Should airguns be licenced?

[jollygreen]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_mi...



I've been into shooting for years. I began learning to shoot using air rifles and .22 RF's when I was 13 and progressed to cf in my late teens. I now have an FAC licence and a shotgun licence. I own 2 rimfire rifles, 3 air rifles and 3 shotguns. I'm a responsible shooter and am usually against gun control for the sake of gun control. The banning of handguns hasn't done anything to improve gun control but it has denied the sport to thousands of people in the UK.

Seeing the article above makes me think that air guns should definitely be subject to the same licencing/storage/access laws as firearms, just to keep them out of the hands of the aholes of this world.

Stories like this make me sick to my core.

[jimmyjimjim]

jollygreen said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_mi...



I've been into shooting for years. I began learning to shoot using air rifles and .22 RF's when I was 13 and progressed to cf in my late teens. I now have an FAC licence and a shotgun licence. I own 2 rimfire rifles, 3 air rifles and 3 shotguns. I'm a responsible shooter and am usually against gun control for the sake of gun control. The banning of handguns hasn't done anything to improve gun control but it has denied the sport to thousands of people in the UK.

Seeing the article above makes me think that air guns should definitely be subject to the same licencing/storage/access laws as firearms, just to keep them out of the hands of the aholes of this world.

Stories like this make me sick to my core.

Of course they should!

After all, it worked for real guns! Oh, wait.
And when airguns are licenced, and the scrotes use slingshots, licence them as well? Rocks? Pointy sticks?


bloody typos.

Edited by jimmyjimjim on Monday 25th August 14:13

[xiphias]

But much like the handgun ban - would it make the blindest bit of difference?

[AndyAudi]

Also a shooter myself, Air Rifle & Shotgun.

I would be all for a register of ownership, but not one requiring the usual police visit of your home etc which could be a bit OTT. Registered Keeper like a car may be the way to go, with a requirement to produce Registered Keeper cert to buy Pellets?

Edited by AndyAudi on Monday 25th August 14:15

[LDNrevs]

They should be - it being so easy to pick one up; myself and mates got into some daft situations with airguns when we were younger - and we shouldn't have had any way of getting close to them..

[Corpulent Tosser]

LDNrevs said:

They should be - it being so easy to pick one up; myself and mates got into some daft situations with airguns when we were younger - and we shouldn't have had any way of getting close to them..

How young ?

There are already laws restricting the use of airguns by young people, new laws are not required, what is required is that the existing laws be applied.

[Fittster]

jollygreen said:

. The banning of handguns hasn't done anything to improve gun control.....

....makes me think that air guns should definitely be subject to the same licencing/storage/access laws as firearms, just to keep them out of the hands of the aholes of this world.

Err, you appear to contradict yourself

[jollygreen]

Fittster said:

jollygreen said:

. The banning of handguns hasn't done anything to improve gun control.....

....makes me think that air guns should definitely be subject to the same licencing/storage/access laws as firearms, just to keep them out of the hands of the aholes of this world.

Err, you appear to contradict yourself

I'm not talking about banning airguns, I'm talking about licencing them.

[Hedders]

There are more cot deaths every year than Air Gun deaths, should we ban cots?

[simba1]

Hedders said:

There are more cot deaths every year than Air Gun deaths, should we ban cots?

And even more people killed on the roads. Ban all roads as well.
Seriously though the laws already exist, what is needed is proper enforcement.

[deevlash]

Up here in Scotland there was a kid shot and killed by a chav with an airgun. The parents of the dead kid want air guns banned, it has subsequently transpired that the dead kids parents were drug dealers. This is the mentality of those that want air guns banned, theyre thick.

[Shaw Tarse]

simba1 said:

Hedders said:

There are more cot deaths every year than Air Gun deaths, should we ban cots?

And even more people killed on the roads. Ban all roads as well.
Seriously though the laws already exist, what is needed is proper enforcement.

It's not the laws or enforcement that matters,it's about common sense,WHY were young children allowed access to the gun for this to happen?

[The Ben]

I have an airrifle, I cant see one good reason why I should need a licence for it!! I only have it for shooting at hairs when they digg up the bloody field...

[y2blade]

AndyAudi said:

Also a shooter myself, Air Rifle & Shotgun.

I would be all for a register of ownership, but not one requiring the usual police visit of your home etc which could be a bit OTT. Registered Keeper like a car may be the way to go, with a requirement to produce Registered Keeper cert to buy Pellets?

Edited by AndyAudi on Monday 25th August 14:15

what he said^^

i too shoot shotgun,air rifles and air pistol and i keep ALL my guns/ammo under lock and key as required by law and common sense


a registered keeper cert may well be the way to go but as others have said it wont stop scum getting hold of them

[Sam_68]

Typical knee-jerk over-reaction of the sort that has left us with the nanny state we live in today.

One unfortunate, random incident is not a good reason to implement a whole new tier of bureaucracy and goverment interference.

You can't legislate away every little bit of risk from society and serious incedents resulting from abuse of air weapons are, in reality, extremely rare.

[Ganglandboss]

The Ben said:

I have an airrifle, I cant see one good reason why I should need a licence for it!! I only have it for shooting at hairs when they digg up the bloody field...

fk me! That must be accurate!

[Hedders]

They should be made illegal like drugs and real guns, then no one would have them any more and the problem would go away.

In fact the government should announce a war on Air Pistols, that always works well.

[Sam_68]

Ganglandboss said:

The Ben said:

I have an airrifle, I cant see one good reason why I should need a licence for it!! I only have it for shooting at hairs when they digg up the bloody field...

fk me! That must be accurate!

Just what I was thinking...

... and the old syrup must be a bit scary if it crawls off on its own and starts digging burrows!

Personally, I use an air rifle mainly for squirrels these days (serious pests if you live in a thatched cottage, before anyone comes over all sentimental about grey tree rats) and the occasional bunny for the pot, but I'd resist even registration - it would inevitably be the thin end of the wedge leading to a total ban, with the current bunch of fools in government.

Edited by Sam_68 on Monday 25th August 16:02

[Shaw Tarse]

Sam_68 said:

Ganglandboss said:

The Ben said:

I have an airrifle, I cant see one good reason why I should need a licence for it!! I only have it for shooting at hairs when they digg up the bloody field...

fk me! That must be accurate!

Just what I was thinking...

... and the old syrup must be a bit scary if it crawls off on it's own and starts digging burrows!

Personally, I use an air rifle mainly for squirrels these days (serious pests if you live in a thatched cottage, before anyone comes over all sentimental about grey tree rats) and the occasional bunny for the pot, but I'd resist even registration - it would inevitably be the thin end of the wedge leading to a total ban, with the current bunch of fools in government.

:doh: we lost your details!

[chris watton]

I think they should be banned, it worked with guns and knifes.............