Air gun law

[mr_colt]

How about a "Regulated weapons Permit" system like the Isle of Man uses for Airguns? It gives the law abiding the continued right to buy and use but isn't as complicatedly licensed as a FAC/SGC firearm. Also I think £50 for that sort of permit would be excessive. £12 for a quick PNC check and issuing the permit seems fair enough to me. A £50 fee would only put off responsible young airgunners from the sport. £12 is more reasonable.

 

It is also a bit rich when one can still buy a crossbow via mail/online order but not a 6ftlb Weihrauch HW45 plinker. My personal opinion is the police have to start enforcing existing law regrading air weapon offences. Those who misuse air-weapons need to be given a firm serving of criminal Justice instead of a ASBO.

 

The VCR act like the Anti-social behaviour act 2003 is; just another spin law to cover the lack of existing legal enforcement at the detriment of law-abiding Air-Gun users.

 

mr_colt.

[Guest The Outlaw]

I believe all weapons should be licensed, that way if anyone is caught in the possesion of an unlicensed weapon the could be punished accordingly.

 

When I say all weapons I mean Air guns, BB guns, All bows and arrows, Catapults.

 

Anything that can kill or seriously injure someone or an animal illegally.

 

It could be a free register and the sensible users will be only to happy to list them on a form obtainable from the post office.

 

The transfer could be the same as other like sgc's where you both send the licencsing people new owner details.

 

Tony

[Country Boy]

It's not the gun that's the problem - it's the thug and there's already plenty of laws in that area. It's the lack of belief they'll be caught and then the lack of belief they'll get a harsh punishment that is the problem.

 

Sadly this IS the case.

 

Air Guns, like many tools used correctly, are just brilliant.

But try to imagine how many 1000's there must be in circulation today? How many 1000's will be in the hands of totally irresponsible persons, bought swapped found or stolen the mind boggles, they have been cheap and readily available for over 50 years and for many years even cheaper versions have flooded in from Asia.

Legislation will bring licencing and of course restricted sales, maybe even tracability, but ONLY from now onwards, the thoughtless and deliberate misuse of air guns will certainly not be curtaled by it.

 

C.B. ;~{

[SteveieP]

If it helps to consider the scale of the situation, there are an estimated 4 million air weapons in circulation in the UK.The government doesn't stand much chance of getting that number licensed because no one knows where they all are.

The only viable option to start trying to address the issue is to restrict the sale so that new owners are adult, whose purchase is registered & can then be traced. The system then falls down because the gun can be sold on & neither the purchaser nor vendor need declare the transaction.

All the VCR bill will do in it's current state is prevent underage sales & casual purchases.

The majority of weapon crimes involve knives, shops restrict sales, but that stops nothing.

Hand guns are banned but regularly used in crime & the ban hasn't reduced their illegal use.

Shotguns are licensed but some are still illegally held & /or still used in crime

It's a problem for which there is no true cure.

The VCR bill is just the government giving a nod & a wink to something they can't really cure & so they can be seen to be doing something rather than nothing.

It's one of those things which you can't fix. Even if fully regulated & licenced there's always going to be one nutter .......e.g 6 shot dead in a school in Norway this last week.

On a lighter note ponder this:-

I betcha if the government could regulate the production & supply of marijuana they'd make it legal & slap tax & VAT on it. It's only that supply is out of their hands that keeps it illegal.

Lets see if I can get thro another 40 years without smoking a spliff or committing an armed robbery

[col s10]

As usual spot on there Pete, around here there has been several instances of Swans and even people who have been shot by idiots with air rifles,I hope the new law cuts down such incidents, if not then people will probally have to be licenced as with Shotguns .

criminals and scumbags dont usually bother with licences

[dustyfox]

You have some groups out their

 

Group 1 is the anti's who dont like shooting and mostly bunny huggers and want to ban allshooting

 

Group 2 is Chavs/Neds who see shooting as guns and rifles and do anything with them and dont give a **** about the laws and this gives group one a chance to raise the subject of shooting

 

Group 3 is ourselves who abide with the law and do everything legal, and we get put in the same group as group 2 because group 1 see's this as a chance to ban all shooting

 

Group 4 is mothers against guns they just see all guns as evil no matter weather you got licence or not

 

Now it is said that £50 is to expensive for a young person who wants to get into air rifles, but look at how much you have to pay for a driving licence and the lessons. I would make people take some lessons on air rifle's and the person instructing will tell the police weather that person is suitable.

 

And what about that new computer game gadget that make you feel like you have been shot. Now some kid will see this as guns dont kill and probably will kill somebody one day.

 

Any more on this and i will give my opinion