Section 31 guidance by BASC

[NortonAMC]

I was glad to see the Guidance Note added to the explanation
of the new April 6th law and the mention of collectors on BASC website.
and pre 1939 stuff. I was just wondering about Antique markets!
There are quite a few chaps that do House Clearance's as a trade
and they may clear out an old air gun that they will sell on, but would they now in theory need to be RFD's.


http://www.basc.org.uk/media/basc_vc...h_april_07.pdf


mike.

[Gareth W-B]

Hi Mike, thanks for this, very thought provoking. Have saved it to favourites for future ref etc, as this is something I/we as responsible air gunners and collectors need to keep up to speed with. This next statement may get me loadsa hate-mail though, but I am actually in favour of some of these new laws -- especially the one about shops selling air weapons needing to be registered fire arms dealers. This is because on the strength of this, one of those tacky little cheap shops with an overseas proprietor (if you follow me ) in town who had been selling cheap SMK B2 rifles and pellets hand over fist to anyone regardless of age, has had to stop doing so (to the annoyance of the chav scum he used to sell said B-2's and pellets to ). I assume this will also be the story nationally, and also assume that as these B-2 Sh** heaps will soon bust, I am sure we will now start to see a massive decline in the kind of urban air gun abuse and crime that currently keeps catapulting us to the front pages of the tabloids, which in turn will get the press off our backs, and affordable air guns out of the hands of feral chavs . ATB all: Gareth W-B.

[Punchsteve]

Hi Mike, thanks for this, very thought provoking. Have saved it to favourites for future ref etc, as this is something I/we as responsible air gunners and collectors need to keep up to speed with. This next statement may get me loadsa hate-mail though, but I am actually in favour of some of these new laws -- especially the one about shops selling air weapons needing to be registered fire arms dealers. This is because on the strength of this, one of those tacky little cheap shops with an overseas proprietor (if you follow me ) in town who had been selling cheap SMK B2 rifles and pellets hand over fist to anyone regardless of age, has had to stop doing so (to the annoyance of the chav scum he used to sell said B-2's and pellets to ). I assume this will also be the story nationally, and also assume that as these B-2 Sh** heaps will soon bust, I am sure we will now start to see a massive decline in the kind of urban air gun abuse and crime that currently keeps catapulting us to the front pages of the tabloids, which in turn will get the press off our backs, and affordable air guns out of the hands of feral chavs . ATB all: Gareth W-B.

No hate mail from me Gareth.

Only thing is mate, if these people are selling to people regardless of age, then they couldn't care less about the law as it is and so I don't really expect them to care less about the new laws.

I've a feeling that a lot of these people will continue selling 'under the counter'. The only thing the new law will do is make it more difficult for them to obtain the stock to sell in the first place, but unscrupulous people will probably find a way around that.

The new law might slow down these type of sales, but I doubt very much it will stop them completely, it certainly won't stop some yob buying one of the millions of second hand rifles floating around this country.

I think that actually enforcing the existing laws, following through with prosecution and harsher punishment at the end of it would have made a better difference.

All IMHO of course.

[njaw]

I agree with Gareth. Some elements of the legislation may actually help.

I went to a boot fair yesterday and there were around 4 large stands selling those cheap Chinese guns and I have to say, they certainly didn't look like they gave a damn as to who they sold the guns to.

[Ratbuster]

Hello,

Does this mean that I can't buy a post 1939 airrifle anymore, other than from a RFD?

Say I want to buy a Mk1 Airsporter G model (1948) from a Airgun BBS member, would this still be possible and legal?

Cheers,

Hans

[Gareth W-B]

Hello,

Does this mean that I can't buy a post 1939 airrifle anymore, other than from a RFD?

Say I want to buy a Mk1 Airsporter G model (1948) from a Airgun BBS member, would this still be possible and legal?

Cheers,

Hans

Yes matey, as it says, private sales of all/any sub 12ft.lb air rifles, and sub 6ft.lb air pistols to private people are still all ok (for the moment ). Gareth W-B.

[Gareth W-B]

I've a feeling that a lot of these people will continue selling 'under the counter'. The only thing the new law will do is make it more difficult for them to obtain the stock to sell in the first place, but unscrupulous people will probably find a way around that.

Hi Steve, hope all is well with you and yours mate . Tend to agree with you to a point, as can see many of the tacky little shops that sold these B2's etc selling the stock that they may have left under the counter, but as anyone who then imports and sells them further air guns will be open to a whole host of smuggling and firearms violatuions, I reckon the types of people who may consider such a trade would rather stick to things like the illegal import of mutant tobacco products instead. Similarly, imho, those who do already risk firearms legislation violations would not want to bother with B-2s etc, due to their measily £12 per item profit margin, when the same amount of effort can, and unfortunately does, net them more like £75 a time profit for smuggling in replica and de-act hand guns for converting .

ATB: Gareth W-B.

[Punchsteve]

Hi Steve, hope all is well with you and yours mate . Tend to agree with you to a point, as can see many of the tacky little shops that sold these B2's etc selling the stock that they may have left under the counter, but as anyone who then imports and sells them further air guns will be open to a whole host of smuggling and firearms violatuions, I reckon the types of people who may consider such a trade would rather stick to things like the illegal import of mutant tobacco products instead. Similarly, imho, those who do already risk firearms legislation violations would not want to bother with B-2s etc, due to their measily £12 per item profit margin, when the same amount of effort can, and unfortunately does, net them more like £75 a time profit for smuggling in replica and de-act hand guns for converting .

ATB: Gareth W-B.

Fine here thank you Gareth, hope all is well at your household also.

Yes, that is a valid point which I didn't think of, it would indeed come to a point where the profit they make on these Chinese jobbies in particular just isn't worth the risk.

What worries me is that:

1). Not all the idiots and scrotes who misuse airguns are children. Many are adults and as such will be able to go into a gunshop and buy an air rifle. The police might know who owns them but if they'll have quite a job proving who it was should an incident occur.

2). They can't seem enforce the existing laws. The new laws will prove pointless unless they actually follow through with arrests and prosecutions.

I suppose only time will tell if it will make a difference. If it does stop or at least reduce the incidents of which we sadly seem to hear about every other week then I suppose it will have been worth it.

I do think there are better ways though.