Reply With QuoteHave you contacted the FLO? I've found they sometimes need 'nudging'
Bringing up from the depths a little here. Saves starting another thread.
I was a regular shooter for many years but game it up around 19 years ago due to lack of time while bringing children up. Shooting or golf was the choice but not time for both.
Just started shooting again during the Summer with a friend using his guns. Unfortunately he's not available too regularly due to health so applied for my license.
WOW, what happened with licensing? I'm 6 months waiting now and no word on when I will receive it, assuming I meet criteria.
Anyway, looking forward to it eagerly and considering a 692 or 694 once the license actually appears.
Have you contacted the FLO? I've found they sometimes need 'nudging'
It has become a bit of a farce lately and suspect it will be a while before it gets any better - if if ever does.Originally Posted by brucelee
Even renewals are taking forever leaving some SC and FAC holders unlicensed, so effectively storing their guns illegally as their licences have expired while waiting to be renewed.
I think the drawbridge to shotgun ownership (and firearms) is being raised meaning new licence applications may become harder and harder to acquire.
In my last conversation with our local FLO, he said that Covid, acute shortage of staff and the requirement for Drs 'certification' have all created major delays for them, but they were processing as many of the simple applications as they could - meaning single shotgun SC renewals and not much else. Any multi-gun or new applications needed to stand in line and wait their turn. They are just overwhelmed with the number of renewals/applicants for the number of FLO's to deal with.
A gentle nudge wont do any harm though...!
It took them over a month from receiving my application to even adding it to their system for processing.
The GP document was no issue for me. Took a few weeks but only £25 charge.
I've contacted the office numerous times now. All they can say is that they are short staffed and get to it as soon as they can. I understand the situation but makes it quite frustrating as someone who wants to get out there a lot more often than I'm currently able to.
My renewal has just gone through - after the delay caused by my GP managing to lose my form for five weeks - once that was sorted the MPS turned the cert around in a couple of weeks.
My application (new, not renewal) took about 6 weeks all in. I’m in Warwickshire; I’ve been told anecdotally that there’s a huge disparity between different parts of the country and that 6 months+ is quite normal, so I feel quite lucky.
Any tips on my first gun would be welcome!
Fit is everything. A £3000 gun is wasted if it doesnt fit the shooter well.
Anytime spent with a gunsmith is time well spent and possibly money well saved.
I sort of decided to give up shooting about 2 years ago after having suffered a dislocated right shoulder. The thought of thumping it with recoil from a shotgun was horrifying so I thought I would let the licence expire and not renew it.
However come the day when the licence came up for renewal, I thought best to keep it going for another 5 years in case I changed my mind. This was during the peak of covid and the licensing people accelerated through in case the caused a multitude of people to possess a gun whilst without a licence.
I am now seriously reconsidering taking it up again.
You could have options Pete , as im sure you will understand.
The difference between loads in cartridges is massive, and i know many who shoot with a 20 gauge. Its of course a challenge to change loads in having to recalibrate your mind on time and speeds but canbe done over time and practice.
A light gun will kick way harder than a heavy gun of course.
A good gunsmith is worth his , her, weight in gold. Many will have seen and helped people like yourself.
I have very fond memories of Richardsons in Halesworth , Suffolk.
Im unsure if they still operate as i would guess they would be elderly now but the range of guns was only a sideshow to the workshop just beside. Like many good gunsmiths he wouldn't sell you an incorrect fitting or suited gun.
I bought a new gun from them when a nipper. It was only for field shooting and would rattle around in the tractor or combine cab as i worked. So they sold me a Baikal. It was indestructible but the noise !!! it had big thick barrels and i swear i can still hear them ringing now. Add that to a freind who use to load his own cartridges. It was something like an American battle cruiser letting off a couple of rounds. The poor rabbits died more of shock then pellets.
Happy childhood / very happy times.
Definitely better to retain a current licence than let it lapse and have to apply for a new one.
As for recoil, not one for the purists, but a semi-auto is an option.
Absolutely worth give a semi-auto a try, I have a Beretta AL391 and it really does shoot very smoothly. I don't shoot it myself (I bought it for my lad to use when he was young) as I can't get on with the noise the slide make as it cycles when fired. They are frowned upon for safety reasons when in the field, but when shooting clays it goes back in the slip between stands.
I also had a Beretta AL391. The ‘clang’ of the action was off putting to start, but I got used to it. Recoil was negligible in comparison to non autos, but you always had to consider where the thing ejected the spent cartridges into….deep in the brambles on one local clay shoot was always fun to find and clear up.
Long gun as well because of the action, so very pointy whilst being very light, but tight fit in the safe.
You can buy action flags to leave in the breech to cover off the worries of wandering around with a closed gun. I just slipped mine between stands.
Quite a few of the more elderly gents at said local shoot were moving over to an auto…that’ll likely be me in a few years….
"Clang" is a very good description! Mine has a 30" (I think) barrel, so yes very long, but as you say very pointable. The shims where the stock joins the action means it's easy to achieve a good fit as well. Picking up your brass is another reason to leave it in the safe.
I'll stick with my 682 for the time being, although in a few years time I may appreciate the 391.
On the few occasions I shot an auto it was the instant ejecting that put me off. Drew my attention away from the second shot.
6.5 months and at last, I received my new certificate.
That’s good!
It took exactly 1 year to renew mine, got both my SGC and FAC back last week. The Met admitted they and c0cked the process up.
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