It took my youngest daughter (19 years old at the time), a year to get an S2, in 2023.
FEO wanted 2 references, not just one. Her application was put on hold until she could provide proof of safety training, even though I assured the FEO she had been out with me, and when granted, all shotguns had to be co-owned by me. FEO wanted independent proof of training and safe shotgun use (fortunately, I had given her some lessons with an instructor for clays as a present in the previous year), and FEO followed up with her instructor to confirm she was safe.
My daughter is mild and well mannered, nobody in our household as ever been in any bother at all, in her 2nd year at Uni at the time (doing Biomedical Science), great school reports, no medical issues. I have lots of permissions for land she can shoot real pigeons on.
I realised this is well beyond what the regulations say an FEO should do, in fact no different to a Firearms Cert application, but in her case, the simplest path was to comply and provide the things requested. It is a sign of the times and a harbinger. The FEO involved is one who actually knows about firearms, a nice breath of fresh air. I don't imagine there is much misuse of legally held firearms on his watch.
Hopefully FEOs do not let any migrants have firearms of a shotgun unless they can provide a life history that can be substantiated, but I would not hold my breath on that. If anywhere, that is where the law needs tightening up. I do worry about the 24 year old, who claims he is 15, from Syria / Somalia / ... , getting hold of firearms: we have imported an army of fighting aged men, who don't wish to fight for a better life in their homeland but wish to continue their ways here - this is the real powder keg in the UK that the law needs to sort out.
