Air Rifles Now Need Licenses In Scotland

[Ian]

What is the point of "loosing" them?

You still can't use them, or display them, just leaving them in the attic, under the insulation, to moulder.

I suspect that is how the legislation will be enforced. If you are caught without a certificate, you get the book thrown at you. Otherwise the gun is effectively out of circulation.

Is there any official way to deactivate an air gun or is just removing a vital part that needs tools to remove it enough without a proof house certificate? I have never heard of a deactivated airgun.

[Fedaykin]

Firstly why would you bother deactivating an airgun? There are not that many with the historic value to make the exercise worthwhile.

As for "losing" them, considering the authorities have zero idea who owns any air rifles up here in Scotland it is more a case of the "Law abiding" coming forward to say they own one. The vast majority of estate chavs will either not bother or dump them, the latter ironically increasing the risk of ne'er do wells or random children finding them and putting them to ill use. The law abiding will either give them up in an amnesty or register them.

If it wasn't for the sentimental value I would probably get rid of my lone air rifle rather than go through the palava. As it does have sentimental value (my first gun) then I suppose I will albeit part of me mischievously fancies quickly buying ten or so of the cheapest crappiest second hand air rifles and pistols on Gunstar before the legislation is brought in just to make more paperwork for them.

On a serious note I had been considering getting a good quality air pistol so I could participate in some competitions. Think I might make the purchase quickly now so when I do go to Plod Scotland to fess up what I own next year it will be already in my collection.

[DW58]

Can anyone tell me how the new legislation affects so-called Airsoft weapons? Are they also covered by this?

[DaveFirearmsUK]

I'll need to double check but I understand there were concerns it could inadvertently include airsoft and paintball as there was no lower limit set on power. This may have been amended.

I was interviewed for Radio Forth 1 on this just before it passed. I made it quite clear how disgraceful this act was and told the true facts and figures relating to this. I highlighted just how ridiculous the Justice Secretary's claim that it would take 500,000 airguns off the streets was and made it quite clear that if current rates continue then there will soon be more murders than airgun offences in Scotland, I also highlighted how sexual assaults, assaults and other violent crimes rose and are in their thousands whilst airgun offences are at around 175/year. The Scottish Governments will be diverting millions of pounds and thousands of police man hours onto this when it should be spent tackling much more serious crimes.

I also pointed out that 87% of the responses to the Public Consultation were against a licence/certificate and 22,000 people signed my petition against it. The Scottish Government are not acting democratically.


We have prepared a list of the MSPs and which way they voted and will be encouraging supporters to contact them and challenge them on why they voted Yes when the facts seemed to go against supporting a licence.

[DW58]

Thanks Dave - I'd appreciate if it could be clarified as I have four totally redundant airsoft "toys" sitting here which I'll need to get rid of if they fall within the legislation.

[Ian]

I understand it applies to any air "weapon" with more than one Joule of muzzle energy.

[channel12]

The thing that springs to mind is the Brocock air cartridge pistol saga. It is said that only about 10% of the manufacturer's output has been accounted for ie handed in or put on certificate, the other 90% are still out there somewhere.
I also wonder if those currently using airgun for sporting purposes or pest control will decide to switch to .22rf instead ? If you now need to license your airgun you might as well apply for a fac instead as the only advantage of having an airgun has disappeared.

Maybe we English shooters should offer safe storage for Scottish airguns?

[DaveFirearmsUK]

DW what Ian said rings a bell with me and I'm sure the Scottish Government probably wouldn't really care too much if it did take these into account. Although the legislation may specifically be limited to actual airguns.

Firearms UK will certainly be encouraging people to apply for a Shotgun or Firearms Certificate since the restrictions/requirements are just the same if not slightly easier for a SGC. It also appears as if an SGC/FAC will cover airguns for the period until first renewal. The best case scenario is FAC/SGC levels increase by a good few thousand it will leave the Government with egg on their faces.


However the Police Scotland Firearms Departments are swamped, they lost 20 of the 34 FEOs recently and I have been waiting 6 months for a Grant/Renewal. Which I have now after phoning up arranged an interview for this week I don't envy the FEOs as I imagine they are having a tough time with the workload. I believe they are concentrating on renewals just now.

If another few tens of thousands come into the system it will quite possibly implode given the recent reduction in numbers of FEOs and this draconian scheme being pushed through I can't help but suspect this may be part of the plan from the Government.

[ordnance]

Can anyone tell me how the new legislation affects so-called Airsoft weapons? Are they also covered by this?

It could be similar to this part of the UK.

Airguns not Requiring a Firearm Certificate
In Northern Ireland airguns and CO2 guns having a discharge kinetic energy in excess of one (1) Joule (0.737 ft lbs) require to be held on a firearm certificate. For airguns below that limit the following restrictions are in place.

Under Paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 of the Firearms (NI) Order 2004, persons under the age of 18 cannot possess such firearms, unless they have attained the age of 14 years or are under the direct supervision of a person of 21 years or over.

Persons

[DW58]

I can't see how Police Scotland can possibly cope with the additional burden of air-weapon (OK Gritsnuffler?) licensing when they can't cope with the current routine renewals/variations.

I haven't fired either of my air rifles in over thirty years and have offered them to a friend who is an air-weapon enthusiast, I'm pleased knowing that they're going to a good home.

I have no intention of having to license four stupid look-alike airsoft toys dumped upon me by a friend a decade ago, so these will have to go either to a good home (would anyone want them) or otherwise disposed of. BTW the airsoft crap replicas are: SA80; Mini Uzi; Beretta 92 and Glock 17.

FAO Grant - if you should want the airsofts, they're yours.