More bad news!

[Deako]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_y...ire/4509775.stm

 

[dunganick]

:<

 

fools, at least its not a case of intended missuse

[hill billy]

come on mate accident will happen and unfortunatly this one went very badly! to be honest they should not have been allowed access to the gun in the first place, but as the saying goes when the cats away the mouse will play because i didn't read any thing about the parents

[rjimmer]

Never allow a gun, whether loaded or not, to be pointed at anything you do not intend to kill. It's as simple as that.

 

It is the reason that I don't agree with paintball!

It teaches people disrespect for guns.

[kdubya]

come on mate accident will happen and unfortunatly this one went very badly

 

1st deepest sympathies to the parents of this poor kid.

sorry accidents dont happen? they have a cause?I would like to know how in the hell a couple of kids are able to "play" with an air rifle! seems the attitude to air weapons is that they are toys,would you let a child play with a rimmy? or a shotgun no! but then you will say ooh but they are dangerous! well sorry but is the end result here not the same, I have recently been watching what is happening re air weapons and put in for an fac and decided to purchase an additional gun cabinet perhaps its time responsible air rifle owners did the same,because as sure as the lord made apples every incident is knocking the nails in further.

cheers keith

[digga]

when i was a kid, a "mate" once shot me with an old BSA airsporter, hit me just below my left eye, pellet ended up in the back of my throat!! :< .He was "messing" about. I could av ended up like that poor kid.

 

YA DONT MESS ABOUT WITH ANY SORT OF WEAPON

[Lord Geordie]

My Guns have been in a Cabinet since i owned them. I have a 9 year old son and live on my own with him and he is NEVER allowed to touch ANY of my guns. I don't even allow him in the Workshop where the Cabinet is due to the Nature of the Machinery also. I think it is VERY irresponsible to leave a gun in ANY place a child can gain relatively easy access to it. While i feel Heart felt Sympathy for the Family of this Child i would also like to stress it is time the OWNERS of these easily accesible guns were held to account. Even a chain and a Padlock locking the Gun in a wardrobe can make a difference or EVEN BETTER spend less than £20 and get a trigger lock from the BASA or a reputable Gun Dealer to MAKE the gun safe. But even then i would stress the Gun be locked away and out of reach of Children. A Good Gun Cabinet can be purchased from around £80 and it cost me about £15 for the fixings to fit it to Police Approval. Weigh that cost!!! £95 or the Life of a Child. I know what i would choose and HAVE chosen. Perhaps if the Government were to spend a bit of the Money thay have Squalered on a few Clubs where people can go to Shoot. Then at the same time they can be taught the safe ways to use the guns and the legislation reguarding Owning and securing the Airguns. When i was a Child (about 14) we had a Youth Club on our SCHOOL grounds and that had a 15 yard firing range and Air rifles and we were taught how to handle shoot clean and make safe etc the Rifles. And in the area i live there were NO kids totting about with Airguns etc and blasting the **** out of everything that moved. I think half the reason there is a hike in reported Crimes reguarding Airguns has TWO causes. Cause one is the fact a LOT of Children nowerdays are NOT taught the difference between right and wrong and society as a whole accepts their misbehaviour as normal kid like actions. (wake up) Its NOT normal. We were brought up to respect other peoples propperty and not get into trouble but todays Kids seem to get FAR TOO MUCH leeway when it comes to Rights. I am Sorry But in mY personal view they should EARN their rights. And the Second Cause i beleive is the Major Factor. When i purchased my first airgun 20 years ago it cost WAY over £150 thats was l LOT of money. Today you can buy Cheap chinese Air rifles for as little as £19.99 Thats Pocket Money for most of todays Kids. And Pistols from £15 If the prices were higher you would probably find the increase would NOT have been as it is Today. It's the same as Field Bikes and Cars. They are getting Missused as Kids are able to afford to Buy their OWN. Once they buy it they don't care if they have NO valid insurance they just want to get behind the wheel and tear about. There is plenty Legislation there to deal with the Problems of Society today INC missuse of Airguns but this is VERY rarely chased to the fullest Extent. If it were i can assure you they would SERIOUSLY think about their actions for fear of serving time. If current legislation was backed to the fullest extent of the law then they would NOT need to Ban the Airgun. The trouble is the police force don't want to spend their time Upholding and chasing cases like this so they would sooner seek a BAN.

 

Make your Own minds up but WRITE to you MP and ask them if they will help safeguard your sport. If not WHY should you vote for them???

 

Lord Geordie

[Guest Mr Pieman]

Seems the options are:

 

Licence air rifles

 

Raise the access age - again

 

Mandatory security cabinet

 

Total ban

 

You air rifle folk can work out for yourselves which choice the Government will make....

 

PP

[The_Craws]

Whats the easiest option?

[rjimmer]

Whats the easiest option?

The one that will bring in the most money!

[old rooster]

Whats the easiest option?

The one that will bring in the most money!

Or more to the point appease the most voters who don't know what it's all about, have no personal interest in the use of air rifles (or handguns !!!) so will be glad to see them gone without considering the true issues behind the usual abuse cases.

 

WE HAVE NO BASIC LAW AND ORDER !!! A multitude of laws are already in place to deal with the abusers but as Geordie says it's never implemented.

[Pike]

A very sad story.

 

The overwhelming problem though is that kids will always have airguns - that will not change. The trouble is because of current attitudes they are not given the opportunity to shoot them in a safe environment and under basic tuition.

 

As some may know I run a Country Park for a large Local authority on the edge of East London. I was asked to arrange a Country Fair - which I duely did targeting our main problem areas, scramblers, airguns and illegal fishing.

 

All was wizzing along nicely with attendance from the EA, Met scrambler unit and the Airgun Education Organisation. Unfortunatley when the exhibitors list went before the director I was told that airguns were not welcome at the show even with the full encouragment of the local police and as an education tool. No explaination was given other than that the council officer concerned 'didn't like the idea of airrifles'.

 

What an absolutely great opportunity to educate youngsters wasted because of one mans narrow minded attitude. The plan was to push the safe use of airguns, and offer information regarding local ranges. Instead the kids are left to roam around every green space in the area 'plinking' at cats and windows while we chase after them with all guns blazing (if you'll pardon the pun)

 

What a shame.

Edited May 4, 2005 by Pike

[old rooster]

while we chase after them with all guns blazing (if you'll pardon the pun)

 

What a shame.

Maybe you should be loading with SSG, that might slow the little bu**ers down a bit !!!

[Fisherman Mike]

A sad tale indeed... and rightly or wrongly we have all been there in the past.

 

I got my first Airgun at 13 and I dread to think of some of the things I used to do with it, unfortunately my Father didnt show much concern about Gun safety, unlike my Grandfather who soon put me in check..

 

Early teens will always be attracted to air weapons and accidents will occur given the volume of airguns in circulation. However there is no need for a knee jerk reaction or I would have to confiscate my boys, Roller blades, Scooter and Bicycle which haver caused numerous serious accidents locally resulting in one death.

 

I remember when I was a lad the village Bobby actually visited the school in my village after a friend had lost an eye in a air pistol accident. He versed us in the handling and dangers of the gun... Would they do that now ??

 

FM

[old rooster]

I remember when I was a lad the village Bobby actually visited the school in my village after a friend had lost an eye in a air pistol accident. He versed us in the handling and dangers of the gun... Would they do that now ??

 

FM

No Mike because we live in a society where it's easier to just ban anything that seems remotely threatening, the fact that bans have no effect but to deny legitimate users their interest is sadly overlooked or considered irrelevant.

[SNAKEBITE]

The first access I had to an air rifle was my step fathers BSA Meteor. I wasn't allowed to fire pellets out of it but used the Darts instead.

It was my Granddad who taught me about gun safety. It was also him that gave me my first knife, he taught me how to hold it and how to sharpen it. After that it was down to me.

Later on he told me it was a worry to him but that was the only way to learn safety. I carried a pocket knife unitl 17 years ago when I started to go to the pub. I felt that if trouble arrived I did not want to be carrying anything dodgey. (Not that I was looking for trouble!!)

Now that I am married and do not go to the pub :< I carry a Gerber multi tool. Does this make me a bad person?

 

Anyway rambling a bit now but basically I am trying to say that if educated there is no reason why we cannot be owners and operators of dangerous implements. BUT WE NEED EDUCATING.

[The_Craws]

I think you could be arrested for carrying a knife with a minimum jail term of five years.

[hill billy]

I have the up most simpathy for the family don't get me wrong because my last reply didn't sound to great now i am reading it back but when it comes down to it at the end of the day it is only the parents to blame for firstly letting the kids have access to the gun and they should have been taught better, which may sound horrible but it is true when i was young if i ever pointed the gun remotly close to anthing i shouldn't have then i was screamed at and now i have the up most respect and disaplin for any gun in my posetion wether its a bb gun or a rifle it makes no odds to me i still look at it as some thing that could potentially kill, i no they would have never contenplated this situation but then again who would but when you think about it a gun is designed to kill and some times they do it a little to well. In my house there is just me and my dad now but i still brought a larger gun cabinet to acomidate for all of my guns and i have trigger block locks for my air pistol, and i done this because my worst fear is them falling into the wrong hands.

[SNAKEBITE]

I think you could be arrested for carrying a knife with a minimum jail term of five years.

But it's a TOOL.

 

Why can't people understand that?

 

If I was carrying a leg of Lamb back from the shop I could do someone more mischief with that than with the Gerber. (Has anyone tried getting one of those things out in a hurry ?)

 

What they going to do Ban lamb?