FAC Application - Advice Please

[wilbert 6]

Sorry for starting yet another FAC thread but every case is different and I didn't want to hijack anyone else’s thread.

 

I have had a shot gun certificate for 7 years now and I am a member in small pheasant syndicate plus have permission on some local farms for pest control where I use a mixture of pre charged air rifle and shotgun to target the pests depending on location and time of day etc.

 

I have been thinking for applying for a FAC for a couple of years now and would need to apply for a .22lr with moderator for rabbits and a .243 with moderator for the fox and deer. All the land that I shoot on has been passed off for the calibres that I would be applying for. What would be the likely stance of Lancashire firearms dept on granting a .243 with moderator on a first issue FAC? Would it be better to just apply for the .22lr first and then apply to have the .243 added at a later date or would this be unnecessary? Would it be reasonable to ask to buy 250 .22lr rounds at a time and store upto 500 and buy 100 .243 rounds and store upto 200 or are these ammounts excessive? Everyone seems to have different ideas and some use far more more ammo than others. I have several friends who have FAC's and could "mentor" me for the first year or so, I consider myself to be safe with guns and shot selection and have no criminal convictions. There is no mad rush for me to fill in all the forms just yet as I am realistically looking at it being 6 to 12 months before I have the cash saved up to buy the guns and extra rifle cabinet. I also plan to the DSC1 course once I have started the ball rolling.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and advice.

Edited June 19, 2012 by wilbert

[reeking rabbits 15]

Can't help you with any .243 info, but to give you some idea on the .22 ammo. I just got my .22 and hmr FAC, I'm aload to buy 250 and hold 300 for each caliber. I think I heard the officer saying that was a standard amount (not sure if this is the case) when I was interviewed.

[bangerstox10 3]

I normally buy the rounds by the box load eg 500 rounds of .22 and 250 for .17 HMR this means they are all from the same batch so dont have to keep checking zero. The quantity i am allowed to buy are .22 1000 .17HMR 1000 .222 100 .243 100 The amount i am allowed to hold are .22 1200 .17HMR 1200 .222 200 .243 200 You will find cuts down the amount of time you have to keep going and buying rounds. You will also use alot more of .22 and .17HMR and as you go up in the calibres you will use less as this is more specialist.

[landrover 6]

if you do'nt ask you do'nt get, if you have good reason then they will look at it,asyou say if you need a mentor you have people that will help you, go for it and good look with the application

[paulus 26]

phone them and ask about amount of ammo as all forces seem to be different, mine allows 22lr buy 500 store 600 and 22.250 buy 100 store 200. if your going to apply then apply for both as it will save you reapplying later and remember you have up to 5 years to purchase the gun after application is granted

[SportingShooter 0]

No reason why you can't apply for and should be granted a .243 on first application. If you have the land and if pressed, a mentor for it, there's no reason to refuse you.

 

Ammunition wise. For field work, the amounts you mention are quite reasonable but they differ from force to force. Anything up to about 1000 for a rimfire is fairly reasonable and 200/300 for centrefire.

[Operator 3]

As paulus said each force is different I've got buy/hold .22 1000/1200 .17 500/600 .243 500/600

 

It is ridiculous of course, a man with 400 rounds of ammo is no less of a threat than one with 500 rounds, if someone snaps and is able to shoot 400 people before being taken out then the wheel really has come off. I'd advise asking for what you think you need, they might say no or a lower amount but you've not lost anything.

 

A mate of mine had his interview with the FEO and he actually advised him to increase the buy/hold amounts he had requested. That's quality service!

[jmj121 30]

Just been granted my FAC and was given .22lr 500 buy 600 hold....buy TVP

[Hawkeye. 26]

Find out who the Firearms enquiery officer is for your area and talk to him, ask his advice on cartridge number's etc.

[matt_hooks 188]

It's all about "good reason".

 

If, for example, you live somewhere where the nearest gun shop is a long way away, then it's reasonable to ask for a larger acquire/hold limit than someone who lives next door to a gun shop.

 

For the .22LR, the ability to purchase a decent number from the same batch, say 500, or even 1000, would seem reasonable as it means less time and ammunition used zeroing. I'd ask for 1000 to buy and 1200 to hold, and argue it along those lines.

 

For the .243, it depends what you are going to use it for. If you will be shooting a lot, then ask for a bigger number. Also if you wish to reload then you will want to ask for a minimum acquire of 200 and hold of 300, as the smallest number of bullets you can buy (which if expanding are included in your purchase and hold limits) is a box of 100.

 

As for being granted .22LR and .243 on first issue, there's no reason why not. You have plenty of experience with a shotgun, and you have plenty of land to use them on. You have your good reason. I'd strongly resist the mentoring condition if you can, as no matter how local and friendly your mentor/s are, it will inevitable happen that you want to shoot but can't get hold of a mentor to go with you. Certainly don't offer to have the condition, ask them to put it through without a mentoring condition!

 

Remember, if you can show good reason to hold, and you aren't prohibited, and you don't have a record for violent offending or ignoring safety rules, then there's no reason for them to refuse you. Stand your ground on any restrictive conditions they try and impose.

[wilbert 6]

Thanks for the advice, makes me feel much better about the prospects and that my requests are not unreasonable in any way.

[beast 1,884]

you should be ok with those calibres just wait till they come to interview you and bring up the numbers of ammunition, explain why they are reasonable amounts and ask the fao what he thinks, most of them are pretty reasonable people towards new applications

[wilbert 6]

Just spoken to the firearms dept. and they say I should put the following amounts on my application.

 

.22lr buy 500 and hold 600

.243 buy 100 and hold 150

 

These amounts seem reasonable to me and are exactly what I was going to ask for anyway.

 

The only thing that they have said is that any land passed off more than 7 years ago will need to be fully vetted again which could be a ball ache as my main land is in Yorkshire and I live in Lancs. Hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.

Edited July 11, 2012 by wilbert

[matt_hooks 188]

7 years? WTF? What a waste of time!

[paulus 26]

another new one then, some of the land i have was passed years ago, literally