DoubleTap Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 I have been wanting to buy an airgun for a while now but have been put off a bit because of the legal age limit and laws etc. I have asked if my dad could get it for himself but me pay him the money and let me use it as my gun. Is this alright and could you give me some advice. Could you also recomend a gun, any condition between the price of about £50-£150. Preferabley break barrel Cheers DT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA-airgunner Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 http://www.youngmans.com/acatalog/law.html The Law Shooting the the UK is governed by extremely strict firearms laws. These laws exist to prevent their misuse and there are sever penalties for anyone who breaks them, even if they do so unintentionally. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of the laws relating to shooting and to comply with them. As most people start with airguns we have set out some of the main regulations regarding their ownership and use. Please remember this is for your guidance only and is not a full statement of law, for full information we suggest you contact a suitably qualified solicitor. What you should know about owning an airgun You do not need a license to own and air rifle or pistol providing it is not capable of exceeding certain power limits. The power limit is set at 12 ft. lbs. For air rifles and 6 ft. lbs. For air pistols. These power limits are for any brand of pellet and it is your responsibility to ensure that the gun has a legal power output at all times. Special rules apply however, in Northern Ireland. You may not possess an air rifle that exceeds the 12 ft. lbs. Power limit unless you have a firearms certificate (FAC) which allows you to possess it. Possession of an air pistol capable of exceeding the 6 ft. lbs. Power limit is totally prohibited. You must be at least 18 years of age before you may purchase an airgun or airgun ammunition. Under the age of 14 you may not own an airgun. Any airgun regardless of it's power is considered a 'firearm' if it is used to commit a criminal offence. Simply possessing one when committing an offence may greatly increase the any sentence a court may award. Using an airgun to commit an offence carries prison sentences varying from three months to life depending on the seriousness of the crime. What you should know about shooting an airgun You can only take your air gun onto land over which you have permission to shoot, regardless whether you intend to shoot it or not. If you trespass with your airgun you are committing the offence of 'armed trespass' this offence carries a maximum penalty of 3 months in prison and or a £2500 fine. You may, provided that you have the necessary permissions to shoot on that land, shoot with out supervision if you are aged over 14 years. If you are aged under 14 years, you may only shoot your airgun under the direct supervision of someone aged over 21 and on private land. The supervisor is legally responsible for the actions of the person they are supervising, no pellet may go outside of the boundaries of the private land where the shooting is taking place. A person aged under 14 may also shoot an airgun at a home office approved shooting club or at a shooting gallery for target shooting. You cannot shoot your airgun within 15 meters of a public highway if doing so would cause a nuisance or indanger the public. It is now also an offence if any projectile leaves the boundries of the land where you have permission to shoot. Your airgun is considered 'loaded' if there is any form of projectile in the breech, regardless of whether or not the gun is cocked. You must be aged 18 or older to carry an air rifle or air pistol in a public place even if it is cased. It is now a offence to cary an air rifle or pistol in a public place without resonable excuse. It is a serious offence to kill or injure any bird or protected animal with an airgun unless you are a person 'authorised' under the wildlife and countryside act 1981. Advice for parents Parents wishing to buy an airgun for for use by a person under 14 years of age must keep control of it at all times. You are committing an offence if you allow your child to shoot unsupervised even on land where permission to shoot has been given. You are committing an offence if you give an airgun or ammunition as a gift to a person under the age of 18. Although a person between the ages of 14 and 18 may shoot without supervision it strongly recommended that you keep control of the airgun when it is not in use. It is preferable that no airgun should be used by a person of these ages without the prior permission of a parent or other responsible adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron airgunner Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 hi mate how old are you exactly? i'm 14. for £50-£150 will not get you a decent hunting rifl unfortunatly. for general pest control a good springer can be very reliable and affordable but you will kinda have to be looking at £200+ second hand. as for good rifles most weirhauch guns can accurately and humanely kill pest speices to about 30yrds in the the right hands. you should be able to pick up a second hand weirhauch for about £200. a few other guns to look out for are bsa supersports and theoben rifles. if you are under 14 then a lighter gun would suit you. hw95k are reasonably light, as well as bsa supersports. heres a few for you: http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/100116171350000 http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/091117114835000 http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/100119102859003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleTap Posted May 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 (edited) I am also 14, thanks for the advice and recomendations aaron, might have to go halves with parents :blink: Thanks guys, really helped Edited May 31, 2010 by DoubleTap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy0013 Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 You could get a bsa lightening second hand for that money. £150 + Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 You could get a bsa lightening second hand for that money. £150 + i picked up a bsa lighting xl tach for £180 cracking gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron airgunner Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 hmm i have owned a bsa lightning xl and know 3 other people who have them and only 1 is completely happy with it. the rest (who are experienced shooters with daystate mk4's and the like) say it isnt very accurate and know where near the quality of weirhauch guns. i agree with them and think they are overpriced and overrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy0013 Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 hmm i have owned a bsa lightning xl and know 3 other people who have them and only 1 is completely happy with it. the rest (who are experienced shooters with daystate mk4's and the like) say it isnt very accurate and know where near the quality of weirhauch guns. i agree with them and think they are overpriced and overrated. Each to their own i guess... They're no where near as accurate as a pcp, however with a little bit of tuning they make a decent springer. I agree the quality isn't as good as a weirhauch but they are a fair bit cheaper. With anything in life you get what you pay for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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