Is it worth it?

[stroller 341]

I bought my air rifle because i didnt want to have the responsibility of using a rim fire or centrefire as these are small fields i shoot in and the thought of a potential ricochet scares me to death. however what difference does it make getting my air rifle up to 15ft/lbs (done Professionally)will it mean i can shoot at further distance? will it affect the accuracy? how far will the pellet travel from a ricochet?

is it worth the hassle of applying for a fac?

 

I know you lads are techno bods with the answers so lets have your thoughts please

[Ron Weasley 83]

To be perfectly honest, it won't make a great deal of difference. Personally, I don't think those extra 3ftlbs will give you any advantage. A standard legal limit rifle is more than adequate for airgun quarry up to about 35 - 40 yards, provided you hit the kill zone.

 

Placement over power every time.

[Phantom 631]

As Ron says, its barely worth the hassle of getting an FAC for those extra few ft/lbs

 

What rifle do you have? if its a springer, then it will increase recoil, not really increase the lock time hence your accuracy may suffer even at lower range.

 

A standard 12ft/lbs will do the job at normal ranges and a pcp with a pod (even without one if your steady enough) will allow you to shoot out to 45 or more if your good enough

 

I'm now knocking over bunnies regularly at 55 to 60 meters using the pcp but wouldnt dream of trying that with a springer

 

Phantom

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

the main advantage of FAC rifles is that the trajectory is much flatter due to higher velociy. having higher power also makes you more confident in long range 50-60 yrd shots which a normal 12ftib airgunner would be slightly worried about because of how wind effects the POI (point of impact) over distance. when taking a long range shot there is a noticable pause betwen the 'THUT' of the gun and the sound of impact. the more time the pellet is treavelling through the air, the more time it has to be effected by wind. because FAC rifles will send pellets travelling at a much higher velocity they have less time to be effected by wind. i dont think 3ftib will make much of a difference but 10 or 15 ftib would make a noticable difference to your maximum range. i am talking about a PCP here as spring rifles built for sub 12ftibs use generally do not react well to being taken up to really high power.

Edited July 2, 2010 by aaronpigeonplucker

[garfield 23]

i think the main reason for getting a fac .22 is you want the trajectory of a .177 but the knockdown power of .22 simple buy a .177 and firstblood dont give out advice like that it's not welcome on an open forum

[jackinbox99 41]

Depending up on how big the fields are where you have permission, where you can hide and where the targets are, then it may be worth getting an FAC for an FAC air rifle.

 

As others have said, a legal powered air rifle is enough for 45m. So, if you have places on your permission where you can hide within 20->45m of the targets then you should be fine.

 

If however, you dont have such luck, and your targets are going to be further away then an FAC may be worth going for.

 

As others mentioned, 3ft/lb wont make a huge amount of difference. You`ll need 20ft/lb to 30ft/lb really to make the .22 tragectory as flat as a .177 12fb/lb gun. About 25ft/lb will give you a pretty much flat curve from 8yards upto 45 yards, which makes working out where to aim much easier.

 

But, in all honestly, you have to wonder if its worth the hassle, expensse of getting an FAC, then the cost of a cabinet just to do what a 12ft/lb .177 can do anyway.

[Phantom 631]

FirstBlood are you for real?

 

Encouraging the importation and use of illegal arms is just plain fecking stupid.

 

Sorry, but we don't want people and we certainly don't need people like you in here :thumbdown:

 

Well said Craig

 

Phantom

Edited July 2, 2010 by Phantom

[FirstBlood 0]

I understand the concern, however I was merely sharing my experience while holidaying in England. For the record,I wasn`t encouraging the illegal use or importation of fire arms as I returned to Portugal with my HW77.

It does pose an interesting situation though, and something that`s also interesting is that well respected air rifle manufacturers release their air rifles onto the market at a higher power on the continent, which then is subdued by our british authorities. Wether it`s a good thing or not is not the point I wish to make;- the point I was making was that there is a flaw in the security of importing air rifles into the UK.

If the extra 3ftlbs ,in my case was, so important to cap then why is it easy to import without requiring the air rifles to be chrono tested at the point of entry, and then made to conform from there on-in.

 

It is comforting to know however, that this sport is shared with people who are passionate about their sport, and responsible. Sorry if it came across as different. I should have been been more transparent with the point I was making

[andyfr1968 772]

I'll probably get shot down for saying this, sooooooo..... for a few years dureing the late 's one of the main official importers of HW guns wern't too fussy about complying to UK laws and in spite of them claiming to be 'UK spec' if you chronoed them, they were all aound 14-16 ft.lb's, depending on model....

 

Cheers........

[andyfr1968 772]

To answer your question though, no, it's not worth it for a few extra ft.lb's.

 

I had a .22 RWS52 a long time ago that gave 32 and TBH when I dropped the FAC and went back to sub 12ft'lb's in .177 there's probably only 1 in 5 shots I wouldn't take on.

 

If you're going for an FAC, go for rim fire. Far more useful for all the extra grief.

 

Cheers.

[FirstBlood 0]

I agree, if you want a powerfull top of the range air rifle speak to the lads on here, ref springer or pcp. Otherwise do the above, get a rimfire.

 

I reckon Rimfire got a bit fecked off, cos I can knock bunnies down at 100m with a springer. Sorry mate, if you need any tips with your shooting ie, Aiming etc, I`m always happy to help out. Just ask.

 

Gotchya

[Phantom 631]

I understand the concern, however I was merely sharing my experience while holidaying in England. For the record,I wasn`t encouraging the illegal use or importation of fire arms as I returned to Portugal with my HW77.

It does pose an interesting situation though, and something that`s also interesting is that well respected air rifle manufacturers release their air rifles onto the market at a higher power on the continent, which then is subdued by our british authorities. Wether it`s a good thing or not is not the point I wish to make;- the point I was making was that there is a flaw in the security of importing air rifles into the UK.

If the extra 3ftlbs ,in my case was, so important to cap then why is it easy to import without requiring the air rifles to be chrono tested at the point of entry, and then made to conform from there on-in.

 

It is comforting to know however, that this sport is shared with people who are passionate about their sport, and responsible. Sorry if it came across as different. I should have been been more transparent with the point I was making

 

I Share your opinion on Point of Entry Testing, I think it is a very good idea

 

However, If a gun is tested and is shown to be over the limit they are not allowed to make changes to the gun; they would have (by law) had to arrest you on the spot and there are mandatory jail terms for importing illegal air rifles and air pistols.

Once a gun is over the 12ft/lbs limit, it (from what I understand and as always I am open to correction) the gun is then classed as an FAC firarm for the rest of its life even if its power were to be reduced

 

So you clearly were very lucky that the gun was not tested at point of entry

 

 

Phantom

[FirstBlood 0]

Firstly I disagree with your point that a gun is FAC certified for the rest of it`s life, as therefore all air rifles in the UK would require an FAC if they were manufactured outside the UK, but don`t due to them being altered from release by the continental manufacturers on importation and "HULL" Stamping.

 

Secondly, if the air rifles imported were chrono tested at point of entry, spring removed and held if required , at the cost of the importer, surely this would suffice. Much more realistic than wasting taxpayers money in jailing innocent people who purchased an air rifle on the EU continent and brought it home. The worst I could envisage would be the cost of :chrono testing, removal of spring from the already dismantled rifle, and a small fine.

 

But this isn`t the current status, so there is a grey area here in the law. Therefore is it a question of ; damned if you do, or damned if you don`t, bring a rifle in. See my point?

[andyfr1968 772]

I'll admit I'm a few years out of touch on this but..... As an RFD with an import licence, it's VERY unlikely that guns will be checked upon entry to the UK.

 

As a private individual however, it's luck of the draw. Buyer beware and all that....

 

Best not take the risk, very bad idea and not something you'd want to mess with.

 

Cheers...

 

Edit.... Phantom's right. Once an airgun's been FAC rated in the UK, that's it. Even if you take it back down, in the eyes of the law it's always FAC...

Edited July 7, 2010 by andyfr1968

[Phantom 631]

Indeed I do see your point

 

Regarding the FAC for life, as far as I am aware (I have a friend who is an RFD and I'll verify this with him) if you take your rifle into a gunshop and they test it and find its over the limit here in the UK, then they are required by law to seize the gun for later disposal by the authorities unless it is listed on a FAC. They can not work on it and return the gun to you

 

The Importers of the guns the case you specify being Hull Cart Co' are allowed to bring these guns into the country and adjust the power (if needed) before they actually are sent out into circulation by RFD's

Just as SMK import the Chinese rifles, they have to ensure that before they distribute each rifle/pistol that they are below the UK legal limit.

 

I advised a young man a week or so back that instead of installing his new mainspring himself and then taking it to be tested, that he takes his gun and spring as seperate entities and ask the smith to fit the spring for him. Thus if the smith fitted it; then he would be allowed to reduce the power if needed before handing the gun back into circulation to the young man.

 

As for the case of Damned if you do, damned if you don't, thats just what many of our ridiculous laws over here do

 

I use this well publicised case as an example:

 

A man found a plastic bag in his garden that backed onto a playing field; he went to pick up the "litter" that had been thrown into his property to throw it away as most of us would yes?

 

When he reached the bag, it felt heavy and had something inside it. Looking in, he found a sawn off double barreled 12guage shotgun. He opened the breech and found a live shell inside and one that had been fired (in a robbery earlier).

He immediately took the shell out, put it in the bag along with the gun and promptly made his way to the local police station where he handed over the bag and contents to the officer on the desk. I must admit, I would have done the same as would any law abiding concerned person

Especially if like this man, there were children in the household.

GET THIS

The man was immediately arrested for being in posession of an illegal unlicenced firearm!

The man was prossecuted at court and now has a criminal record for possesing said gun

 

Apparently what he should have done, was leave it in his garden next to the kids playing field (where anyone could have reached it and killed another or themselves) and call the police on the non-emergancy number and await possibly for days for the police to come and pick up the gun off the floor!

 

That is truely a case of Damned if you Don't and Damned if you do

 

Anywhere but the UK, the man would have been given a commendation for preventing a child from serious injury or death and for helping to find a weapon used in a crime. Not here, no we give the man a Criminal Record for Firearms Possession :crazy:

 

Phantom