So is air 'weapon' licensing in Scotland a success?

[LeadWasp]

Here is an interview with a Chief Super talking about the legislation using words like "success" and "embraced" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40449498

 

yet late last year the numbers of air rilfes etc. concerned were listed as over 100,000 known and an even higher figure estimated.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-38469556

 

What do you think if a total of only 17,000 applications are in and 21,000 items handed over. Where are the rest?. What do the shooting association figures say? Success or actually a dismal failure? If it is a failure what does that say about a law abiding society (and ownership)?.

[Red-dot]

I read that hundreds have joined rifle clubs to justify good reason and have got into rimfire and centrefire and bave now swamped the system even more with FAC applications so a good thing in my view. Then again these are probably the shooters that abide by the law anyway?

[saddler]

Only serving officer I spoke to insisted that everything was going well, lots of proactive buzz-words & corporate speak.

 

The background to the conversation sums it all up though.

I'd applied for & been granted a like for like one for one FAC variation. The issuing office said a home visit wasn't required. Had the new FAC within a week.

A couple of weeks pass. PC phones "to arrange a home visit for the one for one"

PC refutes my comments re wasting resources & not being necessary. The licensing office had to send word to division to cancel a totally unnecessary job.

 

But aye, it's business as usual north of the border!

Edited June 30, 2017 by saddler

[Scully]

The reason for the legislation unless I'm mistaken, was to license air rifles in order to prevent people being killed with air rifles, whether legally or illegally held.

I think success can only be measured by the amount of effect the legislation has had on those criteria.

Have those criteria been met?

[saddler]

Have those criteria been met?

As the government own estimates on guns owned, compared to license numbers issued doesn't tally. ...nor has every illegally held airgun been surrendered.....so NO

 

It will remain NO until the police start door to door raids with specially trained sniffer dugs & every home in the country has been cleared of any stored airguns.

[LeadWasp]

Surely the first measure both of effectiveness and of 'good' legislation is uptake and adherence. The purpose is licensing with the intention to reduce criminal acts.

[Scully]

Surely the first measure both of effectiveness and of 'good' legislation is uptake and adherence. The purpose is licensing with the intention to reduce criminal acts.

Then you've answered your own question.

[Breastman]

Considering there had been a rapid drop in airgun offences year on year in Scotland BEFORE the legislation came in, as there hasn't been constant crowing about how well the legislation has worked (read: trend has continued), I'd guess offences are actually up/have remained the same. Can't think where a similar trend and then results may have happened <cough> handgun ban <cough>

[LeadWasp]

Then you've answered your own question.

(.......let's out a weary sigh)

Edited June 30, 2017 by LeadWasp

[stuartyboy]

To me the main concern is that now in Scotland we require good reason to possess air guns. As we do with firearms held on FACs.

We're in a situation that the Police, politicians and public, who are generally anti shooting, may start to ask for increased restrictions and hoops to jump through for shotgun certificate holders. After all its now easier to get a shotgun license than it is to get a air weapon...

[saddler]

To me the main concern is that now in Scotland we require good reason to possess air guns. As we do with firearms held on FACs.

We're in a situation that the Police, politicians and public, who are generally anti shooting, may start to ask for increased restrictions and hoops to jump through for shotgun certificate holders. After all its now easier to get a shotgun license than it is to get a air weapon...

...and you must have missed the SNP statements EXACTLY CONFIRMING that the AWC was their first step to as close as they can get to a complete ban on gun ownership in Scotland.

 

Yet a few folk on this forum still voted for them!

[stuartyboy]

SNP are anti gun and undoubtedly will try to create further restrictions on private gun ownership, as will likely Westminster under the guise of protecting the public from the threat of terrorists seizing and using legally held guns.

As for folk voting SNP, possibly they have weighed up the limited options and decided that the SNP offered more for their families and futures than the other parties even if it's possibly detrimental to their hobbies in the future?

Anyway, back on topic. Hopefully the AWC doesn't deter folk from getting into the sport, encourages responsible behaviour and people to possibly apply for SGCs and FACs. Whilst hammering the neds who misuse them.

[zipdog]

I read that hundreds have joined rifle clubs to justify good reason and have got into rimfire and centrefire and bave now swamped the system even more with FAC applications so a good thing in my view. Then again these are probably the shooters that abide by the law anyway?

 

 

That is a very interesting point. In a government effort to rid the general public of arms they may well have inadvertently caused a higher number. All the airgun owners who were happy with a sub 12 ftlb rifle before, now requiring an FAC, have though well I will have a 22 rimfire and a 223 whilst I’m at it.

[Red-dot]

....it's definately happening.

[redrobbie]

To say its been a success is premature we will have to wait until the annual scottish crime stats are published . With all the people being charged with having no licence [50 so far this year ] the total number of offences involving air guns is bound to increase over last year [157] . How will they spin that one .