NotANumber Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 It's my opinion that Air Rifles/Air Pistols, (knowing how degraded some young people have become in modern society) should be available for use only at designated Clubs, suitably licenced, requiring Membership and strictly used for supervised target shooting within approved Indoor Premises only. The Member would need to sign in, receive the weapon, hand it in to the Club after use, then sign out as they leave the Club. Hello Shoeshine, the existing law states that air guns may only be used on private land. Pellets may not cross the property's boundary. There are additional restrictions on use near footpaths, roads, causing alarm, etc. Break any of the rules and the gun is leggally considered a firearm and subject to the same laws and penalties that an AK-47 would be. Are these not enough? Maybe we should be asking why existing laws aren't being enforced and why the permitted punishments are not being handed out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtfulDodger Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Please don’t resort to sophistry: put forward a compelling argument why airguns should be licensed: I’d dearly love to hear one. Soooooo.................... by that logic, shotguns and section 1 firearms should'nt be licensed??!! A gun is a weapon is a weapon is a gun. A gun, be it air powered or propellant (shotgun or secion 1) powered is primarily designed to kill, be it game or vermin. Target shooting, clay pigeon shooting, field target etc all naturally developed as a means of practice leading to competition. Quite right too! A car is a mode of transport, and you DO need a license to purchase and drive one........ BUT look and the little 'twocers', unlicensed, uninsured etc etc who regularly drive and cause accidents (and death) on our roads. A golf club is a tool.......to play golf with! Anything can be used offensively if so desired; a rolled up newspaper or magazine can be a quite devastating weapon in the right hands. Legislation covers the carrying of knives, but yet again the enforcement is problematic (short of searching everybody) and the sentencing inadequate; deterrent value seems to be low. I don't believe there is ANY correlation between licensed firearms and gun crime, just as I don't think there is any correlation between the number of legitimately purchased knives and knife crimes; it's the old American analogy..... 'Guns don't kill people..... people kill people' I read in one post that an air weapon cannot be used within 50 feet of a public highway or public right of way. Wouldn't this exclude most back gardens when 'plinking', as I would guess most houses are on a street, the distance from the street to back garden being less than 50 feet?? Smoking in public aside, I don't want to see anything banned. My point I guess, is do we go down the licensing route and therefore legitimately hold weapons, or fight it leading to the weapons being banned?? I can see both sides. I hold a section 1 firearm certificate and a shotgun certificate; the section 1 for vermin on the inlaws farm and the shotgun for clay pigeon. Now, I had to demonstrate a requirement for both certificates, and they are not handed out lightly. Again, quite right too. So, I would quite like to hear a compelling argument why they shouldn't be licensed, A gun has one use; to fire a projectile accurately with the intention of dispatching the quarry quickly and humanely, or hitting a target be it moving or stationary. Thats it. Yup, I can smash you over the head with a hammer, beat you senseless with a baseball bat, stab you with a pair of scissors so, license (Note not 'ban') them as well, but these are 'secondary' (if thats the right word??!!) uses to their intended purpose. Just my 2 h'apporth.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrteabag Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 i go shooting when possible and think air weapons shouldnt be licensed why should others suffer because of a few idiots even if they had to be licensed it wont stop idiots using them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 I agree that you shouldn't suffer, but why would the minor inconvenience of acquiring a firearms license make you suffer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtfulDodger Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I agree with Tony; at least show some ID and an address.....Utility bills etc. when purchasing, and have the weapon registered to that address with a serial number on the weapon (air guns are NOT numbered). And yes, there WILL still be little scrotes using them illegally....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melthebell Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 my missus said there was a stall / shop in whitby that sold air pistols for £4 with pellets to all and sundry, not sure if they still do, she reckoned a nephew (something like 14 bought 1 before) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrteabag Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I agree that you shouldn't suffer, but why would the minor inconvenience of acquiring a firearms license make you suffer? its not just a minor inconvenience tony its a major one to have a licence for a fire arm you have to go through some major checks and rightly so. to find land to shoot on is virtually impossible these days and to get a licence the police have to be called out to your shoot and inspect the land and all other things. and this aint a short process it can take months and thats only if the person dealing with it can be bothered to get a move on. i totally agree that we need to get these airguns out of the hands of idiots but licencing isnt the way to go i dont think. these fools give my sport a bad name regards andi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrteabag Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I agree with Tony; at least show some ID and an address.....Utility bills etc. when purchasing, and have the weapon registered to that address with a serial number on the weapon (air guns are NOT numbered). And yes, there WILL still be little scrotes using them illegally....... most air weapons these days have serial numbers on mine does and its a couple of years old http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m262/mrteabag/gun.jpg the new law says a weapon can only be bought from a reputable dealer face to face and an air weapon can not be posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Perhaps there is room for a 'light firearms' licence that doesn't involves the rigmarole of a full licence. I'm sure that more qualified people than me could come up with some criteria that would suit. What sort of things might you suggest if it were to be introduced? It doesn't seem right that a 14 year old can buy a £4 gun and pellets from a market stall in Whitby does it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrteabag Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 not at all tony its wrong to sell a gun to anyone that young for a full licence it has to involve checks on the land and farmer or land owner and they dont want to be bothered really so like you said i lighter licence seems ok where you have to register your fire arm and keep it in a locked gun safe as i and other responsible shooters do but some way they have to be stopped from using them cause its ruining a sport for many responsible people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.