johnbaz Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 Well said spot on. Ditto!! as already said, another nail in the coffin of airgunners, makes you want to sell up and get off this island as the nutters have taken over the asylum It will get passed and those caught won't be imprisoned, they'll just be fined or in other words, topping up the governments coffers It costs the government money to put people away, fining them has the opposite effect.... Don't steal!!- The government don't like the competition John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxtav Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 If I have to apply for a licence well I'll just have to do it as long as it is cheap as most air rifles sold are not expensive and as I have a shotgun cert and am deemed safe to have one that it is just a formallity to get the bit of paper to have the airgun as well. I use it responsibly for a ligitimate reason anyway (keeping the rabbit population in check in my fields) so it shouldn't be much of an issue for me anyway and as am going to apply for my FAC for a FAC airgun soon, as the incresed range would be a great help, it may be slightly academic for me. I can see where they are going with it as why do you need to have an air rifle just just to say you own one and never use it for pest control or target shooting. If it gets rid of the scum and chavs that have them and use them in the small back gardens of towns and cities to shoot cats and other things and generally cause major problems then it would be a good thing. As looking out your kitchen window and seeing some scumbag walking down the street with a rifle of some sort is not going to engender any good feeling towards gun owners by the general public who can't tell the difference between a sub 12ft/lb rifle and a deer calible rifle and think the are all the same . However if you are a chav that does this you are not going to bother getting a licence anyway as they guns they are using are never going to be handed in or registered so it is pointless which is further enhanced by the following two paragraphs from the consultation paper (on the BASC website) 33. Prior to purchasing an air weapon, the onus should be on the buyer to ensure that they are in possession of a valid certificate which they could present at the point of purchase. Under existing arrangements, registered firearms dealers already have to confirm a buyer‟s age and address before making an air weapons sale. We do not propose that dealers or sellers would have to confirm that a valid certificate is in place as well. 34. We will expect registered dealers to make buyers aware of their responsibilities as an air weapon owner, through the display or distribution of up to date information and advice. This could form part of a long term, joint information campaign involving dealers, shooting organisations and clubs and the Scottish Government. What is the point of having to apply for a licence to how that you have good reason and are not a chav nutcase if you don't have to show it when you buy the airgun. I am firmly of the opinion that we should do what we can to prevent this from coming in but I believe that within 2 years all airguns in Scotland will have to be licenced as it is an idea that the Scottish Government i.e the SNP have an at all cost attitude to put this through. Just look at the responses to the Gay marriage proposals from church and other bodies against it that appear to have been totally ignored. All I can see is already overstretched fireams departments grinding to a halt and the whole thing being a total farce. One point to consider is that this has been a well known proposal of the SNP for years so if you are an airgun owner and voted for them in the last Scottish election that put them in government you can't moan about having to get a licence for your airgun as you put them there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 Am i right in thinking that in Northern Ireland, all air rifles are licensed? this might well mean an end to the sub 12 air gun, as people will just plug for FAC. there needs to be a proper difference between the rules for what is now FAC and non fac, or else we're just going to have a load of FAC powered air guns floating around the black market. On a day like today it does seem a bit sad worrying about licensing of firearms. I wonder what the residents of Connecticut would have to say about it today... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sx3 clay breaker Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 So do you think that you will be able to have over 12 ftlb if they licence all air guns ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wharf Rat Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 Jesus. An herein lies the problem. In ten years they'll have you convinced that owning a catapult or a carving knife is a privilege too The object isn't the problem, it's the user.Banning an object because of a minority of idiots that abuse the object is morose to say the least. Do you really think an airgun license will have a significant impact on offenses? Did the handgun ban stop gun crime? It may have reduced it slightly, if at all, but all it really achieved was to stop law abiding people from enjoying their hobby. No doubt it scored a few votes with a closed mind and kneejerk prone populace, but did it actually make society any better or safer? As usual, this will be the thin end of the wedge, the start of a total ban. I guess to some of you 'bend over and shaft me' types, the idea of yet another license that 'allows' you to do something will make you feel just a little bit important. But to anyone with half a brain they will see that this is yet more erosion of our basic rights. Who the hell has the right to tell me that because some numpty somewhere has abused the use of an object, I can no longer have, or need 'special' permission to use said object. No doubt when they do finally come and take your guns away, you'll be the first to scream and whine about how unfair it is, how you didn't see it coming. The law needs to come down on the USER, not the OBJECT. Though of course, this will be a nice little revenue raiser for the Government won't it.... Spot on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SakoQuad Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 I cannot believe that the majority view here is to agree with the idea of yet more restrictive legislation! Dear God the Government already monitors, restricts and tries to control so much of what, we, the ordinary citizen, does, what does it take before we, the electorate, say enough? This is just one more incremental step towards banning all of us "ordinary people" from owning and using firearms in pursuit of our various sports. This will start by excluding the youngest and poorest from joining the sport but will do naff all about preventing airguns being acquired and mis-used by miscreants just as the hand gun ban has done naff all about reducing gun crime overall. Just waiting for the outcry to ban something / everything following the latest act of lunacy in the USA but I guess that will be ok with some here from the sound of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpkiller Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 I bought a £50 lightning XL off here and just plink in the garden or take it a range if i want to stretch its legs. If they bring in any sort of licensing then thatll be it for me ill have to pack it in. When they do things like this it only effects the good law abiding people not the idiots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonwolf444 Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 i see it like this. Once they are registered your ******, and you are at their mercy, once they are registered they know who has guns and who is responsible and when they want to bann them they know who's door to come knocking on.https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/scottish-government-to-drop-all-proposals-to-licence-air-weapons-in-scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 Am i right in thinking that in Northern Ireland, all air rifles are licensed? this might well mean an end to the sub 12 air gun, as people will just plug for FAC. there needs to be a proper difference between the rules for what is now FAC and non fac, or else we're just going to have a load of FAC powered air guns floating around the black market. On a day like today it does seem a bit sad worrying about licensing of firearms. I wonder what the residents of Connecticut would have to say about it today... Yes anything which is a gun shaped object and over 1 joule in Northern Ireland requires a gun license! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbaz Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Hmmm I'm wondering how i'd go on, if the licencing is anything like for live round guns, I think there's a limit to how many guns can be owned (Not certain as I don't have real guns!), I collect airguns an have at present over 90, I presume there would be something for 'collectors', if not then it's going to get costly for me If it happens in Scotland then I feel that it's just a precurser to being imposed here.. I have a feeling that I may just get rid of the lot as I feel like a criminal if I take a rifle in a slip over my shoulder, they attract 'funny' looks now.. I can recall as a kid back in the 60's playing cowboys and indians in the street with my cousin with his dads Diana air rifle and deactivated Colt 1911, armed response would be called out now John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie54 Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Sign this please guyshttps://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/scottish-government-to-drop-all-proposals-to-licence-air-weapons-in-scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Sign this please guyshttps://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/scottish-government-to-drop-all-proposals-to-licence-air-weapons-in-scotland Sorry Howie, I support the proposal. It needs fleshing out a bit, but air rifles have remained in a grey area of legislation for too long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsaben Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Sorry Howie, I support the proposal. It needs fleshing out a bit, but air rifles have remained in a grey area of legislation for too long Wake up mate its just another way to squeeze tax out of something you enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Wake up mate its just another way to squeeze tax out of something you enjoy. fully awake thanks. It's just I happen to think that the grey area of air rifles needs tightening up. Obviously there's no statistical information as to how this will affect the grass roots of the sport and it's good that we can use Scotland as the guinea pig, but this is not an assault on those of us who shoot air rifles for good reasons. It is not a witch hunt against law abiding members of the community; it is a way of weeding out those who don't have sufficient reason to own an air rifle. With something as dangerous as an air rifle, it shouldn't be the case that anyone can own one simply to have one in the house. This is not America - thank goodness - so our ownership of guns is not guaranteed by a constitution, so if you are not a member of a club or you don't have pest control needs, why own an air rifle? 'Because I can' shouldn't be a good enough reason. This is not about revenue accumulation, it's about promoting the safety of the public. Once the complete details of how the law will be manifested are made available, then we can make more of an informed decision. Right now though, I'm saying that I agree with the principle and the reasons behind the proposed legislation. I have no friends who shoot and the friends to whom I have spoken about it are surprised and a little disconcerted when i tell them how the law works with air rifles, so I can sympathise with that side of the argument. If licensing comes in this side of the border, I will probably have to make a choice between licensing for fishing or my air rifle, but I'm happy to make that choice, because I think that anything that could cause as much damage as an air rifle can, should be under tighter regulation than it is now. I don't know whether this will have an affect on crimes committed with air rifles. I sincerely hope it does, but it will take a long time, a lot of hard work by police and a bit of good faith from the general public. every shooting school, club and society will testify the value of the air rifle as both an enjoyable hobby and an excellent pest control weapon. The fact that they are of lower power and have far less destructive force than other types of guns will play into the shooting fraternity's hands, but the fact remains that, should I wish to, or if i wasn't paying proper attention, I could do a huge amount of damage to someone. I was taught to shoot at school and was taught gun safety first before anything else, but an eighteen year old kid on a council estate in Glasgow probably won't have had that, yet he has just as much right at the moment to own a gun, despite having no training and no reason to shoot. It's these people whose ownership is being brought into question. I know of no one, however anti shooting, even vegetarians, who doesn't respect my ownership of a gun. When not in use, it's locked away, the keys are kept in a separate room and the ammunition is not stored with the weapon. I have permission to shoot pest species on two separate farms as well as keeping the rat population down in our chicken and duck enclosure. What's wrong with all of that being required by law given the potential damage such a weapon could cause? This is my opinion! feel free to disagree heartily, but please don't think of this as some ill-conceived notion of utopia between country folk and Townies! If it all goes pear shaped in Scotland for genuine air gun owners, I'll be happy to admit I was wrong and will camp outside Westminster with other owners in protest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsaben Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Fair play mate, i think there will only be yes or no answers on this one. I am a definite no, drugs are illegal but still very easy to obtain. If someone wants a rifle they will get get one, law or no law. The law abiding people will be the only ones that pay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 Yeah. and that's my worry. that those of us who are prepared to pay will do so under the misapprehension that the police will be able to enforce the penalties on those that don't! It wouldn't surprise me if the laws came into effect and the police suddenly realised they're way out of their depth with what would actually need to be done to enforce it! we shall see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 (edited) To those saying that it will solve the problem of chav types using them: Airgun crime is on the decline in Scotland. http://www.basc.org....8C7E9CBB27B631C So why do we need further restrictions? I can understand if there was a serious issue which needed to be solved, but it appears that the issue is already being solved, so why do we need airgun licensing? What this will do is make it harder to get into shooting. Air rifles are how many young shooters start, and licensing will restrict that severely, making shooting less accessible. What airgun licensing will do is restrict responsible shooters to solve a problem which is already being solved. Those responsible for crime involving airguns can already be prosecuted and punished accordingly. What we need to do is keep enforcing the current laws, not introducing new laws as a pointless knee jerk reaction. See my signature for the petition. Edited December 15, 2012 by Reece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGHT SEARCHER Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 To those saying that it will solve the problem of chav types using them: Airgun crime is on the decline in Scotland. http://www.basc.org....8C7E9CBB27B631C So why do we need further restrictions? I can understand if there was a serious issue which needed to be solved, but it appears that the issue is already being solved, so why do we need airgun licensing? What this will do is make it harder to get into shooting. Air rifles are how many young shooters start, and licensing will restrict that severely, making shooting less accessible. What airgun licensing will do is restrict responsible shooters to solve a problem which is already being solved. Those responsible for crime involving airguns can already be prosecuted and punished accordingly. What we need to do is keep enforcing the current laws, not introducing new laws as a pointless knee jerk reaction. See my signature for the petition. Well said spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul T Posted December 15, 2012 Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 There's probably a lot of people, like me, who have an air rifle for popping off a few rats under the chicken sheds. I regard it as a necessity, but would I be prepared to pay for a separate licence for one? Probably not is the answer, so I'll probably give it up in favour of something else - if I need a license. then I'll have something worthy of paying a licence for, rather than a sub 12ft lb air rifle! Lose the 12ft lb limit and licence them, possibly as a 'lower grade' firearm similar to a SGC could be one suggestion, and then it's a clearly defined line. A £50 cabinet and similar for a 5 year cert is still a lot cheaper than most other hobbies! Anything not licensed is confiscated and chucked in the furnace, end of. The only 'fly in the ointment' is who is going to police a new licence, and that's the main stumbling block for any new laws. If it can't be enforced then any law is worthless and actually creates more problems than it solves. Personally, I say leave things as they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGHT SEARCHER Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) fully awake thanks. It's just I happen to think that the grey area of air rifles needs tightening up. Obviously there's no statistical information as to how this will affect the grass roots of the sport and it's good that we can use Scotland as the guinea pig, but this is not an assault on those of us who shoot air rifles for good reasons. It is not a witch hunt against law abiding members of the community; it is a way of weeding out those who don't have sufficient reason to own an air rifle. With something as dangerous as an air rifle, it shouldn't be the case that anyone can own one simply to have one in the house. This is not America - thank goodness - so our ownership of guns is not guaranteed by a constitution, so if you are not a member of a club or you don't have pest control needs, why own an air rifle? 'Because I can' shouldn't be a good enough reason. This is not about revenue accumulation, it's about promoting the safety of the public. Once the complete details of how the law will be manifested are made available, then we can make more of an informed decision. Right now though, I'm saying that I agree with the principle and the reasons behind the proposed legislation. I have no friends who shoot and the friends to whom I have spoken about it are surprised and a little disconcerted when i tell them how the law works with air rifles, so I can sympathise with that side of the argument. If licensing comes in this side of the border, I will probably have to make a choice between licensing for fishing or my air rifle, but I'm happy to make that choice, because I think that anything that could cause as much damage as an air rifle can, should be under tighter regulation than it is now. I don't know whether this will have an affect on crimes committed with air rifles. I sincerely hope it does, but it will take a long time, a lot of hard work by police and a bit of good faith from the general public. every shooting school, club and society will testify the value of the air rifle as both an enjoyable hobby and an excellent pest control weapon. The fact that they are of lower power and have far less destructive force than other types of guns will play into the shooting fraternity's hands, but the fact remains that, should I wish to, or if i wasn't paying proper attention, I could do a huge amount of damage to someone. I was taught to shoot at school and was taught gun safety first before anything else, but an eighteen year old kid on a council estate in Glasgow probably won't have had that, yet he has just as much right at the moment to own a gun, despite having no training and no reason to shoot. It's these people whose ownership is being brought into question. I know of no one, however anti shooting, even vegetarians, who doesn't respect my ownership of a gun. When not in use, it's locked away, the keys are kept in a separate room and the ammunition is not stored with the weapon. I have permission to shoot pest species on two separate farms as well as keeping the rat population down in our chicken and duck enclosure. What's wrong with all of that being required by law given the potential damage such a weapon could cause? This is my opinion! feel free to disagree heartily, but please don't think of this as some ill-conceived notion of utopia between country folk and Townies! If it all goes pear shaped in Scotland for genuine air gun owners, I'll be happy to admit I was wrong and will camp outside Westminster with other owners in protest! Brainwashed Edited December 16, 2012 by NIGHT SEARCHER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) Brainwashed by whom? and why the need to be so insulting? If you disagree, fair enough, that's reasonable; it's a controversial issue. That doesn't give you the right to be abusive about it. I am not the only on who would agree with some form of licensing, as this thread has shown. Edited December 16, 2012 by chrisjpainter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsaben Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Brainwashed by whom? and why the need to be so insulting? If you disagree, fair enough, that's reasonable; it's a controversial issue. That doesn't give you the right to be abusive about it. I am not the only on who would agree with some form of licensing, as this thread has shown. No but he was the right to his own opinion, as for being abusive i think you may be a tad sensitive mate!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ST3V3 Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 here's my view for what it worth all think back to your initial sgc/fac application or even your last variation, even if it was a quick turn around imagine how much more work the licencing team are going to get thus slowing other things up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) No but he was the right to his own opinion, as for being abusive i think you may be a tad sensitive mate!! agreed - now that it has been edited! thanks for the edit Night Searcher though. Time to get out for some shooting/watch pigeons swear at me from a safe distance Edited December 16, 2012 by chrisjpainter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Laws are for the law abiding....law breakers don't give a monkeys.....! Enforcement is the key and since that is difficult and more costly than any revenue licensing might generate it will do little to lessen gun crime. IMO GH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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