Just an observation and reflection - PCPs

[bobseagles]

I had to reflect on the vast number of PCPs on the market these days.....BSA, Daystate, Air Arms, AirTechnology (Vulcan), Edgun, Walther, FX, RAW, Theoben (not lately), Impact, Air Force, JKahn, Brocock, Kalibrgun, Crosman, Steyr, Jager, Weihrauch, Evanix, Hatsan, Gamo, and there are more. There is a wide variety of pellets to choose from. There are many scopes now that focus parallax down to 10 or 15 yards. Accuracy is improving to the point that we are looking for 1" groups at 100 yards, and power is higher, on average, than the days of pump up Benjamins, Sheridans and CO2 guns. Perhaps obvious, but these may be the "golden years" right now. I am very concerned with the political landscape of the USA, and its influence on gun and airgun ownership. Undoubtedly, there will be increased scrutiny as the airgun market gets bigger and the power increases. If the EPA had their way, no one would be allowed to shoot any metal, let alone own a gun. The EPA recently pushed to end motorsports, and failed. 25 years ago, the forces against gun ownership were far less than they are today. 

With that said, I take nothing for granted. Enjoy what we have.

 

[fe7565]

I used meddle with the UAV (quadcopter/auto-pilot airplanes) hobby back around 2008...and there was always the danger that if the relatively expensive UAVs that required considerable knowledge to setup and operate eventually become less expensive and easier to setup/operate. And they eventually will become much easier to obtain for the general public outside of the niche of the small number of dedicated and responsible hobbyists. Today, these UAVs are much cheaper and readily available for a few hundred dollars...and with that dumbasses emerged who are endangering commercial airliners and also prompting privacy issues. Thus came the recent added restrictions and beefing up of regulations governing the UAVs (i.e. drones). 

The same may eventually start happening to the airgun hobby as more powerful and larger caliber PCPs become cheaper and commercially more available, With that, the dumbasses will emerge who with their impulsive and irresponsible behavior will cause damage or possibly even cause serious injury/death. I think we all know what our PCPs are capable of doing to a human being if not used responsibly. 

Thus, as much as I am not for regulations and governance for a hobby that seems to police and regulate itself well, the airgun hobby may eventually need some sort of an organization like the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) that not only helps ensure and advocate safety, but also acts as an advocate of airgunners rights in the face of potential future unreasonably restrictive regulations.

 

[Dan25]

Other than the fact that Obama shut down the last lead smelter in the US I think we are OK quietly in the background. That is until some nut job figures out you can buy a powerful, suppressed, air gun without having to go through a background check. Then said nutter starts shooting people like starlings and here come the ATFE guys. Yes selection and quality are better than ever before even though some premium makers have not figured out how to ship guns that don't leak down over night.