the weather that we have had is enough. He then back tracked a bit to say 18 months also isn't long enough time try reapplying in 12 months.
 
I got a phone call this afternoon from one of the licensing department saying that my license can't be opened up at the moment because I've not use enough bullets to which I replied I use my guns for shooting live quarry, I'm not into target shooting and I thought 140 .243 rounds in 18 months with the weather that we have had is enough. He then back tracked a bit to say 18 months also isn't long enough time try reapplying in 12 months.

Judging from some of the other threads on here I think you were very lucky to get any kind of response from Essex!

I suggest you write in again mentioning the fact that you have received a phone call querying your ammunition usage and, stating exactly what you have above, request again that the territorial condition to be removed. If they then try and fob you off with yet another telephone call ask for the decision in writing - it can help focus the mind of some people. ;)
 
I'm looking for some advice on getting a ticket opened. I've had it 3 years and only had a 243 for a year but out with it about once a week and have problem is I've got land that's not cleared for calibers no higher than rimfire but in the right hand its can quite safely be shot and especially from highs seats. Will a force open a ticket up in a year?
Cheers Ben

Mine did.

So did mine or thereabouts
 
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