I know someone with an overpowered air-rifle - what shoud I do?

[timmaaah]

Following on from my 'Use My Chrono' thread See Here!!, if I/fellow shooter were to test a gun over my chrono (either on my property or property with permission) and was to find the gun over, what would my legal standing be?

Would I have to inform the police?

What do clubs do when they find guns over - I'm sure they must from time to time?

I know that an RFD would have to confiscate/keep the rifle 'til turned down, but they are a commercial business.

Any legal pointers really appreciated.

Timmaaah

/edit please forgive the rather post viewing thread title, but would really like some pointers ;-) ;-)

[lightning01]

I would think if it`s not your gun then it dont concern you with regards to the police, if anything offer advice on how to alter the power but its up to them what they do with it as its there gun.

[GreenMachine]

My honest opinion is that you should desist in testing other peoples guns! If you don't know a gun is over powered, then your conscience wont be troubling you, will it?
The bottom line is that it has nothing to do with you if someone else's gun is illegal.

[the bull]

As above ,are you a coppa

[barrel]

My honest opinion is that you should desist in testing other peoples guns! If you don't know a gun is over powered, then your conscience wont be troubling you, will it?
The bottom line is that it has nothing to do with you if someone else's gun is illegal.

Exactly

[timmaaah]

My honest opinion is that you should desist in testing other peoples guns! If you don't know a gun is over powered, then your conscience wont be troubling you, will it?
The bottom line is that it has nothing to do with you if someone else's gun is illegal.

Don't worry - my consience is not/will not be troubling me one iota - I really just wanted some ideas as to the legal standing of the above situation!

Cheers

Timmaaah

/edit - no I'm not a copper, just wanting to help fellow shooters stay within the (farcical) law ;-)

[GreenMachine]

Don't worry - my consience is not/will not be troubling me one iota - I really just wanted some ideas as to the legal standing of the above situation!

Cheers

Timmaaah

/edit - no I'm not a copper, just wanting to help fellow shooters stay within the (farcical) law ;-)

I didn't intend to seem so abrupt with my original answer

[Andy Bee]

just wanting to help fellow shooters stay within the (farcical) law ;-)

It's not a farcical law, It's quite reasonable. If I was to be critical it is the lack of percentage. By that I mean for example 30mph limit, 31mph isn't a fine. 11.999999 ft/lbs = ok, 12.000001 ft/lbs over and FAC.

Not to hijack your thread. If I was in the position of testing others guns (original post) and one was over. I would recommend they get to a RFD pronto, get it tested again and tuned to be within the law.

I test my own, so they are never anywhere near the wire. 11.5ft/lbs is as close as I get (I'm happier with about 10.81 - 11ft/lbs. Any higher than that and alarm bells rings in my head.

[Fluffybuck]

If the gun belongs to someone else, tell them that you suspect it's over powered and that they should get it adjusted. There's no need for it to go any further than between you and them and if you want to remain a renowned person for helping with chrono checks, then you must be confidential in your findings, when necessary. Nobody would want to drop in for an informal check on your chrono if they feared being "nicked" for being overpowered. The fact that they've come for a check suggests that they probably want to be law-abiding.
Of course, unless you had individually weighed every pellet before each shot and you actually saw the chrono reading of each shot, with a second, different type of chrono to prove that the first one wasn't giving strange readings, and that you are certain both chrono's have been calibrated to the correct accuracy, then technically speaking you can't be 100% certain that their gun was over the limit, if you see what I mean.

A while ago, I had a chap come round for a chrono check, with low power being his concern.
We double-chrono'd the gun, to be fairly sure of the readings. In fact, going through my pellet collection, we eventually found pellets that took the power up by over a ftlb from what he'd been using and he was happy to be doing 11.4ftlb, checked by two different chrono's.

[Stuart_B]

If its over tell them its over and to sort it themselves, or if they are unable to, get someone who can to do it for them. No drama, no fuss no problem. If a guns over it is illegal BUT a little common sense would see it sorted.

I think some people on here are walking around with aluminium foil on their heads to block out the governments mind control rays

[BANGALOOR]

i agree with all thats been been said by others.

not sure your right though, about rfd confiscating your gun if over the limit, maybe someone can shed some light on this.

vic

[Fluffybuck]

i agree with all thats been been said by others.

not sure your right though, about rfd confiscating your gun if over the limit, maybe someone can shed some light on this.

vic

RFD's are supposed to confiscate an airgun if it chrono's over the limit, which is why it can be helpful for bbs members to chrono each others guns, so that a gun running very close, or only marginally "over" (which happens to quite a few people occasionally - especially after a service) won't risk being taken away for the sake of 0.2ftlb.
A friend of mine once asked a gunshop to check his gun. They told him that if it chrono'd over, they would confiscate it and therefore, they asked whether he was sure that he wanted to proceed with the check.

[timmaaah]

It's not a farcical law, It's quite reasonable. If I was to be critical it is the lack of percentage. By that I mean for example 30mph limit, 31mph isn't a fine. 11.999999 ft/lbs = ok, 12.000001 ft/lbs over and FAC.

Actually, it's the inclusion of the word 'capable' that makes the law farcical, but ta for comments - I, like you, can test my own

GreenMachine - cheers

Fluffy - your 1st post - gotcha

RFD's are supposed to confiscate an airgun if it chrono's over the limit, which is why it can be helpful for bbs members to chrono each others guns, so that a gun running very close, or only marginally "over" (which happens to quite a few people occasionally - especially after a service) won't risk being taken away for the sake of 0.2ftlb.

That's what I'm on about - just trying to help

[bassmanrich]

If it is over the limit at a check in a RFD is it gone for good? when it is siezed, is the person then reported to police?

[Steyr]

It's not a farcical law, It's quite reasonable. If I was to be critical it is the lack of percentage. By that I mean for example 30mph limit, 31mph isn't a fine. 11.999999 ft/lbs = ok, 12.000001 ft/lbs over and FAC.

Not to hijack your thread. If I was in the position of testing others guns (original post) and one was over. I would recommend they get to a RFD pronto, get it tested again and tuned to be within the law.

I test my own, so they are never anywhere near the wire. 11.5ft/lbs is as close as I get (I'm happier with about 10.81 - 11ft/lbs. Any higher than that and alarm bells rings in my head.

It is farcical in the method of application and by being absolute.

The equipment can be tested with any ammo they desire even though the owbner would never use that ammo either because of quality or lack of compatability.

The application of AT (which is also not a bad idea in some ways) offers no defence at law and would be very very expensive to defend against if one had to fund from ones own resources.

There is no defined margin - will the CPS pursue a charge if the equipment is .1 fpe over or 1 fpe or 3 fpe or....

This assumes there was no other factor.

You wont have rifles seized unless you have been a naughty boy - well the gent who was shooting in his back garden ans supervised his son to shoot had a malicious call from a neighbour yet the police seized his rifles because his son shot the rifle perfectly within the confines of the law.

The principle is sound. The executuion leaves legal limit shooters like you and me in the potential poo even if your an FAC holder and have centre fires capable of putting a 13 fpe air rifle into the shade.

It is not a happy state of affairs especially as the home office also see fgit to apply pressure via the back door and not following due legal process which is (allegedley) one of the reasons parliament exists when they take time out from lining thier own pockets at our expense.

So I dont agree com[pletely that it is non farcicle