Why do we have to renew SGC & FAC?

I was reading the parliamentary paper about how much more it costs the police (i.e. the tax payer) for them to process SGC & FAC grants, variations & renewals then we the applicant pay with our fee. Having just got my SGC & FAC after 4 months due to the police being over worked with renewals and too under staffed to cope, it suddenly came to me.

If I broke the law the police would come and take my guns away

If my mental state was of concern my doctor (who is notified by the police that I have guns) would call the police and they would take my guns away.

so why do I have to pay for the privilege for them to waste time and money to come around to my house every 5 years to drink my tea & eat my biscuits?

I have been approved to possess shotguns & firearms so why not leave it at that until they have been notified that I am no longer fit to do so?

They can get on with variations and grants and to me that makes sense!

If anyone has any thoughts on this matter please comment as I want opinions as long as they are not stupid or offensive.
 
So you lose all your permissions but still have a cabinet full of guns,and nowhere to use them, where is your good reason to posess?
Don't get me wrong, I kind of agree with you, but I can see why the rules are the rules, if I we're going to free up police time I'd say change the system so that grant of a license means you can buy any rifle and any quantity, no need for variations and wasted time that way...... After all if your safe to own a .308 why not be allowed to own a .243 or .22 250 etc....
 
I do agree with what you say if you do wrong they will come

I've just put in my renewal for my SGC I know it'll take 3 months ish befour I see my licence again like you say why do they take so long

I'm an FAC holder with multiple calibre rifles with no problems I don't see any reason why they just can't renew a SGC automatically with no bother if your a FAC holder ( like the banks do with your bank card )
 
Deerstalker .308 I agree with the calibre thing. As for the permission though, so what if you do lose your permissions, do like I do and pay an estate to stalk? you don't have to prove good reason or permission for a shotgun, you don't even have to fire a single cartridge but its the same thing every 5 years and I think its pointless. A random spot-check would be more helpful to catch people who leave their guns & ammo around the house instead of locking them away & stuff.

I don't know why you are even limited and monitored with how many rounds you can have, or why you have to have them on your FAC but not your SGC, or why you can only have one rifle of the same calibre?

Why not have a cert saying "this person has been deemed trustworthy & not a hazard to the public & until proven or medically advised otherwise can legally possess firearms" It would make life a lot simpler?
 
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Accepting that you do have to renew certificates (not convinced, but...), then if the burden is too great for those tasked with the enquiries and admin, I see no good reason why it shouldn't be every 10 years. That's what most other things are.
 
Why is it that the Police have the responsibility to run the system? Their job is to maintain law and order and catch and/or deter lawbreakers.


They do not run the DVLA.


They do not issue licenses to practise medicine.


They do not license the military to bear arms.
 
Cause the feckin idiots in westminster think that the people will rise up against them and all the law abiding Fac and Sgc holders will go with the flo and join them......... as said feckin idiots.....
 
Why is it that the Police have the responsibility to run the system? Their job is to maintain law and order and catch and/or deter lawbreakers.

Quite right. This fact -that the police are responsible for administering firearms licensing- does nothing good for the public perception of shooting sports and livelihoods. IMO a move to a civilian agency would be a step in the right direction of normalising (and "de-criminalising") the perception of legitimate firearms users in society.
 
becasue the law was written in 1964 and is now out of date in a modern world cannot be changed without a change in law

no harm i think in having a check every 5yrs (or whatever) but no need for it to expire and need a full reapplication and check on everything again as a new licence

police do it now as they need ot check Data bases only police personnal are allowed to one only an SIB officer can check as normal plod and Civilial FLO FEO are not allowed access to etc still shouldnt take long to run 4 data base searches and ring your permission plus a 1hr visit tho if they where on a modern compuer system not a folder and paper based one From Inspector Gentleys era
 
It used to be every 3 years then at a stroke of a pen it became 5 years so why not 10 years? The sun still came up in the morning, life carried on.... I certainly think that if nothing has changed then just return the ticket endorsed for another term upon renewal.
 
It used to be every 3 years then at a stroke of a pen it became 5 years so why not 10 years? The sun still came up in the morning, life carried on.... I certainly think that if nothing has changed then just return the ticket endorsed for another term upon renewal.


probably becasue reveinue would go down and be even more under funded ie 1 fee over 10 yrs or 2 fees over 10 yrs was 3 fees over 9 yrs
 
Deerstalker .308 I agree with the calibre thing. As for the permission though, so what if you do lose your permissions, do like I do and pay an estate to stalk? you don't have to prove good reason or permission for a shotgun, you don't even have to fire a single cartridge but its the same thing every 5 years and I think its pointless. A random spot-check would be more helpful to catch people who leave their guns & ammo around the house instead of locking them away & stuff.

I don't know why you are even limited and monitored with how many rounds you can have, or why you have to have them on your FAC but not your SGC, or why you can only have one rifle of the same calibre?

Why not have a cert saying "this person has been deemed trustworthy & not a hazard to the public & until proven or medically advised otherwise can legally possess firearms" It would make life a lot simpler?

I haven't had my own ground for my last two FAC renewals and it's not been an issue with my local FLO. I'm not sure I even had a visit last time but those I've had have been low key. The last guy who came to the house said that I didn't have to show him my cabinet but I did anyway. I also don't see the need for repeated visits unless you have changed address or want more weapons in which case a chat might be in order. I think we all understand the reasons for apparently over vigilant policing but a stalking rifle would hardly be the weapon of choice of anyone contemplating illegal use of firearms, except obviously poaching. My SGC is currently being renewed so it wil be interesting to see what happens this time.

Before the firearms admin in North Wales experienced its recent improvement the weirdest decision I had was an agreement to increasing my .270 ammo allowance so I could get some heavier rounds for boar but then refusing to add the words "and wild boar" to my FAC conditions for the "off the record" reason that "the Chief Constable doesn't want to be a groundbreaker on this", hopefully AOLQ now sorts this out.

For me the best change that could be made is an idea that Jamross explained to me. Roughly it was to give less precise slots, e.g. .308 and derivatives or maybe .22 centre fire and derivatives so that any calibre within the definition can be purchased or a vacated .223 slot could be filled by a .22-250.

The FAC itself would be a credit card sized photo ID card like a driving licence with all the relevant info printed on the card or a magnetic strip, chip or barcode. If you went to a gun shop and maybe sold a .308 the RFD would scan/swipe the card and the slot would be immediately freed on the system allowing say a .30-06 to be purchased in the same transaction.

I can't really see the downside with this.
 
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I don't see why FAC's & SGC's should need renewing.

It may well be that your shooting opportunities and hence good reason varies over a lifetime but surely the important thing is to ensure that firearms are not possessed by someone who is going to misuse them for some criminal purpose.

The fact that you guns may periodically stand idle secured in their cabinet has no bearing on public safety whatsoever.

atb Tim
 
For once Norway has it right.
Do hunting test.
Pay hunting licence.
Free to apply for almost any caliber weapons (shotgun, rifle, combination or drilling)
6 weapons with no hassle. You want 6 different 308s, no problem.
Cabinet from first weapon. Very little spot checks.
No having to have ground deemed suitable/ caliber restrictions.
If I want a 375 for roe deer, no problem.
Licences printed on credit card sized card and laminated. One card for each weapon/barrel.
Blasers etc count as one weapon, no restriction on how many barrels (apart from wallet)
Pay once and unless in trouble with the law or mental illness, yours for life.....
 
Border; well that makes total sense hence it will never happen in UK!

Treasure Island here we go again...............
 
Here in germany the Jagdschein renewal is every 3 years done in a civilian office which takes about 20 minutes the WBK (combined shotgun rifle pistol cert) is never renewed it is just conditioned on keeping the jagdschein renewed the jagdschein costs 150 euros for 3 years.
Martin
 
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