Sales restrictions “no solution” to airgun crime. BASC press release

[Simon Clarke]

9th September 2005………………………………………immediate release..

A proposal to restrict airgun sales to registered firearms dealers (RFDs) will not reduce airgun crime, according to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).

BASC, the UK’s largest shooting organisation, which has a long track record of involvement in initiatives to reduce the misuse of airguns, believes the proposals put forward by the Scottish Executive and currently being considered by the Home Office will prove ineffective and unenforceable.

Bill Harriman, BASC Director of Firearms said “Firearms dealers could keep a record of initial sales, but after that there would be no enforceable audit trail of where an airgun has gone. The Firearms Acts also make it unlikely that a dealer could be held responsible for subsequent misuse of an airgun which they had sold. It would prove impossible to police private sales between individuals. The police could also struggle to process a flood of applications from retailers wishing to become registered firearms dealers”

“The answer to airgun crime is two-fold; enforcement of the existing law coupled with investment in an educational programme to highlight the dangers of airgun misuse to young people.”

There are an estimated five to seven million airguns already in circulation in the UK. BASC believes restricting sales of new airguns to RFDs will do nothing to prevent misuse with new or second-hand airguns.

Bill Harriman said “Airguns have a useful and legitimate role to play in pest control, target shooting and recreation. The vast majority of owners use them safely and responsibly. High powered air rifles are already subject to the strictest level of licensing allowed under UK law. We will be meeting the Home Office in the near future to discuss these proposals. Effective legislation already exists to deal with airgun crime. Until it is properly enforced and backed with an education programme, further legislation should not be considered.” ENDS.

BASC publishes an airgun code of practice which can be seen at http://www.basc.org.uk/content/airriflepractice

For more information call the press office on 01244 573031

[Simon Clarke]

If anyone hasn't seen this story yet, try

here

or here

or here

or

here

[wgmorgan]

Nice to see the BASC is on top of this Mr Clarke. I personally worry that if tough restrictions are applied to retailers then gun control obsessives will next claim that an anomaly exists if the secondhand market is left untouched. Have you heard anything that would suggest informal markets in airguns, such as on here, are to be banned or restricted?

[Simon Clarke]

The second hand market is one of the main problems with this proposal.
Even if it were illegal to sell without going through an RFD, it would be impossible to police.

The press release points out some of the other obvious problems.

The changes, if they are to be introduced, could be added to the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, which will be going through its committee stage in October.

It is well worth writing to your MP about.
but this must be done NOW.
You might like to include our press release, or take part from it, and perhaps a phrase such as this:

"as a responsible and law-abiding air gun shooter I must point out that the latest proposals to restrict sales to Registered Firearms Dealers will do nothing to curb the illegal misuse of airguns, and present the prospect of becoming bad law: difficult to enforce, ineffective and restricting law abiding people such as myself"

You could also add that the Police could well be hard pressed to deal with a flood of applications by retailers to become RFDS.

One thing MPs have repeatedly pointed out to us is that they get very few letters from shooters.

[Geordie]

My MP has ignored no fewer than four letters from me, and his recent "lets ban airguns" rant in the local rag shows me why

Ronnie Campbell - Labour party ****.

[Lurchermiss]

I have said it before the election what would happen, I have said it after the election and I will say it again. Most of you must have voted this lot in because they are. I actually now feel more secure as I have a rimfire now, but I am not complacent.
I will still of course write in to my MP as I have done on each occasion our sport is threatened.

[Keith Oakes]

Why is it that when something like this happens people like us are made to pay for it while the mindless idiots who commit these crimes get off with a slap on the wrists? I can see exactly what's gonna happen: The powers that be will ban anything with a trigger and there will still be gun crime. What are these ignorant narrow-minded do-gooders gonna say then? It seems to me that us law abiding sportsmen are being gradually done away with and there's nothing we can do. If we live in a democratic society, where the bloody hell is the democracy?

[boltaction]

Its just another piece of what would appear to be of Politicians appealing to the vast majority of the ill informed general public and the even less informed tabloid press, trying to get a story out of nothing and trying to portray they have the interests of their local community at heart, when in fact all they are doing to do is trying to boost their circulation figures. why dont they concentrate on the massive problem of car thefts and the damage and injuries that they inflict on the general public......no that would be to hard, would it not.

The next step would be to ban mail order of airguns, and just remember who funds this forum.


Jim

[svenhass]

Last time I went to my local gunshop the owner mentioned something about a ban on mail order gun sales had already been proposed. Don't know how far the pipeline it has gone but it will be a major blow to the likes of JSR and uttings.

[delta1]

My letter is ready to post, including a copy of the press release.

I am strongly in favour of stopping the local car boot airgun seller, but not at the expense of our mail order companies.

The question regarding 100% enforcement of existing laws has been asked again, see what answer I get this time.

Richard

[starrysmoothhound]

it would be interesting to know the value of the airgun business in the u.k.
plus the amount of people employed.

[delta1]

This morning I have recieved the following reply.....

Dear Richard,

It was good of you to write setting out your views on the possible restrictions of airguns. I have already had discussions with representatives of BASC and will be meeting them again later this month before approaching the Home Office.
You will be pleased to know that no final decisions have been taken.
Yours Faithfully
Paddy Tipping MP

Lets see what happens next!

Richard

[danco1987]

would u stil be able to order from the US?

[Baldie]

I'm not convinced that even if mail order sales were stopped, it would prevent our hosts from operating. There is already a system that allows firearms to be collected locally from an RFD for (usually) about £25.

I suspect this will mean 2nd user rifles will cost more than new ones, as 'registration' will be avoided. Not everyone wants to be on a government list.....

It's a stupid proposal, and will not prevent one more air gun from being used dangerously. In fact it might make some more likely to be used dangerously, because with so many air guns about (easy to acquire), what youth wouldn't want to have something the Law doesn't want them to have?


Bit provocative, but this legislation is no different (AND I MEAN NO DIFFERENT) to having to buy rucksacks from an RFD.

In fact using the most recent statistics, (this years) the mis-use of rucksacks is statistically more likely, and certainly has had more bad press.

























My sincere apologies to anyone and everyone for the 'poor taste' of my analogy, but it fits so well it was impossible to ignore the comparison.

[Geordie]

Bit provocative, but this legislation is no different (AND I MEAN NO DIFFERENT) to having to buy rucksacks from an RFD.

In fact using the most recent statistics, (this years) the mis-use of rucksacks is statistically more likely, and certainly has had more bad press.

LMAO - that's the funniest thing I've seen you write in ages mate