Such an excellent depiction. Yet so many around the world (includes here in the US) welcome that mentality. Blows my mind.
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For those acrosss the pond...
- Thread starter ChrisS
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There are many people who cannot make decisions for themselves, need to have their whole life controlled. Fortunately, in 1776 there were some that felt that freedom with whatever pitfalls that accompanied it, was a far better choice. I remember living in the UK as a child, and how I longed to be back in the USA.
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Ok here goes - the airgun community over here can be a funny bunch. A lot of them are quick to scream the rule book at anyone that deviates into what they believe will bring the whole sport crashing down.
However, some of the experienced chaps just go about our business without plastering it all over social media or getting into conversations with those that we know to avoid.
To the letter of the law we have a 12ftlb limit for air rifles and a 6ftlb limit for air pistols - to be even 1ftlb over (with any capable pellet) is an offence.
......... This can be prosecuted by way of confiscation of the rifles or pistols, a fine or prison time.
Clubs do sometimes chrono competitors kit before a match - this is to make sure that no one is exceeding the power limit for a competitive advantage, it's not to catch law breakers.
The police over here don't do regular spot checks either. The only time that they would ever check is if someone has been an arsehole with their airguns - shooting at people, pets, vehicles etc or, if they had created some sort of other offence and the air rifles were found during a search...... they could use an overpowered airgun to strengthen a case against someone that's been involved in assault for example.
The police force that you're dealing with over here kind of depends where you live. For example - Thames Valley police are arseholes, the Metropolitan police (London) probably have to be more strict than some, Wiltshire police (where I live) seem to be great and, a lot more easy going...... I have a couple of friends that work for them and, when I asked about airguns, the answer was to 'shoot them at whatever power you want, there's enough real guns in this county that we're not worried about your toys but, be sensible'.
We cant buy any airguns by mail order from a shop - that has to be done over the counter with some ID. We can purchase and request it to be sent to a nearer RFD (Registered Firearms Dealer) but, there's an extra charge for that.
Through the classifieds on the forums we can buy and sell privately and post items out to each other - there are some restrictions on the services that we can use though.
Now, the really silly thing is that shops aren't even allowed to post a new barrel or silencer direct to a customer because of the VCR (Violent Crime Reduction Act) but, I could order the most powerful crossbow that I can find, a ton of arrows and all of the broadheads that I like, direct to my door.
Now, Antitamper bits - some rifles have them fitted over here, some don't. Personally I'm not a fan but, they're not difficult to remove.
.......... They're a crap addition - if someone's rifle goes over while it's settling in, they could have a difficult time of accessing the bits needed to adjust the rifle. Also, it's takes away the ability to fine tune a rifle to a pellet for some.
We also have the General Licences - these detail what you can shoot and when. I won't go into this too much but, they got more strict over recent years - you can't even shoot a couple of wood pigeons because you like the taste now ffs, you have to fulfil certain criteria.
Where I live is quite rural, there's a lot of farm land and, it's those farmers that give us permission to shoot on there land. Those guys don't care about recently changed legislation, they're running a business - if they want a pest gone because it's costing them money, you get it gone.
Some guys will push the power on their air rifles and just not mention it - personally I have no problem with that. I think our power law is outdated and I don't think that anyone should have to have a licence for any airgun.
......... A bit more power gives a better chance of a clean kill.
But, like I said, a lot of folk over here don't agree and can get quite mouthy in these conversations so, I avoid the conversation.
Suffice to say, I think a lot of you fellas have got it great over there with the kit and power that you get to use - I love reading through some of your threads
However, some of the experienced chaps just go about our business without plastering it all over social media or getting into conversations with those that we know to avoid.
To the letter of the law we have a 12ftlb limit for air rifles and a 6ftlb limit for air pistols - to be even 1ftlb over (with any capable pellet) is an offence.
......... This can be prosecuted by way of confiscation of the rifles or pistols, a fine or prison time.
Clubs do sometimes chrono competitors kit before a match - this is to make sure that no one is exceeding the power limit for a competitive advantage, it's not to catch law breakers.
The police over here don't do regular spot checks either. The only time that they would ever check is if someone has been an arsehole with their airguns - shooting at people, pets, vehicles etc or, if they had created some sort of other offence and the air rifles were found during a search...... they could use an overpowered airgun to strengthen a case against someone that's been involved in assault for example.
The police force that you're dealing with over here kind of depends where you live. For example - Thames Valley police are arseholes, the Metropolitan police (London) probably have to be more strict than some, Wiltshire police (where I live) seem to be great and, a lot more easy going...... I have a couple of friends that work for them and, when I asked about airguns, the answer was to 'shoot them at whatever power you want, there's enough real guns in this county that we're not worried about your toys but, be sensible'.
We cant buy any airguns by mail order from a shop - that has to be done over the counter with some ID. We can purchase and request it to be sent to a nearer RFD (Registered Firearms Dealer) but, there's an extra charge for that.
Through the classifieds on the forums we can buy and sell privately and post items out to each other - there are some restrictions on the services that we can use though.
Now, the really silly thing is that shops aren't even allowed to post a new barrel or silencer direct to a customer because of the VCR (Violent Crime Reduction Act) but, I could order the most powerful crossbow that I can find, a ton of arrows and all of the broadheads that I like, direct to my door.
Now, Antitamper bits - some rifles have them fitted over here, some don't. Personally I'm not a fan but, they're not difficult to remove.
.......... They're a crap addition - if someone's rifle goes over while it's settling in, they could have a difficult time of accessing the bits needed to adjust the rifle. Also, it's takes away the ability to fine tune a rifle to a pellet for some.
We also have the General Licences - these detail what you can shoot and when. I won't go into this too much but, they got more strict over recent years - you can't even shoot a couple of wood pigeons because you like the taste now ffs, you have to fulfil certain criteria.
Where I live is quite rural, there's a lot of farm land and, it's those farmers that give us permission to shoot on there land. Those guys don't care about recently changed legislation, they're running a business - if they want a pest gone because it's costing them money, you get it gone.
Some guys will push the power on their air rifles and just not mention it - personally I have no problem with that. I think our power law is outdated and I don't think that anyone should have to have a licence for any airgun.
......... A bit more power gives a better chance of a clean kill.
But, like I said, a lot of folk over here don't agree and can get quite mouthy in these conversations so, I avoid the conversation.
Suffice to say, I think a lot of you fellas have got it great over there with the kit and power that you get to use - I love reading through some of your threads
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I think you have to be really careful what you even say in britain. I know it is even that way on this forum. Sounds like KM at work to me. If you ban or make it a requirement to own ANYTHING you have begun the slippery slide to totalitarianism. That includes suppressors and firearms of any kind. If you think others should not have something because it scares you, fix what is wrong in your head. Don't mess with other people's rights. And isn't there a federal law ( US ) that says you can not name or declare an airgun a firearm? So the laws passed in NJ are null and void? " concerning air powered guns "? Just asking for a friend. And he doesn't live near NJ. Be Well Brothers, B.
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Where do you work? You must be some sort of expert to be able to boil down such a complex issue, like 40,000 gun murders a year, into a single sentence. And then to be so convinced that anyone with another idea is a fool,
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I guess it's no politics unless it's a jab at the left. Remember who you are so afraid of, us Lib turds, that want greater access to healthcare and education, a livable wage in a livable environment, less gun murder. That other stuff is made up to get you to the polls.
So is the UK a tyranical totalitarian government? Or all the other modern countries with more sensible legislation? Let's ask the Brits if they would rather have 40,000 gun murders a year, versus what they have now?
And what do you need an assualt weapon for? I hope my neighbors don't grab one if an intruder shows up, seeing as our houses are 20 feet apart. What's wrong with a shotgun or magnum's .45? Why are you so afraid still? Wasn't Clinton supposed to get all the guns? Then if Obama got elected all the guns and give the country to Muslims? Then a second term by obama would see all the guns grabbed? Biden hasn't done anything so far either.
Someone is getting hyped up though. To buy guns. 20 million AR platforms sold since 2000, that's a lot of geetus Cletus, and too many cats to put back in the bag.
So is the UK a tyranical totalitarian government? Or all the other modern countries with more sensible legislation? Let's ask the Brits if they would rather have 40,000 gun murders a year, versus what they have now?
And what do you need an assualt weapon for? I hope my neighbors don't grab one if an intruder shows up, seeing as our houses are 20 feet apart. What's wrong with a shotgun or magnum's .45? Why are you so afraid still? Wasn't Clinton supposed to get all the guns? Then if Obama got elected all the guns and give the country to Muslims? Then a second term by obama would see all the guns grabbed? Biden hasn't done anything so far either.
Someone is getting hyped up though. To buy guns. 20 million AR platforms sold since 2000, that's a lot of geetus Cletus, and too many cats to put back in the bag.
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I would guess that overpowered airguns for the Brits are similar to unlicensed PB silencers for Americans. Sure you can build one or use something intended for something else to do the job and chances are about 99.99% that you will never be caught so long as you don't make a spectacle of yourself. If you do happen to get caught however you are potentially looking at 10 years in the pen. Of course the police might just give you a warning instead or the DA might choose not to prosecute, but that 10 years in prison is still a real possibility.
Just speaking for myself, I could easily make an LDC, but there are no rabbits or spinners that need to be shot badly enough for it to be worth the risk to me and I suspect most Brits feel the same way regarding 12+ fpe airguns.
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I'll tell you what we didn't have forty or fifty years ago that we have now. Violent video games like Grand Theft Auto and others where the players get caught up in a virtual world where you have an inexhaustible supply of weapons, ammunition and victims. Not to mention the violence in movies and TV shows. I don't understand why no one ever suggests that there may be some correlation there.
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I don't think the virtual violence of video games is responsible so much as the internet itself. The internet creates an environment where people can withdraw from society and exist within their own little fringe group, having little or no social contact except for kindred souls who encourage their deviance. If you want to believe you're a vampire for example, you can find thousands of other "vampires" and immerse yourself in vampire culture online.
What we have here is basically a harmless example of a fringe group, but suppose our fascination weren't so harmless and instead of being obsessed with airguns we were obsessed with cannibalism. Groups like that actually exist and they never really did to any extent before the internet.
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