To my mind this is the correct approach dsc 1 doesn’t constitute experience in the slightest if it were me I’d book a couple of paid stalks then reapplyHi All,
I just wanted to get some of your advice to what happened recently. I live just outside Ayr and recently applied for my firearms certificate, I sat my DSC 1 a couple of months ago and passed it, and had a few stalks also, Police Scotland came back to me saying that I dont have enough experience and they won't be issuing me a firearms certificate and to submit an application again in the later future when I have had some experience under my belt Has anyone had this happen to them, or am I just the unlucky one
Firearms certificate application
- Thread starter markm81
- Start date
markm81
Member
I was doing paid stalks before the DSC 1 and am still doing so yet.
In that case they’ve no reason to deny you an fac assuming everything else is in place but it is nice to see police not counting dsc 1 as when it came out we were promised it wouldn’t be used for that ….
markm81
Member
I know and guy who did the same amount of stalks as me and his DSC 1 at the same time and he got his FAC he's in England and im in Scotland so it just shows how different the police forces work.
Subsistence
Well-Known Member
OK, had very much the same experience very recently. It appears that police scotland are not happy to give out FACs for paid stalks without lots of experience. In a somewhat contradictory fashion, for some reason they seem to equate lots of experience with good reason, when applying for paid stalk. I have no idea why this is.
Have a read through this
I did manage to gain some ground which satisfied their good reason, however I did not gain any more experience, and now can go out on my own rather that with an experienced stalker...... is this somehow safer in their eyes?
Have a read through this
I did manage to gain some ground which satisfied their good reason, however I did not gain any more experience, and now can go out on my own rather that with an experienced stalker...... is this somehow safer in their eyes?
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So is this the next made up rule by Licensing Depts that you have to be a member of a club? Just like the you have to have a DSC1 prior to being granted a legal deer calibre after 5+ years of centrefire experience!?
A big reshuffle of policies and the governing bodies bringing forth a united front to challenge and keep these FEO's in check is much needed.
A big reshuffle of policies and the governing bodies bringing forth a united front to challenge and keep these FEO's in check is much needed.
markm81
Member
OK, had very much the same experience very recently. It appears that police scotland are not happy to give out FACs for paid stalks without lots of experience. In a somewhat contradictory fashion, for some reason they seem to equate lots of experience with good reason, when applying for paid stalk. I have no idea why this is.
Have a read through this
I did manage to gain some ground which satisfied their good reason, however I did not gain any more experience, and now can go out on my own rather that with an experienced stalker...... is this somehow safer in their eyes?
I can't quite read the bottom line, but I think they're offering you the opportunity to withdraw your application rather than have it officially refused? Am I correct?
Subsistence
Well-Known Member
I
However it was the access to land that Satisfied thier good reason, and got my application moving. I could tell it would be an up hill struggle to fight it with paid stalks.
My plan was always to get the land, it just seemed like it would be easier after I had gotten my FAC, bit of a chicken and the egg situation.
That is what they basically said to me. However I persevered, and got the FAC.
However it was the access to land that Satisfied thier good reason, and got my application moving. I could tell it would be an up hill struggle to fight it with paid stalks.
My plan was always to get the land, it just seemed like it would be easier after I had gotten my FAC, bit of a chicken and the egg situation.
Funny really , if you consider how little training and practice a standard police constable gets in using firearms ( if we remove more specialised police firearms units from the mix) . You need good reason and no Naughty stuff hiding in your past etc.
Don't put too much faith in our Usual Orgs over this unless it could set a president in further cases ( in which case you might set a president ) and they don't want that happening !
Don't put too much faith in our Usual Orgs over this unless it could set a president in further cases ( in which case you might set a president ) and they don't want that happening !
Subsistence
Well-Known Member
Yer, BASC Scotland, told me that if you're applying for paid stalks they "need" to see lots and lots of experience.
Also i was told by the FEO that when you have done your paid stalks that are booked you no longer have good reason to own any firarms (I was told they would come and take it off me, but that's a differnt kettle of fish)
Hence if you can get them to just put your application on hold for a few weeks, my advice would be to try and secure permissions/syndicate place. And that should take away the current barriers. Though that is a little tricky if you don't already have an FAC
Also i was told by the FEO that when you have done your paid stalks that are booked you no longer have good reason to own any firarms (I was told they would come and take it off me, but that's a differnt kettle of fish)
Hence if you can get them to just put your application on hold for a few weeks, my advice would be to try and secure permissions/syndicate place. And that should take away the current barriers. Though that is a little tricky if you don't already have an FAC
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Police look on dsc 1&2 as "attending a course" , somewhat insulting but as far as good reason goes its " my good reason is to participate in deerstalking" . HO guidance is either a permission or a booking - nothing in the guidance excludes a recent past booking nor requires a booking going forward.
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Hants FLD are a nightmare to deal with, I even had to send them a copy of HO guidance and ask them why they were no longer following it and the firearms act!
Can
If you cant nominate one piece of land (a permission), not in a syndicate or not a member of a home office approved rifle club then you'll struggle to get an FAC, not impossible but be quite difficult if you dont have at least one of those.
Receipts for bookings for forthcoming guided stalks should do it.
It certainly was in my case. I am also in Scotland (although Edinburgh office) and whilst I am also a member of a HOAC, my deer conditioned rifle was specifically obtained based on paid stalking, and my HOAC did not really support it's application as it is a historic rifles club.
I know that when I applied, I also included my deer stalking guide as a contact, and they were called up to ask about my firearms safety.
I take it from the lack of mention in any of your replies that you are not currently a member of any shooting organisation?
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