.243 condition on my ticket

2-dead-in-the-air

Well-Known Member
I have a condition to only shoot my .243 with a mentor, whilst I have been over the last 2 1/2 years, i asked my FLO if he would remove this, to which the answer was no.
They are asking for a DSC1 or mentor letter may do, my mentor said go and do the DSC1 but thats £300 !!
Ive been also shooting a 17hmr and .222 for 2 1/2 years and the FLO has given me clearance to shoot muntjack with the .222.
Ive have read on the forum that some people have had this condition removed, but how.
 
You need to start by asking for their reason for refusing to remove the condition in writing, then ask the FEO what the home office guidlines say about mentoring? It would be easier if your mentor would agree to write a letter but if he won't then you will need to get tough.

DSC1 is not compulsory and cannot be enforced.
 
Why won't your mentor write you a letter after that amount of time ?
Spoke to a lad I know the other day, he told me that west mids wre going to take a fox condition for his .243 off him on his next renewal.
It seems to me the firearms licensing dept. Just make it up as they go along.
That said I am under Warwickshire and they seem pretty reasonable, so far any way.

Hope you get sorted one way or another.

ATB

Nick.
 
I have the same condition on my ticket , have a word with george walace at the ngo he loves cases such as ours and is curently fighting lancs on my behalf .
 
I have a condition to only shoot my .243 with a mentor, whilst I have been over the last 2 1/2 years, i asked my FLO if he would remove this, to which the answer was no.
They are asking for a DSC1 or mentor letter may do, my mentor said go and do the DSC1 but thats £300 !!
Ive been also shooting a 17hmr and .222 for 2 1/2 years and the FLO has given me clearance to shoot muntjack with the .222.
Ive have read on the forum that some people have had this condition removed, but how.

Just change your mentor to a more accomodating one who is prepared to put pen to paper detailing your relevant experience gained or shown in their presence..
 
Spoke to a lad I know the other day, he told me that west mids wre going to take a fox condition for his .243 off him on his next renewal.
It seems to me the firearms licensing dept. Just make it up as they go along.


ATB

Nick.
I am surprised at that
West Mids don't really tell you anything and even less likely to do so before they do it , especially if it means there may be a chance you will object to the condition being removed
Plus considering that West Mids recognise a .243 as a suitable fox calibre if you ask for it
Has your mate got this wrong as there are loads of FAC holders in the west mids with .243 conditioned for fox
myself included and I hav only just renewed in the last 6 months
 
I always thought that part of being a mentor is the final letter to sign you off. It is he who needs to deal with this really or he is not finishing the job. Does he or doesn't he think you are ready to be signed off?
 
Their is no problem with my ability or safety ( ive been shooting shotgun for over 30 years ), he just feels that he could be responsable by the FLO if someting went wrong after him sending in a letter.
 
Sounds like he is worrying too much, else he should not have offered to be a mentor. Perhaps the FEO should have a chat to reassure him, as surely the final liability always lies with you.
 
I've always found Wiltshire first class to deal with but by the same token I imagine they are unlikely to change their view. I would suggest as has been suggested earlier either Change mentors or bite the bullet and do your dsc1. Then there will be no problem getting it removed.

Cheers

Rich
 
Their is no problem with my ability or safety ( ive been shooting shotgun for over 30 years ), he just feels that he could be responsable by the FLO if someting went wrong after him sending in a letter.
He cant have it both ways. Either he considers you safe to be out on your own or not ! He cannot tell you he thinks you are safe etc but will not to the police in case something happens and his judgement is called into question. He is either an unsuitable mentor or he is not being truthful with you in his opinions on your shooting. whichever it is you still need a new mentor.
 
Even if he does 'sign you off' he can't be held liable for anything you may do on your own.
Same as GP's can't be...

Why not write the letter for him and get him to sign it?
 
Sometimes police logic is unfathomable. I have all my FAC's on open certs, and my .223 is conditioned for Roe in Scotland and Munties/CWD in England. So suprise when I applied for my .243. I had passed DSC1. They wanted to restrict it as it was my first "deer" calibre rifle.

I pointed out that so if I was out with my .223 I could legal shoot a muntie but would not be able to do so with my .243.

It was then the penny dropped but my FEO (A@S) had to speak to his boss.

Needless to say I recieved an open condition for my .243.

D
 
Ive been also shooting a 17hmr and .222 for 2 1/2 years and the FLO has given me clearance to shoot muntjack with the .222.

Do you have a mentoring condition attached to your .222?

If the answer is no, then your FLD/FEO don't know their ar*e from their elbow as you're already taking deer without being under supervision, so what's the big public safety difference with a .243?

As Cyres has said, they are probably unaware of how idiotic their blanket policy conditioning is, so maybe gently point it out to them in writing and request they remove the mentoring soonest. If they refuse then ask for their reasoning in writing and gets your shooting organisation on the case - SACS are good at this.
 
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some of these firearms dept are making things very hard for people at the moment I think. slow turn around times. along with stupid conditions the feel the need to add.

ye si could understand if people where going for a cf from the off. but when you have had other rifles for a couple of years. i cant see why giving someone a mentoring condition will do for them.

i find it really funny when they say its your 1st deer rifle. yet you have munjac and cwd on a 22cf ?? are they not proper deer then :rolleyes:
 
I always thought that part of being a mentor is the final letter to sign you off. It is he who needs to deal with this really or he is not finishing the job. Does he or doesn't he think you are ready to be signed off?

That's the problem - there's no job description for 'Mentoring' is there.

It really depends on which constabulary it is that are trying to avoid making their own decisions on an applicant's suitability to own firearms. Some can decide merely being an open FAC holder is enough, others might ask for 'experienced' stalkers, the list goes on.

What is certain though is that there is no continuity about it - how can there be, they are all making it up as they go along! - neither is there any thought that a 'Mentor' might actually be less experienced than the applicant or, quite worryingly, less safe.

It's just an exercise to tick boxes and cover someone's backside if the wheels come off at some point in the future.
 
Do you have a mentoring condition attached to your .222?

If the answer is no, then your FLD/FEO don't know their ar*e from their elbow as you're already taking deer without being under supervision, so what's the big public safety difference with a .243?

As Cyres has said, they are probably unaware of how idiotic their blanket policy conditioning is, so maybe gently point it out to them in writing and request they remove the mentoring soonest. If they refuse then ask for their reasoning in writing and gets your shooting organisation on the case - SACS are good at this.

Yes I have clearance to shoot a munti withmy .222 with out mentor.......
 
I have a condition to only shoot my .243 with a mentor, whilst I have been over the last 2 1/2 years, i asked my FLO if he would remove this, to which the answer was no.
They are asking for a DSC1 or mentor letter may do, my mentor said go and do the DSC1 but thats £300 !!
Ive been also shooting a 17hmr and .222 for 2 1/2 years and the FLO has given me clearance to shoot muntjack with the .222.
Ive have read on the forum that some people have had this condition removed, but how.

I had my renewal a couple of week's ago and asked my FLO about a 243 and he said for me to do the DSC1 if i wanted to do stalking . I told him i don't want it for stalking i want it for fox and if i get a chance of a deer and i can take the shot legally . He just asked is there any deer on the land that i go shooting on and how long i had my 223 for told him he said not a problem with out a mentor
W.D
 
Just could be "the mentor" and the feo know more about the situation than the average internet deerstalker?
Being a mentor takes time, effort, responsibility and not too be undertaken lightly. I just upset someone locally by refusing too mentor him for deer/fac purposes...its not just rubber stamping exercise unless you already know and have hunted with applicant on dozens of occasions in past.
Any new deer fac applicant who's not willing/too tight too get dsc1 training will struggle without a good established stalking friend.
 
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