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Thread: Airgun licensing

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default Airgun licensing

    There is a witch hunt on at the moment in the media regarding the licensing of airguns within England. A young person was shot recently by an illegally held air rifle and the person unfortunately died. There is now a campaign to try to licence all air guns within England. I guess ultimately if this is passed and becomes a new law, like the banning of firearms, it will only succeed in removing air guns from decent law abiding people keeping them in the hands of criminals who have no intention of giving them up. Like firearms and hand guns, these are still out there being owned by people who will never give them up and use them for criminal activities.

    The law dictates that an air pistol with a power rating of over 6ft/lb is a banned weapon. An air rifle is allowed to be up to twice the power of a pistol, the limit being 12ft/lb. The rifle in question was above 12ft/lb and covered by an FAC that the owner did not posses. So here we clearly see that licensing does not work as the gun was owned illegally.

    Another difficult situation for the Home Office but of course air weapons have already been licensed under Scottish law so why would it not work ?

    People who have no intention of giving up their hobbies and their liberties will be made into criminals for no reason whatsoever as the gun in question was already illegally owned.

    I am pleased I am not tasked with sorting this one out.

    Oh yes, a seriously good air rifle could easily cost well in excess of £1.5k, are the government seriously considering compensation ?

  2. #2
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Gloucestershire

    Posts: 977
    I'm Ian.

    Default

    Sorry, I don't get your argument. Surely
    decent law abiding people
    will simply get a licence. It's true that there will be bad people who hold unlicensed guns but if they are caught with them then there would now be laws to deal with them.

  3. #3
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

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    I'm Shaun.

    Default

    Apologies, my point is that decent, law abiding people will be forced into applying for and possibly being turned down for a gun licence that is completely unnecessary whilst illegally owned guns will still be illegally owned.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

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    I'm Geoff.

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    I hope they don't licence them. There are seldom incidents involving them, so there's not a huge point in licencing, it'll just be a load more unjustified admin for the police, sticking to ending knife crime would be better. I own two air rifles and don't want to forfeit them, they are hardly the weapon of choice for criminals.
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  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

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    I'm Grant.

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    I think airguns have become so powerful(not all) that regulation would be wise. They are potentially lethal.
    Its always a shame when decent users are penalised tho so as always a bit of a conundrum as to what is right and proper.
    I had airguns when young. Got into trouble once for crossing a rd with an unbroken gun.. was in country and no one around bar an unfortunate police panda lol.
    They took gun and i had to tell my dad. He took me down to get it back, but as id embarrassed him i told them to get rid of it.
    Never had another.
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  6. #6
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

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    I'm Gary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ianlenco View Post
    Sorry, I don't get your argument. Surely will simply get a licence. It's true that there will be bad people who hold unlicensed guns but if they are caught with them then there would now be laws to deal with them.
    The licence used to be ten shillings from the post office I don't know why it was discontinued, no checks, but from memory you had to be 14.

    This is another unenforceable law.

    Look at the success of laws using phones whilst driving, and that's highly visible.

    Look at the success of knife laws.

    If the relevant authorities don't have the bandwidth to enforce laws, they are a joke.

    Gary
    It is easier to seek forgiveness than to ask permission

    Rules are meant for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men

  7. #7
    Join Date: Feb 2017

    Location: Shropshire

    Posts: 95
    I'm Mike.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ianlenco View Post
    Sorry, I don't get your argument. Surely will simply get a licence. It's true that there will be bad people who hold unlicensed guns but if they are caught with them then there would now be laws to deal with them.
    Those laws exist now: It's illegal to own an air rifle above 12f/lbs energy without the relevant section 1 firearms certificate. It's illegal to carry that weapon in public. It's illegal to discharge that weapon so that the bullet / pellet /whatever lands on land which you don't have permission to use it on. I could go on... Essentially, you're currently looking at 5 years inside if you mess with illegal weapons or use an unlicenced weapon illegally. Why do we need another law?

  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2017

    Location: Shropshire

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    I'm Mike.

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    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    I think airguns have become so powerful(not all) that regulation would be wise. They are potentially lethal.
    .
    I disagree. I was given a BSA airsporter when I was 10 (47 years ago). I checked the power a few years ago and it was 11.5 ft/lbs. That's pretty much the average you'll find for an adult airgun these days. Remember ANYTHING over 12 ft/lbs and you'd be in deep trouble. Yes you can get much more powerful air weapons but you'll need a Firearms certificate and as the owner of one, I can tell you they ain't easy to get!

  9. #9
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

    Posts: 1,522
    I'm Gary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    I think airguns have become so powerful(not all) that regulation would be wise. They are potentially lethal.
    Its always a shame when decent users are penalised tho so as always a bit of a conundrum as to what is right and proper.
    I had airguns when young. Got into trouble once for crossing a rd with an unbroken gun.. was in country and no one around bar an unfortunate police panda lol.
    They took gun and i had to tell my dad. He took me down to get it back, but as id embarrassed him i told them to get rid of it.
    Never had another.
    The lawful power of air rifles has not changed, it's 12 ftlbs. for rifles, as with most things they can be tampered with.

    There are no regulated testing houses for the police to refer to, so any results are questionable .

    Gary
    It is easier to seek forgiveness than to ask permission

    Rules are meant for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

    Posts: 1,522
    I'm Gary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by perlogalism View Post
    Those laws exist now: It's illegal to own an air rifle above 12f/lbs energy without the relevant section 1 firearms certificate. It's illegal to carry that weapon in public. It's illegal to discharge that weapon so that the bullet / pellet /whatever lands on land which you don't have permission to use it on. I could go on... Essentially, you're currently looking at 5 years inside if you mess with illegal weapons or use an unlicenced weapon illegally. Why do we need another law?
    It's not illegal to carry an air rifle in public as long as it cased or in a gun slip, it cannot be loaded though.

    Gary
    It is easier to seek forgiveness than to ask permission

    Rules are meant for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men

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