They should hardly be surprised! Certificated gun owners as a group were amongst the most critical of the idea! Considering certificated owners don't need to apply until renewal to ease the pressure on the overwhelmed Police Scotland what is the rush?!"Furthermore, Police Scotland are not yet seeing many applications from people who already hold a firearm or shotgun certificate. Applications from existing certificate holders are not required until existing certificates require to be renewed, after 30 December."
For some FAC and SC holders that means up to a five year window to do nothing as far as the law is concerned. Now as I understand it if a FAC or SC holder wants to buy a new Air Gun then you are meant to apply. Which is not only unworkable due to the open border with England but also damaging to Scottish Gun shops. Air rifles after Shotguns are very much the bread and butter of keeping themselves going commercially. Why bother going to a Scottish gun shop and having to apply for a License when you can pop over the border and buy whatever you want right up until certificate renewal.
What Police Scotland going to do to stop that? Put border checks up? Monitor the bank accounts of gun owners to make sure they are not buying Air Guns in England?
NO!
They can barely keep up with their current case load let alone stop Gun owners exploiting that loophole.