Shotguns on an FAC ?

[meles meles]

Right oomans, we're thinking of applying for a shotgun certificate but can't decide on the relative merits of a co-terminous stiffycate or a separate bit of paper. Our FAC has almost 18 months to run before renewal and so we're thinking the coterminous route may not be the best one for us.

Meanwhile...

We have a spare slot on our FAC for a calibre we don't think we're going to use, so we thought we could perhaps apply for a 1 for 1 variation and use that to acquire a FAC rated shotgun? Is it that simple and straightforward ?

[smack]

Right oomans, we're thinking of applying for a shotgun certificate but can't decide on the relative merits of a co-terminous stiffycate or a separate bit of paper. Our FAC has almost 18 months to run before renewal and so we're thinking the coterminous route may not be the best one for us.

If you get a co-terminous SGC you will get issued a SGC separate bit of paper, with a different certificate number to your FAC.

So you either apply for your SGC, or when you renew your FAC + 10 quid fo co-terminous, you will get the same thing, a separate SGC.

[saddler]

Is it that simple and straightforward ?

It was for me prior to moving North of the border into the land of thistles, haggis & socialist population control

My first shotguns, which I still own & use, were multi-shot held on FAC.
I only decided on the getting my first SGC once I was in Scotland...so went the co-terminous route at that point

As for the multi-shot shotguns - LOTS of clubs now hold "target shotgun" meets & you DO NOT have to be in the UKPSA/4Islands organisations, nor in most cases to have taken the UKPSA course.
As with lots of things, a lot will depend on your local jobsworth at force HQ

We presume that you are going the route of shotguns, with their nice fat cases, as normal brass cartridges are on the 'ickle side for your hooge badger paws & you keep dropping them in the dim underground light of your set?

[Polchraine]

If you go for an FAC shotgun you need to ensure it can be used for game and clays ...

You could apply now - pay the full fee and then when your FAC comes up go for a co-terminus SGC then and pay the extra £10. Or apply for an SGC now and bring your FAC forward paying the extra £10. the longer term advantage of a co-terminus is that there is just one visit every five years, you save a full fee (less £10) every five years, less photographs and overall less frequent referees to find.


How nice it would be to have ONE certificate with two sections - FA and SG. A former FAC would automatically give you both sections whereas an SGC would only enable the SC section but an application for a FA item would require just the standard £10 fee rather than a full application, references, visits &c.

[SevenSixTwo]

^ Far too sensible an idea!

[saddler]

How nice it would be to have ONE certificate with two sections - FA and SG.

Like FECK it would be!

UK governments WOULD attempt (and currently ARE doing so) to use a sinlge certificate to upgrade the SGC requirements.
NEVER FORGET that an SGC is A RIGHT
An FAC is purely a privelege
UK Government attempts are at making ALL gun ownwership a privelege & removing our legal rights

The ONLY single licence system I have experience of was of the New Zealand one.
Category A - ANY rifle or shotgun (of any action type) apart from military style or full-auto, no pre-authorisation required to buy anything, no limits on quantity or type of ammunition.
Licence lasts 5 years, no safe needed, but MUST prove that the guns will be under lock & key.
When the police come to renew they ask "can you tell us what guns you own?" - you can legally & without fear of reprisal reply "nothing to do with you!"

[FarmerSim]

to put a S1 SG on your FAC, you will ( obviously ) need good reason, which may include vermin control, or corvid control or PSG etc. IIRC game is prohibited from S1 SG, or is it driven game? The HO guidance has it all in... Clays should be an automatic condition - but in my experience, about half of the S1 SG owners I have spoken to, had to ask for it - some quite persistently.... Plus, if you want to shoot clays on a clay ground, I am told some such grounds are very nervous of S1.

However, given good reason, I would have thought a variation would cover it.

If you want a S2 cert, I would recommend the coterminus route, as, as others have said, it is more simple. it also avoids any "discussions" in your preferred gun shop as to whether ammunition for a S1 SG is S1 in and of itself, or whether it should be entered on your FAC. ( it isn't and it shouldn't, BUT!).

I'd ask the FEO which option he would prefer, mine is a decent sort, and would answer reasonably.

ATB

Sim

[ovenpaa]

I asked if I could have a coterminus licence and was told no as my FAC and SGC dates were too far from each other so even if I was prepared to loose time on one it could not be done.

[NitroJoe]

I didn't realise you could be granted a section 1 shotgun for vermin control? How does that affect your ammo options, I'd guess you can't buy slugs for use on rabbits!?

[saddler]

I didn't realise you could be granted a section 1 shotgun for vermin control? How does that affect your ammo options, I'd guess you can't buy slugs for use on rabbits!?

S.1 shotgun does NOT automatically entitle you to S.1 shotgun ammo

Far from it