UK Airgun Law

For sub12, a license is only required in Scotland.

It is legal to plink in your garden, but please insure you have an adequate backstop. If you have neighbors, try and be as quiet as possible.

 

Hello and welcome.

follow this link to the British association for shooting and conservation website, there you will find very informative and up to date information with regards to enjoying our hobby safely and legally.

https://basc.org.uk/airgunning/advice/basc-air-rifle-code-of-practice/

short answer to your first question “do I need a licence”
. No, so long as your airgun is under the required power limit.
- these are: air rifles = 12ftlb muzzle energy
Air pistol = 6ftlb muzzle energy

If the muzzle energy of your airgun exceeds that’s limits the penalties and consequences can be severe.


The best advice I can give you is get down to a local club there you will have a safe environment to practice, learn and shoot in.

im not a lawyer and don’t profess to know the ins and outs but the law is the law and it’s great to see a potential new airgunner ask the right questions.

dont be put off, do have a good read through the BASC link I posted especially the legal bit.

All the the best and happy plinking

 

we know all this bud

 

The post is in reply to post 200 Monsta.

 

Is shooting a air rifle in the garden a criminal offence.
I am curious as by Law a Highway is any road with public access.
Regards.

 

You cannot discharge any firearm within fifty feet of the centre of a carriageway, if as a consequence of your action a user of the carriageway is injured, interrupted or endangered.

( carriageways somewhere you can drive your car without permission )
Not footpaths, bridleways, private roads or tracks and so on.

The important thing to think about also is could someone claim they were injured, endangered, or interrupted even if they were not. If there is a chance they could make sure its provable you were far enough away.

 

Hi
First of all thank you for the advice, I have never owned an air rifle , But I have bought one for my grandson (QB78) for christmas he will be supervised at all times,but most of his shooting will be done in the garden ta targets with pellet catchers,the Law is vague in the UK.
He often talks about recoil and sound suppressors on his best friend's gun,and I wonder what he is talking about,hence my joining the forum
Myself , At 10 years of age My first gun was a 9mm garden gun yes thats right GARDEN GUN.
12 years BSA 410 and my first shotgun licence
14 years AYA 25"
Now shooting AYA No2 and AYA No4 and still my old fave the 25".
after 50 years recoil and din not noticed.

Best regards.

 

I still have my old No4.i swapped to those guns with the barrels the wrong way around, one underneath the other a few years ago for any serious shooting as my eyes got older though The Mrs still gives the old no4 the odd run out as they are so light and easy to carry rough Shooting.

 

I take part in postal competitions for .177 air pistol and rifle at my club. I practice with my pistol (6 yards) in my garage and in my garden for 10 metres and 25 yards. All have adequate back stops (pellet catchers). I have advised one neighbour what I do. I have a large garden with high fences and trees which is more that 50 feet from outside areas. There appears no chance of any pellet leaving my property.

Am I in order doing what I do?......Thanks

 

Yes fine. Crack on

 

As I understand it, essentially yes, you're good. I would however, entertain the possibility of having something behind each pellet catcher in case of fliers, but otherwise I wouldn't worry too much.

 

Hi thanks for that yup I'll take on board your comments
Jack

 

Scotland AWC Question:

Apologies if this has been answered already, but does a BB pistol (specifically this one: https://www.pellpax.co.uk/airguns/air-pistols/co2-powered-air-pistols/glock-19-4-5mm-bb/20739) require the owner to have an AWC in Scotland?

 

Yes. Another minor point, but the Highways Act that incorporates the distance from centre of carriageway provision is England and Wales only legislation. It does not apply in Scotland, but common sense still applies.

 

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on this forum, having recently got back into airguns after a long break. Several years ago, I remember that there was a peculiar aspect of UK airgun law which meant that any airguns purchased from a UK retailer had to be delivered face to face (i.e. sending it to an RFD), but that there was nothing preventing you from buying an airgun from an overseas retailer and having it shipped straight to your door. I was wondering if this was still the case, or if the law has been changed recently?

I've found a particular rifle on an American site which seems to work out quite a bit cheaper than buying from the UK, even after taking into account postage etc., but im not sure if I can import it legally.

Thanks,

Elshad

 

That hasn't changed - the UK law applies only to UK suppliers.

That's not to say that you might not have other difficulties with customs etc, but postal supply of air guns and pressure bearing components from abroad is quite legal, always assuming it's a sub 12 gun you've seen. I've bought guns from the Silesia Shop in Poland and had zero hassle.

 

I too have bought rifles and pistols from supplies in Europe, icncluding Mundilar, and Krale which have been delivered directly to my house without any problems at all.

If you are buying from America though you may well be hit with additional customs or import duty, plus the dreaded VAT.

As has already been mentioned though, do make sure that yoiu check on the power output to ensure that it is within the UK limits.

Good luck!

 

Took a visit to my local RFD recently and read a notice he’d posted on the wall regarding legislation nuance I must admit I wasn’t aware of....it was describing the multi shot magazines prevalent in many modern PCPs and pointed out that if the magazine was loaded into the weapon, even if empty that was an offence. I knew that bit .....but it went on to say that even if the magazine was physically separated from the weapon it could NOT be loaded with any pellets. How many of us have inadvertently fallen foul of that one? Visit the range, fill a magazine with 14 pellets. Fire ten and put the mag back in you pocket with four pellets still in there, or load the mag prior to a shoot? Hope this helps someone as ignorant of this as I was!

 

rubbish... an unloaded magazine means the gun is unloaded

 

EXACTLY!!


.