Legal Age

[thecogsbollocks 44]

I've just turned 18 and ive tried finding out what age it's legal to carry a air rifle in public as my local permission is only a 5 minute walk and it's a pain getting lifts all the time every site I've looked on Say different ages anyone know for sure?

[David.evans 5,323]

I think it's 18 , and obviously in a gun bag

Some of the lads will be along and put you right !

Atb

[villaman 9,983]

Air Rifle & AirGun Law in the UK Try and read the whole lot , but to answer your question go to the bottom of the page and you can read that bit like i said read it all

 

man with air rifleWhat you can, and cannot do with an air rifle are very strictly laid down in the UK law. In 2011 the UK Laws on airguns were amended and are the current standard to work from.
As with most firearms the duty of care is very much on the gun owner and no one else.
If it’s your weapon then you need to make sure it safe, secure and unlikely to get into the hands of children as well as transporting it lawfully and using it safely.
Who can buy an air rifle.?
To purchase an air rifle or pistol you must be over 18 years of age and show a photo identity as proof of this.
You will also require two methods of identity from your authorised suppliers, including proof of address as well – you cannot buy on-line.
However, you can only freely buy an air rifle that has a muzzle energy of below 12 ft lbs or a pistol below 6 ft lbs – anything with a higher velocity than this will require a FAC ( Fire Arms Certificate ) – Air pistols that produce more than 6ft.lb are prohibited.
The FAC is not necessarily difficult to obtain but you will need to fulfill a very strict set of criteria and be inspected by your local police as to why you actually need a more high powered rifle in order to be granted permission to have one.
This process applies to all high velocity rifles in the UK including semi automatics and gauges up to .50 cal.
*this does not include Northern Ireland..
Your duty of care..
As the gun owner, you, and only you, are responsible for that weapon – and you must behave in the appropriate way and take all the necessary precautions to ensure you act in a common sense way that will not cause injury to anyone, including yourself…
Special attention should be given to storing your rifle or air pistol in a manner where it cannot be removed from its ‘safe store’. – this now means, you must keep any rifles or pistols in a sensible place – for example, a sensible place would NOT be in a garage or outbuilding.
Under the amended laws of February 2011, the Crime and Security Act 2010 now makes it an offence for a person in possession of an air gun (the gun owner) to fail to take “reasonable precautions” to prevent someone under the age of 18 from gaining unauthorised access to it.
*the obvious thing to do here is store your gun in a cabinet under lock and key – that way you are completely covered and within the law – however, for a sub 12 ft lb air rifle you do not necessarily need to do this – just reasonable precautions. This can mean out of sight and high up away from prying eyes and stored separately from any pellets.
Of course, if you own several air rifles I would very much suggest a gun cabinet at best or a securely locked cupboard.
I will also add that sensible precautions means that the rifle is NOT loaded with a pellet or cocked ready to be fired – in the case of a PCP rifle I would also suggest it has no charge in the air cylinder.
You are simply taking all the precautions available to you to ensure it cannot be accidentally picked up and fired.
As a final step, I would also keep the pellets and guns separate from each other – preferably in a different room.
Using an airgun
It is legal for any person over the age of 14 to shoot an airgun, unsupervised and on private land
Full permission to shoot has to be been given by the landowner.
Anyone under the age of 14 may also shoot an airgun but only if closely supervised by someone over 21 years of age. The supervising adult is legally responsible for the actions of the junior shooter.
You must have the full permission to shoot on any land – this includes your garden or on private land, or land that is owned or leased by any club or an individual owner.
*All pellets must remain within the boundaries of that land.
It is illegal to fire an airgun on the following land:
common land
recreational land
playing fields
land that is covered by water e.g. ponds, lakes, canals and rivers *where you do not have the owner’s permission
It is also illegal to fire an air rifle:
closer than 50 ft [15mtrs] of the centre of a highway, if by doing so you cause any member of the public, using that right of way, to be injured, interrupted or endangered.
*This offence could be committed, for example, by someone on private property close to a road who uses an air rifle in a way which endangers people on the road.
closer than 50 ft [15mtrs] from the centre of any bridal path or footpath
Transporting airguns
Anyone over 18 years of age can transport their air rifle or pistol, however, all airguns should be transported in a securely fastened case – this case must prevent the air gun from being freely picked up and fired.
The gun cannot be cocked and ready to fire.
The gun cannot be loaded with a pellet (whether cocked or not)
Anyone between 14 and 18 years of age cannot transport an airgun – they must be accompanied and supervised by someone over 21.
*it is illegal to have an airgun, loaded or not, and whether in a secure case or not, in any public place without lawful authority to do so, or reasonable excuse.
**REMEMBER THIS: it is illegal to have an air gun in a public place – so, if you have an air gun in the boot of your car, even if travelling to/from a shooting range, you cannot stop and get it out for any reason. I, personally, would not get my rifle out of its case even if asked by a police officer..!!
If you keep to these basic rules you’ll be safe and within the law. But remember, the onus is very firmly on you, the gun ow
Please make it your priority to learn and understand these UK airgun laws as they apply tner.

Failing to comply with any of the above laws you risk potential penalties, which are extremely severe.o you and your shooting.
.

[walshie 2,804]

I hate that ambiguous wording they use. You can transport and airgun if you are over 18. You cannot transport an airgun if you are between 14 and 18.

 

What if you are actually 18?

[philpot 4,971]

I agree, the wording is not so straight forward and leaves the statement open to interpretation. To be honest, I would phone the local firearms officer, get his name as a reference and ask for confirmation that you are able to walk down the road with the gun unloaded, uncocked, in a gun bag to the land you have permission to shoot on. That way you have read the statement and had it confirmed by the police, in fact I would copy the statement that Mitch kindly posted and carry it with you along with the firearms officer's name noted.

 

Over the years, I have found that a great many police officers do not have enough knowledge on gun law and as soon as the word gun comes into play, so does panic. I was stopped by the police some years ago as part of a routine spot check when I still lived in Sheffield. I had my clay shooting shotguns in the boot with all my gear and my daughter in the car who was 9 years old at the time on our way home after a shoot. They wanted to take the guns away, I demanded the firearms officer was contacted, which they did after some heated discussion and all was well but it shows how a lack of knowledge can be a problem.

 

If you are fully prepared and ready for a policeman stopping you with all the information to hand, you will be fine.

 

Phil

Edited January 30, 2016 by philpot

[thecogsbollocks 44]

Thanks for the replies guys I'm call them today just to be sure

[philpot 4,971]

You need to look on the net to find where your firearms office is based and speak to that department and ideally the firearms officer. Don't just speak to the local station as they may well be quite uninformed. Speak to the RIGHT guy.

 

Phil

Edited January 30, 2016 by philpot

[stealthy1 3,964]

Does one day over 18 count?

[moxy 617]

Anyone between 14 and 18 years of age cannot transport an airgun – they must be accompanied and supervised by someone over 21.

 

That makes no sense at all

[philpot 4,971]

My kids have grown up with a variety of guns in the house and have used them with my coaching and without doubt, I would have no hesitation in allowing them to take and use them if they had a shotgun cert but conversely I know a few 25 year olds that I would not trust with a low powered air pistol let alone a gun of value so the rule that a youngster has to be accompanied by someone over 21 is just a joke.

 

What is the old saying.......................THE LAW IS AN ASS

 

Phil

[walshie 2,804]

Does one day over 18 count?

 

Presumably not as he'd still be 18. OVER 18 is 19 and up surely.

 

That's what I mean by it being ambiguous.

[treecreeper 1,136]

Over 18 is on or after your 18th birthday same as anything else. It is badly worded though and a shit law imo, you can have sgc before 16.

[SimonC_Here 36]

If i told you lunch was served between 12:00 and 13:00 you would know when you could get fed and wouldn't expect to get food at 13:01.

What's wrong with the wording between 14 and 18 years then?

 

Same with over 18. 18 and 1 hour is over 18.

[thecogsbollocks 44]

I'll ring tomorrow and let you know the score lads haha

[walshie 2,804]

If i told you lunch was served between 12:00 and 13:00 you would know when you could get fed and wouldn't expect to get food at 13:01.

What's wrong with the wording between 14 and 18 years then?

 

Same with over 18. 18 and 1 hour is over 18.

 

But 13.00 only lasts for 1 minute. 18 years of age lasts for a year.

 

It says ages between 14-18 cannot transport an airgun. If you're 18, don't you fit in that age group?

 

Like an 18-30 holiday. Can you only go on one till you're 29?

 

And yes I do understand what they mean, but I still think it's worded badly.