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California Hunting Laws (break barrel)

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Sqwirl57

Sqwirl57

Member
Apr 13, 2020
4,241
6,663
PA, United States
Ok so if anyone is familiar with CA law, please settle something for me. USER 1 & 3 contend that a springer is not legal because they use a spring to propel the projectile. A gas ram is legal because the piston is filled with gas and technically air powered.I understand CA has some dumb laws but there is no way something as cut a dry should be an argument.... right?

USER 1

Amazingly, springers are illegal for hunting in my state but pistons are legal. They consider (gas) pistons to be "compressed air".

Source for info:

https://californiaoutdoors.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/turkey-hunting-with-pellet-rifles/

USER 2

Yeah you're definitely reading that wrong. Springers and nitro pistons still fire pellets using compressed air. The spring and nitro pistons create compressed air after you pull the trigger.

USER 1

I understand that you believe that. I have spoke with wardens and they contend that springers are illegal, piston are legal.

USER 2



Springers are piston guns too. A gas ram is just a gas spring. You don't seem to understand how these guns work and obviously neither does your game warden. Both guns use that spring (whether metal or gas) to push a piston forward and compress air inside a compression tube. Do not talk to game wardens about laws either. They do not know the law as well as you think they do and frequently give poor advice.



USER 3 (new guy)

I read the wording on page 25, which conveys legality on "Air rifles powered by compressed air or gas ...". The operative phrase is "powered by". In a springer, the power is stored in a compressed spring, then temporally transferred to a fixed volume of air. The power does not originate with the air, which is simply an energy transfer medium. In PCPs or CO2 rifles, the power is in fact stored in a compressed gas. Your (USER 1) interpretation is correct, springers are not legal. Woe be to anyone who would try to take that to court.

USER 2

This is incorrect. It is powered by compressed air. Without compressed air, the gun has zero power. The pellet will not move. The spring simply acts as a compressor. Being built into the gun changes nothing. It does not say where that compressed air needs to originate from, it simply states that it needs to power the pellet, which it does.
 
I'm with User #3. Airguns powered with compressed air in my opinion refers to either a PCP or a pumper. Gas refers to C02 powered airguns. The whole argument is kind of ridiculous in my opinion! Why does it matter on which power source causes the pellet to leave the barrel ? Which is a better airgun (power wise) for hunting. A PCP producing 15 ft lbs ? A pumper producing 15 ft lbs or a spring/gas piston airgun producing 15 ft lbs ?
 
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I'm with User #3. Airguns powered with compressed air in my opinion refers to either a PCP or a pumper. Gas refers to C02 powered airguns. The whole argument is kind of ridiculous in my opinion! Why does it matter on which power source causes the pellet to leave the barrel ? Which is a better airgun (power wise) for hunting. A PCP producing 15 ft lbs ? A pumper producing 15 ft lbs or a spring/gas piston airgun producing 15 ft lbs ?
Click to expand...

Of course it's a ridiculous argument but I didn't make the law. I'm just trying to understand it and would like a more definitive answer from someone who knows CA law better than myself.

In you're opinion, an HW97K is illegal to hunt small game with in CA then?

They are all powered by compressed air. A coil spring or nitro piston, powers the compressor (a piston in this case), not the pellet directly. There are no stipulations in the law that specifically say that the gun can't have an on board power source for compressed air, which is all a piston gun is. It states it must be a .177 caliber or larger projectile powered by air. Air powers the pellet.
 
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While I haven’t picked apart the language of the law I can tell you that I believe your game warden is not interpreting it correctly. I have lived in California my whole life. I have hunted with air rifles including spring piston my entire life. I have on occasion presented my hunting license to game wardens while holding my springer. Not once has my rifle choice been questioned. Admittedly that is a small sampling. From the “personal belief” of a long time California air rifle hunter I do not believe that the law was meant to exclude spring piston air rifles. Hope that helps you some.

Kenny 
 
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Ah the great internet of misinformation. How about go to fish and game website do some research? Plus I’m sure game wardens gonna make someone take apart a springer/pumper to enforce those type of ridiculous laws if there is such thing. 


before any hunting is done in any state research on your own by going to fish and game websites AND call to ensure clearing you understand every aspect of the law. I get it’s easy to label anything California dumb especially when you haven’t been here, do your own research! 






 
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Ah the great internet of misinformation. How about go to fish and game website do some research? Plus I’m sure game wardens gonna make someone take apart a springer/pumper to enforce those type of ridiculous laws if there is such thing. 


before any hunting is done in any state research on your own by going to fish and game websites AND call to ensure clearing you understand every aspect of the law. I get it’s easy to label anything California dumb especially when you haven’t been here, do your own research! 





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I did do my own research and I'm verifying it now...

The law states it must be a .177 caliber or larger and be powered by air. Thats it.

So as to my original question here, is a spring piston air rifle legal to hunt with in California?


 
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While I haven’t picked apart the language of the law I can tell you that I believe your game warden is not interpreting it correctly. I have lived in California my whole life. I have hunted with air rifles including spring piston my entire life. I have on occasion presented my hunting license to game wardens while holding my springer. Not once has my rifle choice been questioned. Admittedly that is a small sampling. From the “personal belief” of a long time California air rifle hunter I do not believe that the law was meant to exclude spring piston air rifles. Hope that helps you some.

Kenny
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My experience exactly. Spring guns are fine for hunting in CA and as stated elsewhere, you can use lead pellets too.

R
 
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Neither are illegal, the argument becomes more clear when compared to a "firearm".

The difference in springer vs gas/air laws comes to game vs non game animals is the power output required to effectively kill the animal.

Click to expand...

Yes it is legal to hunt with a spring piston on non-game animals or small game.

And you can used lead ammo
Click to expand...

While I haven’t picked apart the language of the law I can tell you that I believe your game warden is not interpreting it correctly. I have lived in California my whole life. I have hunted with air rifles including spring piston my entire life. I have on occasion presented my hunting license to game wardens while holding my springer. Not once has my rifle choice been questioned. Admittedly that is a small sampling. From the “personal belief” of a long time California air rifle hunter I do not believe that the law was meant to exclude spring piston air rifles. Hope that helps you some.

Kenny
Click to expand...

My experience exactly. Spring guns are fine for hunting in CA and as stated elsewhere, you can use lead pellets too.

R
Click to expand...

These are pretty much the conclusions that I came too after my reading. Thank you all
 
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Numbertwo checking in here with my first AGN post :)

Naturally, I'm in agreement with 'user 2' :rolleyes: since it is 'compressed air' that propels the pellet, not a spring. Kgphotos advised that he has '...presented my hunting license to game wardens while holding my springer' without any issues; it's entirely possible that some game wardens wouldn't even recognize a springer as an air rifle to begin with. AFAIK, the Federal Government has not classified air guns as firearms.

While the spring contributes to the generation of the compressed air, it appears that that CA law does not delve into the 'source' of the compressed air.
 
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willy said:
I thought you could,nt have airguns in Calif .anyway? Its one of the state's you caint ship airguns to.
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That's funny, my Sumatra, Aspen and liberty were all shipped to me when I lived there. There are cities in commiefornia that you may not be able to have an airgun shipped to you like maybe Frisco or places like that. I'm sure there are cities and towns there you can't shoot anything inside city limits.
 
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,I have had at least 35 air guns sent to me,to and in Cailf. no problems!! I also hunt with springers,no problems, of course, they are not "game animals"
Getting into the hunting regulations should tell you "what's up'.
California, I love the place.
ps , Game Wardens tend to be smarter than the average rookie,I love them too.I hate poachers!
 
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