Changing the public perception of airguns?

[Rockhamster]

The publics idea of shooting in general is poor with airguns at the bottom of the list. The populous may be ill informed when it comes to many aspects of the various shooting activities but they know that airguns require no licence and therefore, by definition, the individuals who have them must be using them for ilicidid reasons. 

Pointless jumping up to disagree, it's the public 'perception' solely I'm going on about here. That said I'm sure we all know that one 'shooter' who's actions and ethics are, at best, questionable. We can be our own worst enemy. 

Can anything be done, more importantly, does anybody actually care enough to even think about doing something? 

Standard common sense mantra suggests we should conduct ourselves with an air of professional competence whenever and wherever we are shooting. We need to be safe and considerate. 

Whilst I have not the time or the inclination to debate how any introduction of a licence would fall at the first fence, which it would, think about it a little longer before kicking off. Most are happy to spend a small fortune on equipment and sundry items but the idea of parting with a relatively small cost for a licence brings out the worst. A few questions regarding the reasons why an individual needs an airgun in the first place, storage, basic requirements all seem fair questions to ask on the application. 

With a licence required to purchase an airgun I truly believe would help our standing with the general public. Anybody found without a licence would also need to be dealt with quickly and harshly before any trust in the 'system' becomes a given.

Non of these thoughts will trouble anybody and are extreamly unlikely to be implemented any time soon. The cost of the infestructure would never pay for itself, let alone make the public 'safer'. 

There also needs to be a will and that's most definitely not there. 

 

[Guest cookoff013]

where is the money going to come from for licencing and enforcement of licence? 

i used to be an airgunner, it was just easyer to get a shotgun licence, shotgun, loading equipment, learn how to reload.

 

 

[Ultrastu]

1 hour ago, Rockhamster said:

The publics idea of shooting in general is poor with airguns at the bottom of the list. The populous may be ill informed when it comes to many aspects of the various shooting activities but they know that airguns require no licence and therefore, by definition, the individuals who have them must be using them for ilicidid reasons. 

Pointless jumping up to disagree, it's the public 'perception' solely I'm going on about here. That said I'm sure we all know that one 'shooter' who's actions and ethics are, at best, questionable. We can be our own worst enemy. 

Can anything be done, more importantly, does anybody actually care enough to even think about doing something? 

Standard common sense mantra suggests we should conduct ourselves with an air of professional competence whenever and wherever we are shooting. We need to be safe and considerate. 

Whilst I have not the time or the inclination to debate how any introduction of a licence would fall at the first fence, which it would, think about it a little longer before kicking off. Most are happy to spend a small fortune on equipment and sundry items but the idea of parting with a relatively small cost for a licence brings out the worst. A few questions regarding the reasons why an individual needs an airgun in the first place, storage, basic requirements all seem fair questions to ask on the application. 

With a licence required to purchase an airgun I truly believe would help our standing with the general public. Anybody found without a licence would also need to be dealt with quickly and harshly before any trust in the 'system' becomes a given.

Non of these thoughts will trouble anybody and are extreamly unlikely to be implemented any time soon. The cost of the infestructure would never pay for itself, let alone make the public 'safer'. 

There also needs to be a will and that's most definitely not there. 

 

What was the question again?

[strimmer_13]

Not this **** again 🙄 

 

[villaman]

Why bow down to the snowflake community. More you bow down to the scum , more they will take .

we had knives, airguns , catapults when we were kids back in the late 60’s early 70’s . Look at it now even some don’t want you to cycle anymore 

Edited June 16, 2021 by villaman

[Scully]

Why would a license improve ‘our standing with the general public’, and with 100’s of thousands if not more, of airguns already in circulation ( and not causing a problem ) what would licensing achieve? 

[Taileron]

1 hour ago, Ultrastu said:

What was the question again?

😂😂 That just made me snot hot tea out of my nose

[243deer]

An aweful lot of us started with an unlicensed BSA meteor or similar progressing from a catapault. This week new blood which would have joined our community has been prevented from doing so in the same manner due to age and or licensing restrictions depending on where you live.

We should be vociferously fighting all changes tooth and nail. Unfortunately our representative organisations do not have the stomach for a fight.

[GingerCat]

Dealing with airguns doesn't feature on my list of crimes to deal with, period. Maybe once every blue moon . That's in nearly 2 decades of policing. Real guns feature more regularly and not very many of those have licences. And the incidents  involved don't involve licence holders by and large. 

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, GingerCat said:

Dealing with airguns doesn't feature on my list of crimes to deal with, period. Maybe once every blue moon . That's in nearly 2 decades of policing. Real guns feature more regularly and not very many of those have licences. And the incidents  involved don't involve licence holders by and large. 

You have to hope that people high up think the same, is there any point? Imagine the cost and logistics involved trying to sort it, I'm still surprised they brought in the licence in Scotland.

[wymberley]

Pretentious with an agenda I thought.

[clangerman]

hanging on to firearms by the skin of our teeth last thing we need is airguns licensed never seen a airgun or firearm cause a act of stupidity of it’s own accord 

[Poor Shot]

Licensing very rarely (if ever) benefits the normal law abiding person.

There is still the odd shooting by pistol in UK and they have been banned how long?

The sort of person who would seek to do harm with an air rifle would very likely not give a damn about having the correct license for it but the average person who would otherwise be using their air rifle in accordance with the law now has another set of hoops to jump through to remain legal. 

[Ultrastu]

Shooters who advocate more licencing generally have an "I'm alright Jack " attitude .

[serrac]

12 hours ago, Mice! said:

 I'm still surprised they brought in the licence in Scotland.

Don't presume our noble leaders up here are capable of setting aside political idealism in favour of coherent thought.
Even the police chiefs came out and said don't do it -  not an issue and will just create unnecessary work for us.
But I remember some SNP numpty rambling on about how passing the law would give Scotland some of the the world's most "progressive" gun laws.
So it had to be done - never mind it probably instantly criminalised numerous families with an old Relum lying forgotten at the back of a cupboard.
As I recall the number of licenses issued and airguns surrendered was a small fraction of the number believed to be in circulation prior to licensing.