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Home Office RFD-4192-2016 · Est. 1983 RFD-4192-2016 +44 1285 720 416 Verify your licence
The gunroom at dawn, racks of walnut-stocked rifles lit by warm morning light
Compliance & Licensing

Your S/C or FAC, handled with quiet expertise.

Licensed support from Britain's longest-standing specialist firearms dealer — from your first appointment to the police visit, every stage is prepared, vetted and documented by a Home Office-registered team.

Book a Vetting Clinic Speak to a Specialist
Home Office RFD-4192-2016 BASC Affiliated Coaches Trading Since 1983
A note on responsibility

A firearm certificate is earned, not bought.

Every shotgun or firearm we sell at Specialist Gun Shop begins with the same quiet conversation: a face-to-face meeting, a review of your circumstances, and an honest assessment of what the Home Office will — and will not — approve. We treat that conversation as the foundation of a relationship that may run for decades, not as a checkbox at the till.

Our free pre-application Vetting Clinic exists because most refusals we see were avoidable. An incomplete referees section, an undersized gun cabinet, a misstated reason for possessing — small oversights that cost six months of waiting and, too often, the loss of a shooting season. With forty-two years of trading and two BASC-affiliated coaches on the high street, we have learned exactly where applications succeed and where they quietly fail.

The clinic is unhurried, confidential and free. Bring what you have, however rough, and we will tell you plainly whether you are ready to apply, or what to do first.

Classification: Founded 1983 RFD-4192-2016 99.2% Pass Rate
The four stages

The four stages of a successful application, in plain English.

From your first visit to our Tetbury showroom to the police call at your home, here is the journey — set out exactly as we walk it with you.

  1. 01

    The Vetting Clinic

    A 45-minute, one-to-one meeting with a BASC-affiliated coach. We review your reasons for possession, your storage (cabinet make, location, fixings), your referees, and your shooting history. You leave with a written readiness note and a clear list of any gaps to close.

    Free · By appointment · Tetbury
  2. 02

    Preparation & Paperwork

    We help you complete the application form, referee declarations and security questionnaire in our own words — the same language your local Firearms Licensing Manager will read. Storage upgrades sourced through our workshop where needed.

    Typically 2–4 weeks
  3. 03

    Submission & Submission of Variation

    Your application is submitted to your home police force with the supporting documents packaged as a single, indexed bundle. We draft a brief cover letter in plain English explaining your reasons for possession — a small thing that makes a measurable difference.

    Standard processing time applies
  4. 04

    Home Visit & Grant

    We prepare you for the constabulary visit — what to have ready, what to expect, how the storage check is conducted. Once granted, your first firearm acquisition is completed in-store under our RFD variation process, with lifetime gun-fitting included from day one.

    Variations handled in-store
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By the numbers

Quiet, large-format metrics that speak for themselves.

99.2% First-time S/C, FAC and AV pass rate across customers booked through our Vetting Clinic, 2018–2024.
850+ Successful applicant sign-offs completed by our in-house BASC-affiliated coaches since 2018.
42yrs Continuous specialist firearms trading from the same Tetbury high street, since 1983.
11specialists Dedicated firearms specialists on the team, including three in-house gunsmiths with 90+ years of combined trade experience.
Your Coaches

Meet your two BASC-affiliated coaches.

Both hold current BASC Firearms Coaching certifications and have been with Specialist Gun Shop for over a decade. Each Vetting Clinic is led by one of them personally.

Portrait of a senior firearms coach in the Tetbury gunroom
Senior Coach & Clinic Lead

James M. Whitlock

Twenty-six years on the counter and twelve as a BASC-affiliated coach. James leads most first-stage S/C and FAC clinics and personally reviews every variation submission passing through the shop.

  • Specialism: Shotgun Certificate (S/C) applications
  • Specialism: FAC variations & good-reason submissions
  • Specialism: Referee preparation & referee verification calls
Portrait of a firearms coach in the Cotswolds workshop
Clinic Coach & Section 5 Lead

Harriet L. Penrose

Former Home Office liaison officer turned full-time clinic coach. Harriet leads our FAC and firearms-grant clinics, oversees all Section 5 enquiries, and supervises on-site storage inspections across the south-west.

  • Specialism: Firearm Certificate (FAC) & Airgun applications
  • Specialism: Section 5 transfers (one of 62 UK dealers)
  • Specialism: On-site storage inspections & cabinet certification
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Questions & Answers

The five questions every first-time applicant asks, answered.

  1. Is the Vetting Clinic really free?

    Yes. The 45-minute clinic is offered at no charge, with no obligation to purchase from us afterwards. We run it because well-prepared applicants become long-term customers, not because we need to fill a quota. If you choose to source your cabinet, fitting or first firearm elsewhere, that is entirely your decision.

  2. How long does the whole process take?

    From clinic to grant is typically 8–14 weeks depending on your home police force. Preparation (clinic, paperwork, cabinet installation) usually takes 2–4 weeks of that. We will give you an honest estimate at your first appointment, not a sales pitch.

  3. What should I bring to my first appointment?

    Photo ID, proof of address, the names and contact details of two referees (one of whom should be a close associate), photos of your existing gun cabinet with measurements, and any notes on why you wish to possess. If you have a draft application form, bring that too — we will go through it line by line.

  4. Are you authorised for Section 5 transfers?

    Yes. Specialist Gun Shop is one of only 62 UK dealers authorised by the Home Office to transact Section 5 firearms and ammunition transfers. Our RFD-4192-2016 registration has been held continuously since the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.

  5. Do you only serve the Cotswolds?

    No. We welcome applicants from across England and Wales for clinic guidance, paperwork review and storage inspections (where feasible). Rifle and shotgun transfers are completed at our Tetbury showroom under a face-to-face variation with you present.

Ready to begin? A 45-minute clinic with one of our BASC-affiliated coaches can save you months of waiting.

Book a Vetting Clinic