Anyone got an air rifle?

[AB]

Just picked these two old .22 air rifles up, £7.50 as the lad wanted rid. Just about to pop out and buy some pellets. I have no idea where I am going to use them. I don't like the thought of shooting anything that lives to be honest so targets in the garden it will more than likely be.

Anyone have any advice on how to look after them etc? For £7.50 i imagine they will be binned once I've had my fun with them (i.e. 2 weeks). Do you need a license or anything like that? Presume its illegal to carry it in the street? Can i just drive around with them in my boot?

How powerful are they? What damage will they do?

I literally know nothing about them which is probably quite dangerous.

Any info appreciated.

[Lefty Two Drams]

They look like B2's, chinese made budget rifles.

I would imagine they are aropund 9-10ft/lb. 12ft/lb is the legal limit for a non-FAC (forearm certificate) air rifle.

You can carry them in public OK, I'd use a bag if I were you though... No problem with having them in the boot of your car.

Regarding damage, they will bust through both sides of a drinks can but not a tyre sidewall. Will easily kill a rabbit, woodie or crow.

Use it on your own land or private land where you have permission.

Have fun!

Edited by Lefty Two Drams on Tuesday 3rd November 12:02

[byhff]

AB said:

I literally know nothing about them which is probably quite dangerous.

Tip 1. Never say ' I'll just have a wee look down here to see if there's still a pellet in it'

Tip 2. Don't point it at anyone or anything you don't want to/is not safe to shoot.

Good luck!

[speedychrissie]

We have a few .22 air rifles and a couple of .17 rifles at home. I have been reliably informed by the local gun shop that you don't need any sort of license for them.

If you have a gun shop or anything similar you should get some gun cleaner. It is normally an aerosol which you spray all of the gun and it will clean it and lubricate the working parts.

There is huge variation in power. Those look fairly weak, but it can be difficult to tell until you have a couple of practice shots. Our most powerful ones will send a pellet through 8 layers of cardboard and a layer of carpet at a range of 30 metres. Powerful enough that you really dont want to get shot by one!

[pokethepope]

They look like two (slightly) different models, and the bottom one does indeed look like a B2 - China made, marketed by SMK in the UK:

http://www.sportsmk.co.uk/category/airguns-rifles/

Very very cheap and basic, about £30 new. Due to the low quality manafacturing, components and quality control the power and accuracy is very hit and miss (see what I did there?), but for £8 garden plinking you can't really go wrong (unless it explodes in your face )

ETA. oh, and don't believe any of the BS on that site, its not 'extremely powerful' or the best gun to grace the earth. This site is mostly about the better quality Chinese-made air guns, but there should be plenty of info applicable to the guns you have if you want to do a bit of DIY to get them shooting better:

http://ukchineseairgunforum.myfreeforum.org/index....

Edited by pokethepope on Tuesday 3rd November 12:14

[[AJ]]

OP, all the info you need with regards to the legalities of air rifle use:

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/codes-of-practice/air-ri...

I'd recommend a read. Unfortunately, plod and nosey neighbours*, especially in urban areas are becoming less informed or tolerant so it's always a good idea to know where you stand with these things.

They may be cheap and underpowered, but you'll have fun plinking in your garden and it may well spark in interest.

• A friend of mine had armed response turn up to his house once because a nosey neighbour called the police when he was out in his garden shooting his airsoft gun with his brother. They neighbour assumed it was a 'real gun' and he was trying to shoot people.

[HOGEPH]

Anybody know if air rifles in the States are limited to 12 ft/lbs?

[john_p]

HOGEPH said:

Anybody know if air rifles in the States are limited to 12 ft/lbs?

Just go and buy a M60

[Lefty Two Drams]

HOGEPH said:

Anybody know if air rifles in the States are limited to 12 ft/lbs?

Why would they be?!

[pacman1]

HOGEPH said:

Anybody know if air rifles in the States are limited to 12 ft/lbs?

Ohhh no. Anything goes there. Crazy ft/ibs. Even used by their cops.

[AB]

Thanks for the links, just went out and bought 1000 pellets, should keep me going, and 50 paper targets. My garden is big enough to shoot in without annoying the neighbours or the pellets going astray.

Its a cheap gun, if i catch the bug id probably go out and buy a newer one and look after it properly.

I'm told that one is a Webley and was fairly expensive when it was new and the other is unknown. Also came with a scope which I will attach when I get home.

[speedychrissie]

The webley should have some manufacturing numbers on it so you can search for some more information about that specific model.

[Lefty Two Drams]

pacman1 said:

HOGEPH said:

Anybody know if air rifles in the States are limited to 12 ft/lbs?

Ohhh no. Anything goes there. Crazy ft/ibs. Even used by their cops.

12 ft/lb is nothing compared to a firearm.

A colt .45 has about 400 ft/lb.
A 5.56 short (M16 type) is about 1200 ft/lb.
A .50 AE (Desert Eagle type handgun) is about 1500 ft/lb (!)
A 30-30 rifle has about 2,000 ft/lb.
A .50bmg rifle can get to 16,000 ft/lb.

Simply Ek=0.5mv2.

Edited by Lefty Two Drams on Tuesday 3rd November 13:04

[remedy]

AB said:

Thanks for the links, just went out and bought 1000 pellets, should keep me going, and 50 paper targets. My garden is big enough to shoot in without annoying the neighbours or the pellets going astray.

Its a cheap gun, if i catch the bug id probably go out and buy a newer one and look after it properly.

I'm told that one is a Webley and was fairly expensive when it was new and the other is unknown. Also came with a scope which I will attach when I get home.

I don't want to be patronising but you did say you know nothing about them...

Us airgunners unfortunately have a bad reputation from all the thugs who wield them in public so please make sure you've got a good absorbing backstop, no chance of richochets and you aren't going to get the police called just for having a plink in your garden.
If your neighbours are close by it may be worth explaining what your doing to make sure they don't get dialling 999. You don't want a firearms team smashing your backdoors in

Again, sorry if you know all this but better to be safe and all...

[Dolf]

Hmmm, I would advise to go and find a local club... Air membership is not that expensive and you will pick up a lot about gun handling, safety and maintenance - and the opportunity to shoot something else (presumably).

It has been a while since I went through the law on air weapons, but I believe that there is still a caveat in there stating that you are not allowed (I believe they used the term "illegal") to use an air weapon within 15m (or was it yards?) from any public footpath. Unless you have a massive garden and have very nice neighbours, I would personally not take the risk.

Armed response take any reports on shooting "guns" (because that is what the person calling in will call it) in the back garden very seriously - and actually, AR use it as an training exercice... I remeber a ten year old having his birthday party rudely interrupted while he was plinking in the garden with a BB Airsoft plastic toy. Put a bit of a damper on it as his toy was removed from the premises...

[ErnestM]

Wear eye protection as well. Depending on where and at what you are shooting at, they can ricochet...

- No limit on the power in US. I have the Umarex Beretta CX4 Storm replica CO2 rifle that I keep around for snakes (somewhat rural hamlet that I live in and the house backs up to a large wooded area. The buggers like the driveway after the rain) It is rated at 600fps

[Bri957]

I was given one of the chinese rifles for free to deal with rats in our garden.

Has proved pretty good to be honest. Decent pellets make a big difference I've found, although the grouping is a bit splattery with the odd round an inch or so out at 10m.

I've set up a few targets in the garden now, and find it quite relaxing to get in from work and plink at them for a bit.

[AB]

Remedy; thanks for that. Literally assume I know nothing, that way I won't miss the obvious.

The garden is about 1/2 acre so no danger of pellets heading into neighbours windows unless I really want them to :P

I will tell the neighbour what I am doing, they won't have too much of an issue as I'm pretty sure they mess about with worse!

Ideas for a where to put the target? I would guess I will attach is to some chipboard? I guess that would be safe enough?

I went for cheap pellets, £3 for 500 - there were some that were £10 for 250, not sure it really makes a difference in such a cheap gun when I'm only messing about in the garden.

Looking forward to going home now, gutted it will be dark though!

[funkyol]

Hang a shaken can of coke by a bit of string from a tree branch. Shoot it on the side and watch it spin round frantically when you eventually hit it. Great fun.

[AB]

funkyol said:

Hang a shaken can of coke by a bit of string from a tree branch. Shoot it on the side and watch it spin round frantically when you eventually hit it. Great fun.

That is what I shall do tonight!