Hi Guys ... Greetings to all, but I need to address this thread to mainland UK and Northern Ireland members in particular.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Tommy Mayne in the Northern Ireland, regional office, of BASC located in Lisburn. This solid chap has bourne the brunt of my considerable rantings over the deplorable situation in regard to firearms processing in our little part of the UK. In the last 48hrs he has single handedly accepted membership of a new member (a 69 yr old very experienced shooter) and moved to actual issue a fully documented FAC variation that was submitted to PSNI firearms licensing, way back on the 29th February 2008. The new member in question taught me to shoot rifle at a young age. (No sarky comments Griff or I will mention the name Mel)

Tommy was somewhat surprised to hear that the UK shooting forums had a degree of negative comment regarding BASC and our N. Ire, processing times in comparison to the rest of the UK mainland. Which also includes comments on the marked reluctance of BASC to pursue injustice through the court system here in N. Ireland. Sometimes I think we live in some far flung corner of the colonies rather than modern United Kingdom.

My request is for your personal examples of actual BASC support to compel errant UK Chief Constables or their respective Firearms Depts to abide within the law and not write it as they go along. Or simply examples of swift, efficient processing to establish a UK acceptable norm for firearms processing time, or indeed the opposite.

Here endeth the rant, please hit me with your good, bad or indifferent news and constructive comments so that I can forward them on to Tommy Mayne, BASC N. Ireland for inclusion in the "think tank"....

My N.Ireland Visitors permit was turned around in 1 week.
Amazing what can be done when you try!

Yep Angus, the said PSNI department has a reputation of being really nice to inbound shooting visitors from the South or further afield. Would you like to deal with them as a resident? .....

Similar experiences to you Cohannon.While my licence was in for regrant (6 months+) last year, I did not get it back in time for a major stalking trip. The letter to take my rifle out of country arrived the day after i left on my trip! This was despite allowing an extra week over their required 2 weeks for a letter of authority to transport my rifle out of Northern Ireland. Several promises later it never appeared and i had to rely on the generosity of a friend for the use of a rifle.

On the processing times i think you did rather well going by mine an other friends experiences.

BASC have supposedly been dealing with the problem of my FAC conditions for several months now. The FEO amended my conditions to remove Fox from all my rifles apart from the 243. They removed Boar from all my rifles completely so as to justiify that my 375 could not e used in the UK.

The problem is ongoing. I have since had another variation where I got Fox put back onto my 6.5mm but notthe 308 regardless of the ACPO guidelines statig it is automatically allowed if deer are allowed to be shot with the rifle.

Over all my experience was less than great although I am being advisd that they are "working on it"...

FB

FAC processing in N Ireland is a disaster.

I have been putting off making an variation for over a year, just because I can't risk being without my FAC for six months, and not being able to take my rifle out of the country as per Tintin's cock-up above.

I have not used the BASC for this but my buddy has. An interesting story.

This friend of mine had a variation in for a 222rem for foxing, 2 or 3 years ago. There was the usual f**king about for 4 or 5 months and he was starting to loose the plot, both with the PSNI and the BASC. He had phoned the NI BASC repeatedly, they had no interest in helping him out. He came into my office in work one afternoon ( I had a private office, he didn't ) and phoned the BASC in Marford Mill (HQ?) and asked to speak to firearms help or whatever. He was put through to a bloke called "Bill" and explained the problem. "Bill" thought this state of affairs was badly out of order, and said he would call one of the inspectors in PSNI licensing who was known to him.

Bill was as good as his word, dished out the appropriate bollocking, called my buddy back next morning to say that his variation was being processed that day. He got the ticket in the post about four days later.

The "Bill" in question was none other than Bill Harriman, who I am sure most of you know.

Service from BASC NI is nothing short of shite. Harriman new who's cage to rattle and did it in short order for a guy he did not know from Adam.

I sent off my FAC to get 7 guns taken off(an emotional time!) about 2 months ago. A couple of weeks later I got my forms all back because I had"nt named my doctor on the forms. Total BS, as I"m taking guns off not putting them on.
Filled in the section on the doctor,and sent them off. Was out of the country for just over a month, and a few days after I got home(last week) I got another letter back asking what I was doing with the suppressors I was taking off. They wanted bills of sale for the suppressors to say where they were going. BS again, as supressors need no license for possesion, only for use.
I got 2 bills of sale and am sending it all back today. What this proves to me is that it"s not just that the cops don"t want us to have guns(which is true in itself), but that they are totally incompetent and pedantic in the extreme.
Our firearms licensing is actually done by a temp agency! There are hardly any permanent staff, no security at all, and no training for the pen pushers who actually handle incoming and outgoing.
They are there to tick boxes on a page and go into meltdown if they are aked to do anything for themselves.
BASC NI are toothless when it comes to the PSNI, who are ignoring the problem and will not allocate the appropriate rescources to firearms licensing.
I"m glad I"m getting out of here! I have applied for my Canadian Restricted firearm certificate and hope to have it by November!
good shooting

Now Now, girls; those nice people in BASC N Ire will blush if they read these comments. We don't want them to think they are sitting on the fence rather than tackling the real issues, do we? Heaven knows those poor overworked folk in firearms licensing are really trying hard, it's not their fault nobody in supervision gives a toss ...

Suggestion-The PSNI should issue 10 year firearms licences that way we will be able to hold them 5!

A further interesting bit of information has just come to light and may clarify where the Chief Constable gets the right to demand deer stalkers have passed a DMQ course in Northern Ireland.

The Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 guidance notes state:-
29 An applicant who wishes to shoot deer should name land where a particular species is
normally present and provide evidence of invitation, booking or authority to shoot. Many deer
stalkers will rely on invitations to shoot on payment rather than be hired or paid to do so and
may not be able to shoot regularly or frequently, though others may be permanently employed,
for example Forest Service staff. Hunting large animals with powerful rifles requires particular
skill and applicants should have completed a recognised deerstalking course.

30 The Wildlife Order also authorises the use of smooth-bore guns of at least 12 bore, firing a
non-spherical slug of at least 350 grains, to kill deer on cultivated land, pasture or enclosed
woodland if the applicant can show that the deer are causing serious damage to crops, vegetables,
fruit, growing timber or other property, that such damage was likely to continue and that that
action was needed to prevent this. This provision is intended to allow farmers who own a
shotgun but not a rifle to deal with such deer. Shotguns for use with solid slug should be cylinder
bored and fitted with sights, if available. A suitable rifle would be more appropriate where there
is an ongoing need to control deer. The purchase of solid slug ammunition a specific condition
on the certificate. The Chief Constable will expect those who possess centrefire sporting rifles to
have appropriate shooting insurance.

I read that as an exemption for farmers to control (not hunt) pest deer on their own land by either solid slug or a suitable rifle, if they possess one, without any deerstalking course. Interesting thought ...

I"d put money on it that the PSNI will never grant a condition for slugs in deer control.

my FAC was away for 6 months last year for a regrant, when it came back my .222 was not on for fox controll any more instead it was for deer culling. my moderator was gone.
In June sent I sent it in for a 1 on 1 off and to correct the f**k ups it was away 7 weeks and still no mod or fox control

As you are aware I posted some weeks back praising BASC in Northern Ireland and it was Tommy who resolved my problem.

In truth Tommy actually, over the period of a month, resolved several problems for me and made it possible for me to take my rifle away for some stalking that I had booked from January. The poor man must have been sick of me but even so while I was away I got a call from him just to check that everything had worked out for me.

BASC here in NI became involved with my problem in early August and really moved things along despite mistakes on the part of firearms branch plus a raft of other complications and I had all the paperwork with just one day to spare.

From what I can gather, talking to others, it is taking anything between 6 and 9 months to process an application/variation with mistakes on the returned certificate being common. I noted with some interest that cashing my cheque took just a matter of days.

As with Brian I'm scared to send my certificate in in case it leaves me stranded. A friend with good sika on the ground offered me the stalking on her land but I also want to go to Scotland for hinds at New Year and I'm frightened to put the certificate in to have the ground added in case I don't get it back for 9 months.

In contrast to Brian, however, the service I've had from BASC in NI has been excellent. I suspect that Tommy is only on a short term contract with BASC but let's hope that the work he is putting in is seen as something of value to the members and they keep him on. The whole team in Lisburn certainly did a great job for me and I really feel it only reasonable to give credit where it is due.

a friend of mine called me yesterday in shock because he had got his FAC for his 1st rifle
(a .22 semi auto for target shooting in are club). it took 20 days!!!!!
how can this happen when other people have been waiting 9 months plus!

308mate - this has always been something that has amazed me as well. I would guess that the average wait in NI is about 8 months with 12 not being beyond possibility. However, as with your example, you occasionally hear of someone getting a certificate back in a matter of days and that I can see there is no pattern to this nor no reason why their application should involve less work.

I don't know how the process works but in my personal experience all the people I've known to have a really fast response have lived in Co. Down. Perhaps this is just a random thing but does anyone know if applications are processed by county? Does your friend live in Co. Down 308mate? If not then that is my theory shot down.

Caorach, I have to say my experiences with NI BASC go back a few years when a certain numbskull from Kilrea was running the show.

I stopped my subs and only rejoined a year or two ago. The guy with the 222 above was beating his head of the wall trying to get help when he resorted to calling HQ in England.

I hope they have improved. There is opinion out here in the sticks that the BASC and the PSNI are way too cosy with each other, particularly over the business of the DSC1 requirement, which of course the BASC administers at ridiculous cost. BASC are not going to rock any PSNI boats.

In my 30+ years of shooting over farmland etc; I have never had a paperchase go through without mishap/ommission/deletion/x-file moment, UNTIL NOW!, My partner's F.A.C. came back correct in every detail!(from a one for one) albeit we did have phone call asking us why we had a strange serial number for a .308 on ticket, don't know where that came from, (about twelve characters!)

Caorach your theory is out the window, my mate lives in North Belfast.

quote:

Originally posted by 308mate:
Caorach your theory is out the window, my mate lives in North Belfast.

Another great theory bites the dust. Next thing I know someone will be telling me that the earth isn't flat after all.