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Thread: Taking Air Rifle to France(again)

  1. #1
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    Taking Air Rifle to France(again)

    I know some threads have already been posted on this subject but I can't find any with the definitive answer(must be using the wrong search phrase or summat).

    My cousin lives in France and we will be going over to stay for a bit, likely to be a regular thang. I want to take an air rifle over for plinking on his land, wiling away the long, hot afternoons before sinking into a hammock, being served cool beer and fine wine.....

    I will leave the rifle there for subsequent visits.

    Where will I find the definitive rules on taking an air rifle across the channel(ferry) and then travelling through France and subsequently using/storing it? I believe air guns are not legal for hunting in France, that's ok, it won't be, but do you have to prove this - if so, how? etc

    I suppose I could buy one over there but I have just the thing over here.

    Any steer gratefully received

    Many thanks in advance

    Richard

  2. #2
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    I want to take an air rifle over for plinking on his land, wiling away the long, hot afternoons before sinking into a hammock, being served cool beer and fine wine.....

    ye rub it in guy for those of us how are not so fortunate lol sorry i cant say something constructive so ill shut up now

  3. #3
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    I know, I know it's a tough job etc etc

    When I say "regular" I mean annually on our summer hols , it's not as if my employer feels the need to let me spend the amount of time I really, really deserve mucking about in a field in France.

    Mind you it's still great.

    Any clues anyone please?

    Richard

  4. #4
    look no hands's Avatar
    look no hands is online now Even better looking than a HW35
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    From what I remember you need a licence to own an air rifle over 6 Joules (I think it's 6, I know a 12ftp rifle would be over their limit) and you need to contact the local Rozzers to let them know, your not allowed to hunt with any air rifle what ever it's power, if you go to a gunshop he will hand you a rimmy to do small vermin shooting, I'm not sure about the tranportation of the rifle into France but I'm sure if it's going in the back of a car then you should be ok getting it over there and as for storage I'm sure if you show it to be in a sensible locked cupboard and out of harms way.

    Why don't you get your friend in France to ask the local authoroties or a gunshop to see if they can shed some light on the subject.

    Cheers

    Pete

    PS I just remembered my brother telling me a French friend he knows had a small penknife taken from him by French customs and in France everone uses penknives at the table to cut bread and cheese with, so go careful.
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

  5. #5
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    The maximum power for air rifles in France without some kind of license is 10 joules, which is just over 7 ft lbs (1 Joule = 0.737562149 ft lbs).

    If you want to buy a .22 rimfire, you now require a hunting or shooting license - this is a new regulation brought in sometime late last year or early this year - before then you just showed some ID to prove you were over 18 and then went down to the local police station to let them know that you'd bought it .

    I believe that the hunting license requires you to carry out a test showing that you can identify legitimate quarry species and are safe with handling a gun - I'm not sure what you have to do for a "Shooting license", which is presumably what you need if you are target shooting.

    The big eye opener for me is that black powder guns (rifles and pistols) are in the same category as soft-air and BB guns - you just need to be over 18 to buy them - no license, notifying the police or anything.

    There is also no legal requirement to keep these classes of guns in a cabinet, although it would seem sensible to do so.

    I also have a friend who owns a house in France - when I found out about these rules last year, I immediately went out there and bought a CZ452 and a .44 black powder revolver, which I use for target shooting and plinking when I go over there to visit. Considerably easier than dealing with our crazy firearms laws!

    For further information take a look here:
    http://www.fusil-calais.com/legal/legal_01_en.asp

    Ben

  6. #6
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    Ben

    Thanks, I'll follow this up. The rifle I was thinking of taking is a Webley Scott Falcon - which I think is a low power rifle and may be below the 7 ftlbs. I only want it for plinking with open sights at cans etc, just for fun. It is off for a bit of tlc at the mo - including removing a ridculously long spring from it.

    If it still turns out too much I could always take young un's old Gamo Delta!

    Thanks for the info again

    Richard

  7. #7
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    http://www.fusil-calais.com/legal/legal_01_en.asp

    According to the website above(thanks Ben) you need a shooting or hunting licence to possess a >10joule (7.4ftlb) air rifle in France, presumably you have one as you quote 12ftlb(16Joules)? - I thought hunting with an air rifle in France was a no-no, where do you obtain a shooting or hunting licence - what do you need to get one?

    Richard

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