How did it go? Any hints and tips for myself next week?
Have your cabinet fitted in advance of the interview. They'll only have to come back if you haven't and this will delay by as long as it takes them to schedule a return visit.
You know where your keys are and no, you won't tell them or anyone else where the keys are kept. I kept mine on my person for the interview so I was ready to show them the cabinet when asked.
Be honest and upfront about any questions they ask. Don't try and fabric anything about attending safety courses, getting training before buying a gun etc. None of it is needed (but they are a good idea) and it's likely you won't follow through anyway once the letter slides through the postbox. I was at the gun shop within an hour of mine arriving.
Be honest about any instances of mental health issues, run ins with the police etc. They'll likely know all of this prior to attending and it should have been listed on your application. The FAO who conducted my interview brought up an incident that I hadn't declared during the interview which I wasn't expecting. The incident consisted of the local beat bobby catching me climbing the school gates out of hours to get my football back. He was driving past and just wound down his window to tell me off. I was 11. No further action at the time and the bobby drove off once I was back on the right side of the gates but it was still recorded and brought up in an SGC interview 19 years later. Luckily the FAO just laughed it off.
They may ask some questions around safety and handling. Just confirm that you approach safety from the point of view that a gun should be treated like it always loaded and ready to fire, only safe gun is an open gun, only ever point a gun at something you are willing to destroy, even when empty, cartridges will only ever go in the gun when your in the stand and ready to go etc. They can't expect too much from you as you are a new comer.
If you've any family events planned at home in the meantime, be sure to get rid of any excessive empty alcohol containers. It won't be a good look if the officer walks past a load of recycling bags packed with empty beer cans walking down your driveway.
Ensure dogs are safely locked away, not all FAOs are shooting people and they probably won't care for three overly excited spaniels accosting them if they want to walk around and assess home security.
If you have young ones then it's probably best that your other half takes them out of the house for a few hours while the FAO is present. Children can say the stupidest and most inappropriate things at the most inconvenient times. Last thing you want is a young one proudly announcing that they saw you putting the keys away and know where they are, even if it's a complete fib.
It'll be over within an hour or so and will feel about 10 minutes long once your in the flow of it.
I would wish you luck but you don't need it. They're there to check that you aren't a lunatic, a threat to the public and unsafe to hold a gun. If you're just a regular, everyday Joe then you'd need to be going some to mess it up at the interview stage.
offered tea and coffie but said no ( guess thats more biscuits for me!). They said the fact i was honest about my previouse arrest with the police a couple of years ago on my application was in my favour, had to talk about it in some detail. Then just looked over my cabinet and asked about my shooting eperiance and was interested about the CPSA shotgun course I had taken part in. As my partner wasnt in, they have to give her a ring tomorrow before submitting their report. only thing is iI did have 2 officers come, is this normal ?
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