Visitors Firearm Permit - modertaor not included?

[mealiejimmy]

We recently applied for a visitors permit for a new guest coming over from Sweden to stalk roe deer. When we received the permit, we noticed that his sound moderator had not been included, although it was listed on the application and on the copy of the paperwork he had supplied us with.
When I contacted the Aberdeen Firearms office (from whom we have always had excellent service), we were surprised to be told by one of the ladies in the office that it was not their practice to include moderators on visitors permits, and in fact this particular lady told us that in the 5 years she had been working in firearms she had never issued a visitors permit which included a moderator.
There was no explanation given as to why they have this policy
We've had guests coming for several years, but they don't use moderators, so for us, this situation had never arisen before.
We decided to contact the UK Border Force office in Aberdeen to see how they would view the situation of someone arriving with a rifle and moderator, but with only the rifle listed on their visitor permit.
They went away to have a think about it and check around what other Border Force places were doing, and later that day I received an e mail from them stating categorically that the moderator must be listed on the visitor permit or it will not be allowed entry into the UK.
I then contacted Aberdeen firearms and told them what Border Force was saying and could I please have the permit amended to include the moderator.
There was a fair bit of huffing and puffing on the other end of the line and I was told to hand in the permit along with a letter explaining the situation and including the e mail I had received from UK Border Force.
Today, I received a new visitor permit which includes the moderator.
I'd like to know if anyone has experienced anything similar when applying for visitors permits

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Skietindiekop]

Slightly the other way round but when I took mine to SA, only the rifle was checked and not the mod if I recall correctly.

 

[njc110381]

Nothing useful to add unfortunately. But it does baffle me how it seems acceptable to them to huff and puff at you when they are the ones at fault? I'd have struggled not to say "look mate, you fluffed this up so I should be huffing at you, not you at me!". Professional conduct seems to be non existent in some forces.

Mine, I'm thankful to say, are always very quick to rectify problems if they've been caused their end. Exactly how it should be.

 

[Tartan_Terrier]

Odd! I had my moderator on my visitor's permit when I was over from Denmark. I'm pretty sure the customs people checked the serial number on it too.

 

[sikamalc]

I deal with a lot of overseas visitors and applying for their Visitors Firearms permits, having done so for many years.

Any moderator must be included on the application if they are bringing their own rifles into the UK. It is considered part of a firearm so I always include it on the application. However some EU countries do not allow them as freely as we do to own, Hungary being one country in particular.

It would appear that again we have inconsistency in the system when applying for firearms or permits, nothing new there then

 

[Redneck]

It was the same the last times I went to SA moderator was in the case but the SA police were only interested in the rifle, and just asked if I had the number of rounds in my other luggage and that was that.

Went to Norway several times and as long as I had the EU passport I was issued with a 3 month permit by the customs people without delay, very easy process in Bergen airport.