hunting 5 lp50

[tinbum]

If that's the case we'll quickly see more reports corroborate the story.

Seeing as this is seemingly a "story" from the man who caused the issue, I will keep my powder dry for now.

[snock]

Seeing as this is seemingly a "story" from the man who caused the issue, I will keep my powder dry for now.

My thoughts exactly.
I don't necessarily disbelieve it, neither do I say it isn't true; more I am keen to see independent corroboration via an official publication.

[gingernut]

If that's the case we'll quickly see more reports corroborate the story.

Not from North Yorks Police.
Who will be suffering egg on face problems.
They pushed this issue and even chaired a meeting at Bisley about it.

[snock]

Not from North Yorks Police.
Who will be suffering egg on face problems.
They pushed this issue and even chaired a meeting at Bisley about it.

I'll come out and say I do not trust the police in interpreting firearms laws.

I want to see it in the Home Office guide. Little else will mean anything.

[coburn]

From the OP, it's been deemed as not semi-auto/self-loading.

The status of true semi-autos remains unchanged.

Hope that helps.

The devils in the detail as they say, my semi auto perfectly legal!

[gingernut]

I'll come out and say I do not trust the police in interpreting firearms laws.

I want to see it in the Home Office guide. Little else will mean anything.

It is in Home Office Guidelines
Which some people say is not the law.
They may be right.
But it is not for the Police to interpret or make the law - their job is to enforce it.
If the Law isn't clear best leave it alone.

[gingernut]

The devils in the detail as they say, my semi auto perfectly legal!

Also makes a smelly .22 noise no doubt.

[coburn]

Also makes a smelly .22 noise no doubt.

You sussed me out.
So if Steyr self indexing similar to my Umarex Makarov, what on earth has all the fuss been about?

[Terry D]

If the Law isn't clear best leave it alone.

Seriously?

What if we do that and you get prosecuted?

What if an organisation is asked to clarify that law by those whose livelihood, and the sport that supports it, depend on being on the right side of it?

Still 'leave it alone', or have I misunderstood your point? If so, apologies.

[Tone]

If the trade had just gone ahead and sold these guns and the determination had gone differently, there would have been all sorts of condemnation.

So, was it the 'trade' that put the LP50 into question initially or was it the police?

If it was the trade then what upsets me most is that it did a U turn and left many LP50 owners, who had bought them for legitimate specific competitions, out in the cold.

Leaving law abiding citizens wondering if what they had bought in good faith was indeed a section 5 weapon (a sub 6ft lb .177 air pistol indeed) ...

For me, the closest thing here that even resembles breaking the law is 'wasting police time'.

[ChrisC]

Not from North Yorks Police.
Who will be suffering egg on face problems.
They pushed this issue and even chaired a meeting at Bisley about it.

Actually my intitial response to NYP was 'why on earth are those clowns poking a stick into the wasps nest' ......but, they seem to have pushed for the confusing legislation to be clarified, and it worked. It was a bit of a gamble as it could have gone the other way, we all know how fickle the HO is. As a LP5 owner i'm so happy that i rode around my living room, rapidly firing off shots ala Rooster Cogburn stylee.

As a side thought though, had the clarification gone against the LP5. what would have happened then? Hypothetically there would have been a lot of shooters with a 1.5k pistol, sold to them by HP that would have been destroyed. They would have needed to prize mine from my cold, dead hands

You sussed me out.
So if Steyr self indexing similar to my Umarex Makarov, what on earth has all the fuss been about?

You need to search the BBS and find some of the earlier threads.

[Terry D]

So, was it the 'trade' that put the LP50 into question initially or was it the police?

As far as I know, it was the police.

The Gun Trade Association was asked by its members to clarify the legality of 'semi-auto' airguns and the GTA did its best to do this - as it should.

As for 'wasting police time', what are the police supposed to do to determine the status of any gun? It requires a proper investigation, and that takes time and resources to be done with any validity. There's no other way, surely?

[oneseven]

So just so I'm clear.. No legislation has been clarified, only that this particular pistol is not deemed (by the home office experts?) to be restricted within the current interpretation of the legislation.

This is great news and makes me want to but a stey but I'm looking forward to confirmation that the fireams act did not intend to restrict airguns deemed not especially dangerous.

[ChrisC]

So just so I'm clear.. No legislation has been clarified, only that this particular pistol is not deemed (by the home office experts?) to be restricted within the current interpretation of the legislation.

This is great news and makes me want to but a stey but I'm looking forward to confirmation that the fireams act did not intend to restrict airguns deemed not especially dangerous.

That would be the sensible approach mate.

[Jerry Cornelius]

...

As for 'wasting police time', what are the police supposed to do to determine the status of any gun? It requires a proper investigation, and that takes time and resources to be done with any validity. There's no other way, surely?

Well, no. As with any other public service the police have massively more demands on their time than they have resources to deal with. (Just try reporting a crime to them if you don't believe that). So they have to decide what to prioritise.

Entirely independently of the arguments about whether LP5/50s are/should be legal, there is the question of why a police force thought it was worth spending money to find out. I find that quite a difficult decision to understand, and judging from their inaction I have more than a sneaking suspicion that most of the rest of the country's police forces feel the same. Its not exactly a risk to public safety is it? Someone got his knickers in a twist and his judgement out the window.

Anyway, if self indexing airguns are about to become more common, I suspect we will move away from the question "did an amendment to the Firearms Act inadvertently make certain airguns illegal", which is a matter of interpretation of the Act and not opinion, (unless you count the opinion of a judge) and onto the question "SHOULD these airguns be illegal", which is a question of policy and absolutely one of opinion.

It is that question of policy that I doubt will end well, if these airguns are widely sold. Shades of the introduction of the 12 ftlb limit. Does anyone in the UK make a self indexing air rifle: not as far as I know. Lost sales ahead.

I wouldn't be spending my money just yet.