okka north Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 With the problems experienced with air rifles, why are they so easy to buy? I couldn't believe that there is a stall on the Moor that sells them. What is the point in them? What are they designed for? It's not like you can go paintballing with them. Is there some sort of sport that uses them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 You can do paper-target shooting with them. I can't really think of a reason to sell them to the public. Also they still sell BB guns which look like the real thing. Crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okka north Posted September 10, 2006 Author Share Posted September 10, 2006 You should see this guns on the Moor, they look so real. These are not just lookalike pistols, but things that look like real rifles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartfarst Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 There are a number of different target shooting disciplines which are actively competed in the UK for air rifle and air pistol sports. These are contested at regional and UK levels, and ultimately as Commonwealth and Olympic disciplines. Most of the types of air rifle you see for sale at the sort of places you describe are far from suitable for these sports, but act as a 'starter' for youngsters to get into the sport – a match-accurate weapon will cost hundreds, or thousands, of pounds. What is crucial though is that they are only used under supervised conditions, with sensible adults in control - sadly, I expect that many of the people who buy airguns these days are far from sensible or responsible - and this does include the parents. They can legitimately be used for pest control, and there a re a variety of bird and mammal species that can legally be culled using air rifles, provided that the firer is acting responsibly and is on land for which he has been given permission to shoot by the landowner. I began shooting at the age of 7 with air rifles, always supervised by my family, and eventually moved on to fullbore firearms, with which I have been competing as a Great Britain representative for the last 12 years. None of the people I know in those circles is even slightly irresponsible. In the States there’s a very active (and powerful) pro-gun lobby. I’ve seen bumper stickers saying: “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. This is very true, and in the UK we have incredibly stringent controls for the issue of firearm certificates, when the firearm problem is with criminals who buy illegal weapons, not legitimate registered certificate holders. As for the air weapons, they are mostly very low powered, effective at very short range only, and in most cases they are no more dangerous than a large catapult. That doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be used sensibly, but the people who use them irresponsibly are usually the sort of people who do other things irresponsibly, and it would be wrong to tar all shooters with the same brush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartfarst Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 You can do paper-target shooting with them. I can't really think of a reason to sell them to the public. Also they still sell BB guns which look like the real thing. Crazy.They are mostly for sports/recreation use, competition target shooting, as well as for pest control. Admittedly, people don't need to have them for sports and recreation - ban them and they'd have to find another hobby. But, taking that a step further, you can kill somebody with a golf club - does that mean there's no reason for people to be allowed to buy golf kit? - after all, people don't need to play golf.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 They could buy them through their officially registered shooting club? Air guns don't tend to kill people, but lots of people get shot by them every year, all so a few people can shoot targets? I don't think banning is the answer, but perhaps it's time the gov't had a look at the current situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartfarst Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 They could buy them through their officially registered shooting club? Air guns don't tend to kill people, but lots of people get shot by them every year, all so a few people can shoot targets? I don't think banning is the answer, but perhaps it's time the gov't had a look at the current situation.I can't disagree with that. To bring in a programme of registration along the lines of firearm and shotgun ownership would be as futile as it would be expensive - there are millions in circulation. I know responsible gunshop owners (respectable hunting outfitters rather than dodgy market stands) who do question buyers who look like scrotes, and if they don't come up with convincing answers as to what they're going to use the guns for, they can't buy. However, that's not always the case, and anybody in the UK over the age of 17 can walk into a gun shop and buy an air rifle without legal restriction. It would probably be reasonable to insist on the sellers at least having to see either a membership card for an approved target shooting club, or a letter of permission from a landowner to carry out pest shooting. I was at a respectable gunshop a few months ago when a bunch of chavs came in wanting to buy air rifles and, when asked what they intended to shoot, answered “anywhere we can and owt that moves”. They were refused, and when they became hostile I helped the proprietor eject them, accidentally opening the door with one of their heads. There is a very respectable and responsible shooting fraternity in this country, and you can be assured that they, more than anybody, would like to see a barrier between scrotes and airguns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pk014b7161 Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 ban them ban all guns,i mean look how successful the banning of the legal ownership of hand guns has been ,hand gun crime is never heard of now there is no gun crime in britain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartfarst Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 ban them ban all guns,i mean look how successful the banning of the legal ownership of hand guns has been ,hand gun crime is never heard of now there is no gun crime in britain Exactly. Knee-jerk ban legally held guns, and the result was that 50,000 law-abiding shooters had their sport taken away, while black market firearms continue to stream into the country and into the hands of criminals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnime Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 it disgusting that it makes no wonder kids are walkin round streets with them thinkin they sumat they not:rant: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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