Police cautions and shotgun license

Why would a 'mere' drug possession definitely stop someone being allowed to have a shotgun? I would have guessed that 'mere' drug possession's not a massive issue, whilst involvement with organised crime(not just possession of a drug)/a history of violence/mental health issues would be the significant barriers.

Because a Firearms Licence, as is a Driving Licence, is a privilege - NOT a right.

You are not entitled to one and in the spirit of keeping firearms out of the hands of the wrong people denying someone with a Class A record seems like a sensible thing to do.
 
If you filled in any forms, I'm guessing it was a street caution.

In which case you've been recorded as being an offender for the crime of "possession of a Class A drug" in the PNC and it will light up like a Christmas Tree when the local Firearms Licensing Officer runs a check on you for the SGC application.

If you fill in the SGC application truthfully, you'll get a polite rejection letter a few weeks later.

If you lie on the form about your caution, expect a personal visit from the police as you've just committed another offence.

Hampshire don't use street cautions, but my understanding is that these aren't formal cautions which usually need to be authorised by a sgt and therefore won't show on a CRB check. That said they may be recorded on PNC, but like I said, Hampshire don't use them so I don't have any personal experience.
 
Don't lie, I think it's worse than the Coke.

It's pretty simple it's for them to prove you don't need one unlike a FAC where you have to prove a need for one, you could just want a licence to buy cartridges.
 
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When filling put the part of the form asking what you intend to use the shotgun for don't put blags.
 
I was caught with Charlie once. Mum and Dad had gone out so had the whole house. Thankfully Charlie was a girl, not a class A drug.
 
I know several people over here who had cautions for posession of canabis and they received firearms licences, (FAC covers all weapons here including air rifles).
 
Mark... Mark Duggan is that you? Ya mams looking for you and the pleece say you dropped sommat that coulda killed
 
Can you hear that? That's the sound of posters in this thread cutting the sanctimony with a blunt knife.

Op, before filling out the application for a SGC, go and look up your record with the old bill. That way you can be honest about what you do or do not have a record for. No point admitting to something that's not recorded, just as there's no point omitting something you have a record for.
Save the fee for the license and check your police record before submitting your application for a SGC, as I don't think you will get the fee for the SGC back if you are refused (I could be wrong there).

I know plenty of ordinary country folk who have been naughty over the years and most of them have their SGC / FAC with no issues.

So long as you've got nothing on you for violence and your use of the shotgun is stated as clay/rough/club shooting, you should be fine.
 
Why would a 'mere' drug possession definitely stop someone being allowed to have a shotgun? I would have guessed that 'mere' drug possession's not a massive issue, whilst involvement with organised crime(not just possession of a drug)/a history of violence/mental health issues would be the significant barriers.

Because ACPO and many senior police officers don't want the general public to possess firearms of any type and will decline any application from people with anything less than spotless records.

Would you want a neighbour with a history of using and possessing a drug that can cause enormous behavioral changes to have access to a shotgun?
 
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