Knee High to a Grasshopper

Many thanks to the admin for the add.

Thought I'd pop my head in and introduce myself, along with saying hello to everyone on Shooting Clay forum.

The first time I ever shot any clays, I was around in my early teens and went along with an uncle and his friends. There is not much detail I remember (its over 30 years ago) about the summer evening. Although, I do remember it was a 20 bore shotgun I used, and I missed most. However, I did manage to get some of the targets, and I even shot a few back-to-back or whatever the correct terminology is? I didn't care too much about my score (which I guess was poor), because I loved being part of something that just ticked so many of the happy boxes. I left with a strong urge to get involved, unfortunately I was never around people who shared the same sporting passion.

I have been on a few taster days, and always come away wanting to go straight back.

Currently, I class myself as 'almost new' to shooting, as I'm not quite there. I'm one week into the wait-game after submitting the application for a SGC with the Greater Manchester Police. Although the website for the Firearm Licensing states 14 weeks for renewals, it does not document the current waiting time for the grant, so I'm completely unsure of the timescales involved.

Would be interesting if anyone has anything to add about the wait time with GMP?

Apart from the above, a big hello and thanks for having me.

Apparently the average is 99 calender days... 

https://basc.org.uk/blog/press-releases/featured-news/new-basc-study-shows-firearms-licensing-postcode-lottery/

Welcome though!

Welcome and enjoy ?

Hi .... welcome to the Forum! 

gmp and Lancashire have from my experience been very good. Not much you can do now apart from wait.

welcome

Hi and welcome

Many thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

...and to Lord V,

What an interesting chart at the end of the article. Thank you.

Lord v said:

Apparently the average is 99 calender days... 

https://basc.org.uk/blog/press-releases/featured-news/new-basc-study-shows-firearms-licensing-postcode-lottery/

Click to expand...

Welcome

Just a quick update on my application.

I received a phone call from GMP around dinnertime today. She asked me to attend my doctor's surgery, and pay funds for the sum of £20. I thought long and hard about parting with my hard earned cash, and part of me wanted to stand tall and refuse as advised from the BASC. However, in my instance, I felt I have more to loose if I did not pay the fee.

......More to loose you may ask yourself?

I certainly do not agree with the doctor/system charging applicants to say they are either fit/unfit to hold an SGC. Today was my viewpoint that if I paid the sum, I'd potentially (my theory) shave 3-4 weeks off the total time for the grant of an SGC, which is set aside within the application process time for the doctor not to respond, before the application proceeds to the next stage.

The doctor's surgery does not take any kind of credit/debit card, so I actually parted with my last twenty-pound note. I spoke to the receptionist about the process between them and GMP Firearms Unit. She sounded pretty knowledgeable and said the doctor had already written to GMP, but the Firearms Unit won't process my application until funds have been paid to the Doctor. I thought the application was a gated process, but this looks like the doctor notifies GMP with another letter to say I have paid the fee, I suppose this fast-track's the application.

If my theory comes to fruition I hope I'll be able to grab a discounted gun from one of the summer Game Fairs. Looking at some of the gun deals and offers when we attended the 'Northern Shooting Show', looks like I can save more than £20 - so I will be happy if this comes true.

Fingers crossed.

the receptionist is making it up.

Receptionist is talking absolute bollocks

Lord v said:

Receptionist is talking absolute bollocks

Click to expand...

I thought my version was a touch more subtle ?

can't understand the feo ringing the op and advising to pay the piper ? this whole gp issue is a total joke and a money making scam with by the sound of it even confuses the feo's

edit

hang on are you talking greater Manchester police or general medical practitioner that rang you. ??

Tiz Twoddle me thinks

I'm not known for my subtlety.

Lord v said:

I'm not known for my subtlety.

Click to expand...

not gone unnoticed ?

ips said:

I thought my version was a touch more subtle ?

can't understand the feo ringing the op and advising to pay the piper ? this whole gp issue is a total joke and a money making scam with by the sound of it even confuses the feo's

edit

hang on are you talking greater Manchester police or general medical practitioner that rang you. ??




3

Click to expand...

Hi,

Just to confirm, it was Greater Manchester Police, Firearms Dept that rang me at around dinner today.

well that is very odd...

Sounds like my application process may be completely different to what is expected!! I don't know what to say, apart from I'll keep reporting on my progress here. As this is my first ever application, and never having witnessed the procedure of obtaining a certificate for a shotgun before, I have no case to doubt or question what I am told.

Maybe my process can help document the process variations between forces and GP's.

welcome  , hope your a blue and not a red  football wise  . !    it can be a draining process getting a sgc   but persevere  its all worth it in the end .