firearms officer visit

gelert

Well-Known Member
having arranged a visit for next monday with the FAC officer his initiall response was"your going for a .243 for deeer stalking,big gun for a starter"
i was under the impression that as long as i have a genuine reason for accuiring the gun i can get the fac.
should i be worried about the visit, or contact basc for help.
it is my firt application for a FAC.
i don't want to teach someone to suck eggs and say well theres sika and red on the ground i've got in scotland so anything else is a waste of time.
:confused:
 
Hi Gelert
I shoot Sika in the Scotish Borders and I shoot all my Sika with either a 270 or a 3006 because you realy want to put them on the floor or you need a good dog to find them.
The FC lads use 270. But you are in North Wales, and the firearms dept there are as bad as Cheshire in making up there own rules.
THe firearms officer there probably does not know the minimum size of bullet for Sika and reds in Scotland is 100gr and 243 is probably the most common caliber to shoot that size bullet.
Sikadog
 
gelert said:
his initiall response was"your going for a .243 for deeer stalking,big gun for a starter"

And which smaller calibre would he recommend that would still comply with the requirements of the Deer Act for reds/sika? :eek:

Which constabulary are you under?

My advice would be to get your 'good reason' in place and justified in your own mind and then politely but firmly stick with what you want - and don't be swayed by what he might 'think' you need.

Check the 'Legal Issues' section of the forum and you should find most potential issues covered - including my own recent adventures in Bizarro Fireams Department world :rolleyes: http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7715
 
north wales police.
the previous "prevention" officer asked my friend if he knew
a police officer as a refeee,which he said yes i know dci joe bloggs he's my brother in law,
upon my z friend phoning the chief firearms officer the note on his voice said the lot when he explained what the indiot had done.
"o we do ask from time to time"bollocks.
 
I thought that North Wales had got a little better since the previous incumbent left the job over some alleged problems with ammo that he was in possession of and his legal right to possess it!!

Amongst the gems that that gentlemen passed on to me was a) all deer are shot inside fences, b) wild boar don't need controlling, c) the Home Office guidelines don't refer to boar, and d) the Chief doesn't want to be a groundbreaker on this, all those being valid reasons in his view for refusing to add boar to a .270 that I already had.

What made this more laughable was he had allowed me an increase in .270 ammo so that I could hold some heavier rounds for boar in addition to my existing stock for deer.

I understood that his replacement was a little better but apparently not. With BASC being located in North Wales territory you would have thought that they would have got them sorted out by now.
 
You shouldn't be worried about the visit... I was and it all turned out ok in the end. Remember, the FEO is an enquiry officer he may not even be plod so don't be affraid of him. Be confident and make him see that you are in the know but without coming across as a know it all, ask questions too, they like that.
If you have .243 in mind, use the argument that you want a 'one for all' calibre that's legal for deer and can also be used for lesser species.

If you have deer on your permission then that's good reason enough.

Good luck ;)
 
cheers every one,
when my mate applied ang got the stupid idiot he phoned che firearms officer who was a gentleman,but he also phoned basc first and they helped
 
my firearms chap called to see me today,up for renewal next month.now he really is a nice fella but he has to stick to what he is told.i asked if i could have boar put on my ticket incase one of these days i get the chance to try for one,he said unless i have a contact who he can speak to to say they have boar on there land i cant have that.also i can have a .243 for deer and use it for fox day or night but the .308 only when stalking :rolleyes: .they do work in strange ways :eek:
 
tika.308 said:
....but the .308 only when stalking :rolleyes: .they do work in strange ways :eek:

What is the penalty if you shoot a fox with your .308?

...and has anyone actually ever been prosecuted for it?
 
Sorry to hijack your post gelert, but Andy, did you explore the possibility of this new clause that seems to be being banded about... something along the lines of "all other legal species"?

Gez
 
The official wording is "AND ANY OTHER LEGAL QUARRY"
Was initially surprised when told what it would say on my ticket and after a lengthy discussion, I understand that it really does mean what it says on the tin. No need for a minimun calibre of .270 or any of that other twaddle.
Could be a move in the right direction but may also be open to abuse.
Hey ho, we'll see.
 
It's worth repeating in full because it's a condition that finally makes sense:

Here's the detail courtesy of one of our shooting organisations:

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group (FELWG) has issued advice that supports Chapter 13.14 & 13.22 of the Home Office guidance. It advised police forces to allow larger calibre rifles to be used to take lesser species i.e. where the primary reason for possession e.g. deer stalking was established, all lesser species such as foxes and pests could then be shot.

This practice has been commonplace in Scotland for some time, and has not endangered public safety in any way. In June 2009 ACPO FELWG again advised forces of a new condition that can be used in place of the standard condition in Appendix 3 of the Home Office guidance. -

The (rifle/sound moderator/firearms/ammunition) shall be used for shooting (Named Principal Quarry Species) and any other lawful quarry, on land deemed suitable by the chief officer of police for the area where the land is situated, and for zeroing on ranges, over which the holder has lawful authority to shoot. (Delete italics where appropriate)

This identifies the primary reason for use e.g. deer/fox control, then allows “other lawful quarry”. Certificate holders are invited to apply for this condition from their local licensing departments and contact BASC if they meet with any resistance.

Just to reiterate - don't specifically ask for boar to be put on your ticket, ask for this new condition instead. As pointed out above, if this condition is applied then it will not of course specify a 'minimum' recommended calibre for boar. Common sense should of course prevail.
 
.................. and goats and Soay sheep etc. etc. anything that is not specifically protected such as badgers, bats etc.

If in doubt, work backwards from what you are intending to shoot and see if you fall foul of any other legislation. If not and it's a legal quarry then the new condition covers you.

Just be mindful of The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 which protects all wild mammals against specific acts of cruelty intended to cause unnecessary suffering - so common sense has to prevail on your choice of calibre to avoid an allegation of causing suffering.


I'm wondering about beaver and can't see why not - I understand there are a few people around Argyll that have grave misgivings about the reintroductions. ;)
 
Si said:
tika.308 said:
....but the .308 only when stalking :rolleyes: .they do work in strange ways :eek:

What is the penalty if you shoot a fox with your .308?

...and has anyone actually ever been prosecuted for it?

I was told off the record by the FEO that there is no chance of the CPS running with such a case, even if they could obtain cast iron proof that you'd shot a fox with a rifle not specifically cleared for foxes. The reason given was that this is not law it's a Chief Constable's condition which is different. However it may not help your next renewal!
 
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