Do I Stand A Chance?

Go for it. Don't be put off and apply. Your contact of them first, as you have, they'll hit you with 'every application has it's merits' and 'they are dealt with on a case by case basis.'

I'd advise a different first line. There are various sites with good information on them, plus you could join The BASC. They can really give you some excellent advice on your situation, and might well prove to be worth their weight in gold. They'd be my first port of call.

I think if you've been sentenced for a 5 or more year period, then you are banned for life, but getting a shotgun licence is easier than a firearms licence as the onus is on them to prove you are not fit for one. Firearms, it's on you to prove you are.

5 years is a good period to show you've changed your ways. If it were me, I'd be contacting the Police outside your area and not giving your name as you just wish some general queries answered. They have to oblige you as it is their job to. That way you can be clear if you've actually broken the law in handling a firearm already. Only then would I contact your local firearms team to discuss matters, else you could be committing yourself! I'll just throw away my own key

As advice already given, ensure you don't make an error on any form you complete and offer full disclosure. To ensure you don't miss something, as any error can write you off ever getting firearms, you could contact the Police and courts for full details of your file, then just include that with any application.

Not knowing your full details why not? I think you've got every chance, and have even heard of someone with a specific firearms offence getting a certificate You may have to fight your corner though, some good advice on here ref the interview you'll get in the application. Just read up on things, prepare and be ready.

@r10hunter gives sound advice. Don't be put off. A lot of jobsworths are happy to not work, or work how they want. It is your application, not theirs. Own it!

 

Great bit of advice, thankyou for taking the time

 

@Airgunner i dropped you a pm with the phone number i can not find the ladies name that deals with wolves but when i do i will pm that to she was great mate be honest and she will help you i am sure ,a few i know have mental health issues andstill got licences once they explained and were open with her over it , just don't try and BS them i think that is their bug bear

 

Apply for it.
If you get refused you get your money back.

You will probably get refused but they will explain why.
You have nothing to lose.
As long as you keep out of trouble then keep trying every 2years.keep shooting and just keep applying.
9/10 times you shoot with ya mates so not having the license is not really a problem and at least your house won't be a target for gun thieves.
Also if you do get it keep it quiet and always try and sneak your guns out of the house to your car. I say mine are fishing rods haha.
Getting off topic here. Apply it costs nothing if refused.
I am a member of BASC. I was refused once and they tried to keep my refund. Said it costs money to do searches etc. I called BASC and their barrister said copy and paste this reply. I did so and got my refund before I took GMP to court.. This is the reply to use if you are refused your refund..

As per section 32 of the Firearms Act (1968), a fee can only be charged for the grant, renewal, variation or replacement of a FAC/SGC. Section 10.39 of the Home Office guidance confirms that application fees must be refunded in the event of refusal.

Hope this helps anyone who had their refund refused

 

I have never heard of anyone getting or trying to get scammed by a licencing authority

 

Try it what’s to loose.

 

It's best to speak to the FEO. Remember the cert can be turned down if the CC deems you to be unsuitable, regardless of offences. You can always content this in court, although that would be done on a case by case basis so nobody can really give you a solid answer.

 

These people can help if you get rejected - https://shootinglaw.co.uk/

 

Look at it from the police point of view. Why should they take a chance. although you might now be a model citizen. The safe way out for them is nope.

 

I had a FAC in the UK, that was until I was raided by the RSPB with the police backing them up. The first thing they did was demand the keys to the gun cabinet and cleared me out. Only after that did they question me about why I was in possesion of an unregistered lanner falcon. My FAC was immediately revoked, and I was eventually found guilty of the unregistered bird charge, and was then a criminal with a criminal record, so getting my guns back was a non starter.

I decided to leave the UK, and lived in Ireland for 5 years where I had an Irish firearms licence, followed by 2 years in France where I had a French firearms licence. Compared to the UK both Ireland and France are easy and straight forward places to get a gun licence. I had a 22 rifle in Ireland, and the same .22 rifle, a revolver, and two centerfire rifles in France. I then decided to return to Aberdeenshire in the UK. After a couple of months I applied for a FAC again, but was turned down because of my "criminal "conviction. As 7 years had passed since my dispicable crime I thought I would be in with a chance, but that was not the case.

Two years later I visited Saskatchewan for a hawking holiday. The country was beautiful and vast, with lots of game and very few people, guns and ammo were freely available in almost every Home Hardware store and many other places. I was sold...... Canada here I come !

I got the Canadian immigration application forms when back in the UK but soon realised that it was going to take about 5 years to get approved to live in Canada. A 5 year wait was out of the question. We put the house up for sale and it sold quickly. We got on a plane to Ontario Canada, bought a big truck and cruised around to check out the place for a few months, it was Saskatchewan that ticked all the boxes....

Being British we could legally stay in Canada for 6 months, after then we would have to leave the country. Just before the 6 months was up we crossed the border into the US, but were denied entry because unbeknown to me I had an Interpol record, and according to the Interpol record I was a violent and dangerous, "CAUTION ADVISED" So we turned around and went back to Canada. We were waved straight through by a Canadian immigration officer, but I stopped and told him I needed an entry stamp in my passport, he asked why I needed it and I told him. He then asked where we were living, and I told him we were living on a farm in Saskatchewan. He asked who owned the farm and I told him we owned it. He then said park your truck over there and come with me.

We were invited into a room with big glass windows inside a building, and were told to make ourselves comfortable. I could see several immigration people through the glass who were busy on computers, every now and then they would gather together for a chin wag, the glances towards us made me think we were the current topic of discussion.
After what seemed like an eternity two immigration officials entered the room, the older one said to me, " let me get this right, you have bought a farm here in Saskatchewan and are living on it, is that correct. ? I told him yes. He then said we could throw you out of Canada if we felt like it, I told him that he would never do that, because everyone knows Canadians have a pioneer spirit and they are all friendly and welcoming . They left the room.

After another eternity the younger immigration official came back, he was holding two fancy looking pieces of paper, he gave one to me an one to the missis. He said these are good for 18 months, if you don't have your immigration paperwork approved by then come back and see us and we will give you another one.. By the way it was the police in the UK who gave you the Interpol record, but don't worry about it, violence is legal in Canada, hockey is our national sport.

Don't bother applying for a UK shot gun certificate, it's a waste of time ..... Come to Canada and you can have as many shotguns as you want, you can even have one with a 12 inch barrel.

Here's mine.

 

Heres a link to police guidance, Its a long read, https://assets.publishing.service.g...aft_firearms_statutory_guidance_-_16_July.pdf,

I think i would take up airgunning.

 

Just apply for it I know people that have them and have been in prison for years and have a very long criminal record…. Just apply they can say yes or no job done

 

This'll probably go down badly, but I'm not sure the UK needs or wants you here, I'm certainly glad you're not here with your record and Walter White/Heisenberg persona attempt.

 

Just read this pile of nonsense. Has no place on a shooting forum. Doesn’t seem a huge surprise your application was rejected. I personally can only hope your stay on this fine forum is a short one. Posting pix of your short barrel shotgun only makes you look pathetic and proves your complete unsuitability to meet IK criteria. You sound like a

 

Well put.

 

I'm sorry to have hurt your feelings, it was not intentional.

BTW, My shotgun does not have a short barrel, it's 18" long. I'm not really interested in shotguns, the only reason I have one is because I can.

 

Don't worry, having tasted freedom going back to the uk is the last thing I would do. ( being a vaccine free pureblood I can not fly anyway )

I love this place. I took the pics below from the windows of my house.

 

You’ve not hurt my feelings. Couldn’t care less about your life after wasting my time reading your life history I decided to comment. Fair play if your shotgun has 18” barrels you mentioned the 12” ones, which in my opinion, can really only have one use and not be legal for that in the UK. Enjoy your wildlife, shame you were investigated for the possession of unregistered therefore illegal wildlife in the UK. Our loss is obviously Canadas gain.

 

I'm happy to know I did not hurt your feelings, but you obviously don't like me enough to feel that you have to comment. Is there no ignore option here. ?

Cutting a shotgun barrel below to below 18 1/2 " is illegal in Canada. Short barreled shotguns that come from the factory are legal, no matter the barrel length. A frind of mine has one with an 8" barrel.

Lanner falcons are not a UK species. The bird in question was captive bred. The reason it was not registered was because of the Royal Mail postal workers strike in 1988. ( what a darstardly crime ) It was a "strict liability offence" meaning that whether it was my fault or not I could not win.

BTW Lanners and many other species of birds of prey can not be registered in the UK now. The PTB have abandoned much of the wildlife and countryside regulations regarding birds of prey, because falconers can now prove with DNA testig they are breeding them.


Every now and again I sent pic or two to the the Norfolk and Grampian police, it gives me great satisfaction.

I recently sent them a pic of my missis.

 

I'm sure Grampian Police don't give a crap since they don't exist anymore