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Thread: Any idea how many licences have been issued in Scotland

  1. #1
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    Any idea how many licences have been issued in Scotland

    I was talking to a mate at the weekend about the Scottish license and I said only a couple of thousand had been applied for.

    I seem to remember as the deadline for applying last October is was only about 2.5k applications.

    Are they now in the 10s of thousands?

    Has there been any report or guess about the number of illegal airguns in Scotland? I assume you can't now apply if you have a rifle you have to give it to a mate with a license or your local rfd?

    Anyone been charged or is there some sort of bedding in period for latecomers?

  2. #2
    russian sniper is offline 1982 Sausage roll and cider gargling regional finalist
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    Cool

    There are airgun owners that don't have an air weapon cert as they don't need one til they renew their SGC and/or FAC.
    I recently renewed my SGC and applied for an AWC at the same time for £5

    Daz

  3. #3
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    Was speaking to a chap in Scotland

    Have been following the changes with interest ... the deadline for the changeover was as we know 1st Jan .
    That was for existing airgun owners to decide if they wanted to apply or dispense of their kit .
    The bedding in period was from 1st July last year when the Applications were released .

    I.M.O not long enough for the average Joe casual user with Grandad's airguns in the attic to learn /hear /plan what to do ... thats why so may airguns were reported as quickly trashed ie handed to the Police .
    I think possibly that was planned .
    Called me cynical .

    From the 1st January on until today it has been / is / will be a case of - if anyone wants to shoot , apply for their licence .
    Then get their gun(s) .

    I heard on the BBC News that there were about 10,000 applications and many/ most were passed - I may be wrong on that score .

  4. #4
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    one charge for an unlicensed owner that I know of .

    think it was a drugs bust and the found an air rifle.

    POLICE say they have made a major seizure of drugs worth almost £35,000 in Greenock.
    Officers raideda house in Killearn Road on Tuesday and recovered a 'substantial amount of suspected controlled drugs'.
    The haul includedapproximately 2.5kg of amphetamine, half a kilo of cannabis and 172g of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £34,500.
    A five figure sum of cash was also seized, along withan air weapon and pellets.
    A 41-year-old man has been arrested and he is due to appear at Greenock Sheriff Court this afternoonin connection with offences under Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and The Air Weapon and Licensing Scotland Act 2015.
    Detective Inspector Suzanne Chow said: "Officers from Renfrewshire and Inverclyde will continue to act on information provided to them to combat drug supply in our area and in the fight against serious and organised crime and the effects of this in our communities.
    "This is the first seizure of an air weapon in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde since the new legislation came into force on December 31, 2016 prohibiting the possession of such weapons without the relevant licence.


    the other report i saw of the above made the emphasis on the airgun find than the drugs

  5. #5
    russian sniper is offline 1982 Sausage roll and cider gargling regional finalist
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    The other surprising fact about the AWC is that there is no information on guns owned / type / calibre / serial numbers as you would see on an SGC or FAC

    They are using the AWC to prevent certain people from owning and using airguns lawfully

    Daz

  6. #6
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    whats bonkers is that I dont have one as I got my SGC in time..
    If I apply for an AWL i will be conditioned to shoot only at my club as thats all I have at the moment - If i got a permission, I would have to apply for an update to my licence.
    As it stands at the moment though, I dont have a licence, I dont need one and I can do whatever I want, even if i ained a perm - is that no a wee bit backward
    Donald

  7. #7
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    how does the traceability work?

    hypothetical scenario.
    you have a rifle and want to sell it . the buyer does not have a license and offers you £50 on top of the price you want ,to sell him it.

    would you ?
    A sell it
    B say no

    given that the serial number is not on your license ,and he then uses it to pop at cats or people .there is nothing to trace it back to the seller.

    would you take the moral high ground or the £50?
    Last edited by bighit; 21-03-2017 at 06:39 PM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by bullbarrel View Post
    I was talking to a mate at the weekend about the Scottish license and I said only a couple of thousand had been applied for.

    I seem to remember as the deadline for applying last October is was only about 2.5k applications.

    Are they now in the 10s of thousands?

    Has there been any report or guess about the number of illegal airguns in Scotland? I assume you can't now apply if you have a rifle you have to give it to a mate with a license or your local rfd?

    Anyone been charged or is there some sort of bedding in period for latecomers?

    As far as I know, no numbers have been published and any number will just be a guess. Putting what info we have together, it sounds like at least 15,000 with new applications still coming in and a lot of the SGC and FAC holders still to come.

    At the moment there is nothing to stop an unlicensed person storing their gun with someone who has a AWC, SGC or FAC, and nothing to stop them shooting it under supervision (with the usual permissions etc). What they can't do is acquire one, transport one or store one. A lot of people who missed the 31 October deadline, for whatever reason, are in this position as Police Scotland seem to be taking 6 -8 months to process new applications at the moment.

    Alan

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Archer50 View Post
    As far as I know, no numbers have been published and any number will just be a guess. Putting what info we have together, it sounds like at least 15,000 with new applications still coming in and a lot of the SGC and FAC holders still to come.

    At the moment there is nothing to stop an unlicensed person storing their gun with someone who has a AWC, SGC or FAC, and nothing to stop them shooting it under supervision (with the usual permissions etc). What they can't do is acquire one, transport one or store one. A lot of people who missed the 31 October deadline, for whatever reason, are in this position as Police Scotland seem to be taking 6 -8 months to process new applications at the moment.

    Alan
    On that note. One of my associates, due to working away, missed the 31st October deadline. He submitted his paperwork nid November and was emailed that on !st Jan he would have to make alternative arrangements for his air weapons as his application would not be processed until Jun or July due to well over 1200 applications arriving within a few days at the deadline.
    He was pleasantly surprised when it arrived a few days ago.

  10. #10
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    I've got SGC and FAC so dont need an airgun cert yet. I am holding air guns for friends who have been waiting 4 months for airgun cert. I can buy more shotguns but cant buy any airguns until I get an airgun cert, which will be in a few years when I get a renewal in.Unless I go to England ,where I can buy as many airguns as I want.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by fman View Post
    I've got SGC and FAC so dont need an airgun cert yet. I am holding air guns for friends who have been waiting 4 months for airgun cert. I can buy more shotguns but cant buy any airguns until I get an airgun cert, which will be in a few years when I get a renewal in.Unless I go to England ,where I can buy as many airguns as I want.
    not sure how much it will cost you ,you can apply for an AWL now so you can buy one once you get the license before your FAC and SGC is due renewal. I'm guessing it will be the full price though

    I have one friends here too as his has not come through yet.

  12. #12
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    Thanks chaps. Lots more than I thought but I'm guessing not every law abiding Scotman who needs one has one.

    If someone remembers or finds their old rifle in the garage and take it to the local station I hope they won't get arrested.

    I can't find anywhere what the sentencing is for the crime of possession? In England and Wales possession of an FAC rated rifle is I think 5 years and £5k fine? Or is that just armed trespass?

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by bullbarrel View Post
    Thanks chaps. Lots more than I thought but I'm guessing not every law abiding Scotman who needs one has one.

    If someone remembers or finds their old rifle in the garage and take it to the local station I hope they won't get arrested.

    I can't find anywhere what the sentencing is for the crime of possession? In England and Wales possession of an FAC rated rifle is I think 5 years and £5k fine? Or is that just armed trespass?
    any good Andy ?

    Requirement for air weapon certificate
    (1)
    It is an offence for a person to use, possess, purchase or acquire an air weapon without holding an air weapon certificate.
    (2)
    A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable—
    (a)
    on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both),
    (b)
    on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or a fine (or both).
    (3)
    Schedule 1 contains exemptions from—
    (a)
    the offence under subsection (1), and
    (b)
    certain other offences under this Part.
    (4)
    The Scottish Ministers may by regulations amend schedule 1 so as to—
    (a)
    add further exemptions,
    (b)
    remove or modify exemptions.

    fine scale. not sure if its the same values for Scotland and England
    The standard scale of fines for summary offences.
    (1)
    There shall be a standard scale of fines for summary offences, which shall be known as “the standard scale”.
    [F1(2)
    The standard scale is shown below—
    Level on the scale
    Amount of fine
    1
    £200
    2
    £500
    3
    £1,000
    4
    £2,500
    5
    £5,000]

    and from BASC
    12. What would happen if I had an air rifle or pistol but did not have an airgun certificate when the law comes into force on the 1st January 2017?
    If you were found to be in possession of an air rifle or air pistol without a certificate then you could face imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both.

    paul

    legalisations page http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2015/10/contents
    Last edited by bighit; 22-03-2017 at 11:58 PM.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by bullbarrel View Post
    Thanks chaps. Lots more than I thought but I'm guessing not every law abiding Scotman who needs one has one.

    If someone remembers or finds their old rifle in the garage and take it to the local station I hope they won't get arrested.

    I can't find anywhere what the sentencing is for the crime of possession? In England and Wales possession of an FAC rated rifle is I think 5 years and £5k fine? Or is that just armed trespass?
    there is a few on the no to airgun licensing in Scotland Facebook page saying they don't agree with and are not going to license theirs. the page started out good but is just a vent at the police or government page now. some ok people in it but the rest are diddies and make the cause look silly.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by bighit View Post
    any good Andy ?
    Fantastic. I had read the BASC page but it didn't give values.

    It certainly is a fine scale .

    You do have to think that the money and effort getting it all done could have been better spent on drugs related projects which would have helped cut crime more instead of making criminals out of tens of thousands of your population?

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