Air rifles...... fun pop gun or serious weapon.As somebody who has been shooting for 20 years, I can say that a air rifle is a very deadly weapon. On a calm day its good out to 50 yards. normally used from 15 - 40 yards. running at under 12ftlbs power, using a pellet weighing in at just under a gram, it works out its firing at 400mph!! but travels for 15 - 30 seconds tops.
Quarry...There are furry things and feathered things to shoot the list is as follows.
BIRDS: crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, feral pigeons. - MAMMALS: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits.
The law...
Many people shoot live quarry, either on their own land or where they have permission. The species which you can shoot are limited by the law and by the effective power of an air rifle. All birds are protected, and although there are seasons when you can legally shoot game, and some wildfowl, these are generally not suitable quarry for air rifles. However, as long as you are complying with firearms law, you can shoot certain pest species. These are covered by open general licences which, in simple terms, mean you can shoot the birds provided you have the landowner’s permission and provided you are doing it for one of the reasons allowed by the licence. These reasons are:
- to protect crops
- to protect game and wildlife
- to protect public health or safety
Those species covered by the licences, for which air rifles are suitable, include: crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, and feral pigeons. Sparrows and starlings are no longer on the general licences for England. Therefore you cannot shot them in England, although they can still be shot in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. You can shoot mammal pests at any time provided you have the landowner’s permission. Air rifles are suitable for: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits.
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Air Rifles Code of Practice (revised July 2007)
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The most important rule of gun handling…… NEVER POINT ANY RIFLE, LOADED OR UNLOADED, IN AN UNSAFE DIRECTION. It is estimated that there are four million air rifles in the UK, the vast majority of which are used in a safe and responsible manner. This leaflet offers guidance to those who shoot with them. It does not apply in Northern Ireland where firearms laws are very different. Above all, safety is the most important consideration. Always know where the muzzle of your air rifle is pointing and NEVER point it in an unsafe direction. Whenever you shoot, make sure you know where the pellet is going to end up before you pull the trigger.  The Law The law makes no distinction between air rifles and more powerful guns for which you need a licence – they are all classed as firearms. This means that any offence you commit can carry a very heavy penalty – and there are at least 38 different offences. Following this code will help you to keep on the right side of the law, but, if you have any doubt, seek advice from BASC or your local police firearms licensing department. Who can shoot 18 years* If you are 18 years or older there are no restrictions on buying an air rifle and ammunition, and you can use it where you have permission to shoot. 14 – 17 years* You can - borrow an air rifle and ammunition
- use an air rifle, without supervision, on private premises where you have permission
You cannot - buy or hire an air rifle, or ammunition, or receive them as a gift. Your air rifle and ammunition must be bought and looked after by someone over 18 – normally your parent, guardian or some other responsible adult.
- have an air rifle in a public place unless you are supervised by somebody aged 21 or over, and you have a reasonable excuse to do so (for example, while on the way to a shooting ground).
Under 14 years You can - use an air rifle under supervision on private premises with permission from the occupier – normally the owner or tenant. The person who supervises you must be at least 21 years old.
You cannot - buy, hire or receive an air rifle or its ammunition as a gift, or shoot, without adult supervision.
Parents or guardians who buy an air rifle for use by someone under 14 must exercise control over it at all times, even in the home or garden. It is illegal to sell an air rifle or ammunition to a person under 18 years of age. * These age limits apply from the introduction of the Violent Crime Reduction Act which is expected to come into force in October 2007. Where you can shoot Always ensure that you are authorised by the landowner or person with the sporting rights to shoot where you intend to, and that you know precisely where the boundaries are. Get permission in writing, if possible, to remove any doubt. Whenever you are in a public place you should carry the rifle in a gun cover and always ensure that it is unloaded and not cocked. Trespassing Going on to private land, or water where you do not have permission, is trespassing, and if you are carrying an air rifle it becomes armed trespass. Whether the gun is loaded or not, or whether you are carrying pellets, is irrelevant – armed trespass is a serious criminal offence carrying heavy penalties. Only shoot where you have the permission of the landowner or tenant. Firing pellets beyond your boundary It is an offence to fire an air rifle pellet beyond the land where you have permission to shoot, unless the occupier of the neighbouring land has also given you permission. Where someone under 14 is shooting, both the young person and the supervising adult can be prosecuted. It is also against the law, in England and Wales, to fire an air rifle within 50 feet of the centre of a highway if this results in someone being injured, interrupted or endangered. These offences could be committed, for example, when someone is shooting in their garden close to a road and the pellets ricochet onto the highway. It is an offence in Scotland to discharge any gun in a culpable or reckless manner. This means shooting without caring about the safety of others. What you can shoot Target shooting There are numerous clubs catering for this growing sport, throughout the UK, and they can offer great help and shooting opportunities to both the novice and the experienced shooter alike. You will find contact details on www.goshooting.com If you want to practise on your own premises make sure that you have an effective backstop. Soft earth or chipboard is ideal, but don’t use any hard, polished surface because it is likely to cause a dangerous ricochet or could cause the pellet to rebound and hit the shooter. Remember that you can be prosecuted if any pellet goes beyond your land, whether it is directly fired or an accidental ricochet.
|  ENGLAND & WALES From 2004/05 the Annual Statistics provide a more detailed breakdown of the principal weapons involved with more categories recorded. For "A Guide to and Review of Home Office Gun Crime Statistics" see Hales (2006) * The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1.4.02. Figures for some categories may be inflated by this Data from 1989 onwards are now included in the GCN Archive. | Total Offences |
| All | Shotgun (long-barrelled & sawn-off) | Handgun | Other weapon (including Imitation) | Air weapon | | 1997/98 | 12805 | 565 | 2636 |
| 1702 | 7902 |
| All | Shotgun | Handgun | Imitation | Other weapon | Air weapon | | 1998/99 | 13876 | 642 | 2687 | 566 | 1314 | 8665 | | 1999/00 | 16946 | 693 | 3685 | 823 | 1642 | 10103 | | 2000/01 | 17967 | 608 | 4109 | 787 | 1966 | 10227 | | 2001/02 | 22400 | 712 | 5874 | 1245 | 2192 | 12377 | | 2002/03* | 24070 | 671 | 5549 | 1815 | 2230 | 13822 | | 2003/04 | 24094 | 718 | 5144 | 2146 | 2330 | 13756 | | 2004/05 | 22798 | 598 | 4347 | 3333 | 2695 | 11825 | | 2005/06 | 21521 | 642 | 4671 | 3275 | 2496 | 10437 | | 2006/07 | 18489 | 613 | 4175 | 2517 | 2345 | 8839 | | Injury by being fired, used as a blunt instrument or in a threat |
| All | Shotgun | Handgun | Other weapon | Air weapon | | 1997/98 | 2074 | 74 | 317 | 413 | 1270 | | 1998/99 | 2378 | 73 | 239 | 552 | 1514 | | 1999/00 | 3172 | 100 | 352 | 743 | 1977 | | 2000/01 | 3203 | 73 | 400 | 909 | 1821 | | 2001/02 | 3794 | 111 | 648 | 1120 | 1915 | | 2002/03* | 4556 | 107 | 640 | 1432 | 2377 | | 2003/04 | 4762 | 104 | 590 | 1673 | 2395 | | 2004/05 | 5402 | 135 | 780 | 2989 | 1498 | | 2005/06 | 5004 | 154 | 1024 | 2644 | 1182 | | 2006/07 | 4065 | 128 | 792 | 2091 | 1054 | | Homicide |
| All | Shotgun | Handgun | Other weapon | Airgun | | 1999/00 | 62 | 19 | 42 | 1 | 0 | | 2000/01 | 73 | 14 | 47 | 11 | 1 | | 2001/02 | 97 | 21 | 59 | 15 | 2 | | 2002/03 | 81 | 14 | 40 | 26 | 1 | | 2003/04 | 68 | 11 | 35 | 22 | 0 | | 2004/05 | 78 | 23 | 37 | 17 | 1 | | 2005/06 | 50 | 11 | 22 | 16 | 1 | | 2006/07 | 59 | 9 | 27 | 20 | 3 | Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin 03/08 - Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2006/07 (Supplementary Volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales 2006/07)
> See Comment on 2006/07 Figures > Latest Quarterly Report (for Year ending September 2007) > Gun Offences in Scotland | |
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These are the crime figures for the last 17 years. shocking stuff.
