This will be one of few posts I make from now but it may help someone so hence the post.
My shooting friend died some time ago last year - he left me his rifle and had 3 other guns. Before I could collect my bequest and anything else the RFD holding them died. The force responsible for the area was west Midlands who immediately conducted an inventory of all guns held by the deceased. His only son was not an RFD. After the inventory, I collected the rifle given to me following a variation processed very efficiently by Gwent - simple fact.
The son was given 2 weeks by west midlands, to get rid of all the remaining firearms (including his dad's and advised to call Holts to collect and process them all via auctions.
My friends guns would therefore be sold at (I believe) a much lower price due to commission/.collection etc. I advised he obtain a section 7 for his dad's guns and request an extension to the two weeks (as one of those weeks involved arranging and attending his father's funeral).
I contacted my local and extremely helpful RFD, R&D in Ross on Wye. The owner, Rob, very helpfully checked the guns and advised the other RFD's son what he could do, but he could not justify commercially collecting and selling the guns.
I attempted to arrange a S7 so I could transport my friends guns (not on my ticket obviously) to the Ross shop and sell them there. All this time Rob was helping, at nil cost, to sort matters out.
I rang Gwent Firearms who were very sympathetic and the Supervisor was very helpful to me and allowed me to take the guns on my ticket, to later use or dispose of them, as I was member of a gun club and had 'good reason'.
Gwent processed the Variation in 24 hrs and I can now collect my friends guns legally. I will lodge them with Rob who will help me with their disposal. Gwent were excellent.
The problem in all this for collective information is that The Home Office has apparently issued an edict that Section 7 permits are not to be issued.
Neither Gwent nor West Midlands could issue one to help, willing though they were. This HO edict links with the length of time for renewals and grants to be made and is the Home Offices sledgehammer to crack this particular nut . Needless to say it impacts those who honestly and simply seek time to sell on their loved ones possessions. I have heard that forces will shortly stop issuing Section 7's at all and will immediately confiscate the guns from relatives who cannot hold them in any other way.
I have nothing but thanks for Gwent who were able to advise me and process what I needed in a very short time.
West Midlands also adopted a reasonable position on the time to hold the deceased weapons in this case (it will not happen in future).
So Section7 has transitioned from a helpful, if little used, part of the legislation to a means to correct delays in Firearms Licensing.
I have left out names in this but I would like to personally thank those 3 individual officers who helped.
I have often criticised the Police and still hold concerns over their scrutiny of Firearms holders and users. However in this case they acted within the law but to help.
I do wonder why our representative organisations are not picking these potential problems up and acting to correct the inevitable consequences of the HO edicts, given the effects such things have on their members.
My shooting friend died some time ago last year - he left me his rifle and had 3 other guns. Before I could collect my bequest and anything else the RFD holding them died. The force responsible for the area was west Midlands who immediately conducted an inventory of all guns held by the deceased. His only son was not an RFD. After the inventory, I collected the rifle given to me following a variation processed very efficiently by Gwent - simple fact.
The son was given 2 weeks by west midlands, to get rid of all the remaining firearms (including his dad's and advised to call Holts to collect and process them all via auctions.
My friends guns would therefore be sold at (I believe) a much lower price due to commission/.collection etc. I advised he obtain a section 7 for his dad's guns and request an extension to the two weeks (as one of those weeks involved arranging and attending his father's funeral).
I contacted my local and extremely helpful RFD, R&D in Ross on Wye. The owner, Rob, very helpfully checked the guns and advised the other RFD's son what he could do, but he could not justify commercially collecting and selling the guns.
I attempted to arrange a S7 so I could transport my friends guns (not on my ticket obviously) to the Ross shop and sell them there. All this time Rob was helping, at nil cost, to sort matters out.
I rang Gwent Firearms who were very sympathetic and the Supervisor was very helpful to me and allowed me to take the guns on my ticket, to later use or dispose of them, as I was member of a gun club and had 'good reason'.
Gwent processed the Variation in 24 hrs and I can now collect my friends guns legally. I will lodge them with Rob who will help me with their disposal. Gwent were excellent.
The problem in all this for collective information is that The Home Office has apparently issued an edict that Section 7 permits are not to be issued.
Neither Gwent nor West Midlands could issue one to help, willing though they were. This HO edict links with the length of time for renewals and grants to be made and is the Home Offices sledgehammer to crack this particular nut . Needless to say it impacts those who honestly and simply seek time to sell on their loved ones possessions. I have heard that forces will shortly stop issuing Section 7's at all and will immediately confiscate the guns from relatives who cannot hold them in any other way.
I have nothing but thanks for Gwent who were able to advise me and process what I needed in a very short time.
West Midlands also adopted a reasonable position on the time to hold the deceased weapons in this case (it will not happen in future).
So Section7 has transitioned from a helpful, if little used, part of the legislation to a means to correct delays in Firearms Licensing.
I have left out names in this but I would like to personally thank those 3 individual officers who helped.
I have often criticised the Police and still hold concerns over their scrutiny of Firearms holders and users. However in this case they acted within the law but to help.
I do wonder why our representative organisations are not picking these potential problems up and acting to correct the inevitable consequences of the HO edicts, given the effects such things have on their members.
