RFD’s requirement if over 12ft/lbs

[where's it gone]

Interesting thread. Many years ago, I took a HW77 to a RFD to replace the spring and so called tune up. When I collected the rifle, the power was explained as ' it now shoots to page X in the yellow pages, where it only shot to page X before.'
My, how things have changed.

[distantcamera]

Interesting thread. Many years ago, I took a HW77 to a RFD to replace the spring and so called tune up. When I collected the rifle, the power was explained as ' it now shoots to page X in the yellow pages, where it only shot to page X before.'
My, how things have changed.

Hah! That's exactly how teenaged me tested air rifles. Out of interest when I became a grown up and had an HW77 that I knew was doing 11.4 with the pellets I had I fired it into a yellow pages. Fair to say my teenage owned guns were well under the limit.

[lensman57]

Hah! That's exactly how teenaged me tested air rifles. Out of interest when I became a grown up and had an HW77 that I knew was doing 11.4 with the pellets I had I fired it into a yellow pages. Fair to say my teenage owned guns were well under the limit.

Didn't the US army's definition of ' lethal ' was determined on how far a pellet would penetrate a piece of 1" wood at 50 yards or something along those lines? I guess they have made ours simple by setting it at 1J.

A.G

[where's it gone]

Interesting thread. Many years ago, I took a HW77 to a RFD to replace the spring and so called tune up. When I collected the rifle, the power was explained as ' it now shoots to page X in the yellow pages, where it only shot to page X before.'
My, how things have changed.

When you look at it, if you know the power of a rifle and fired into an Argos catalogue, recorded the page number the pellet penetrated, you could use this as a very rough measure of the power of any other rifle, couldn't you ?

[lensman57]

When you look at it, if you know the power of a rifle and fired into an Argos catalogue, recorded the page number the pellet penetrated, you could use this as a very rough measure of the power of any other rifle, couldn't you ?

No that is not strictly true. A pointed/diabolo pellet made of hard lead alloy fired from a weaker gun would penetrate much deeper than a pellet of wadcutter/hollow point design made of soft lead alloy fired from a much more powerful gun. It is energy dissipation that determines how far a pellet would penetrate into a catalogue or even into the ballistic gel.

A.G

[AndrewE]

I agree with your interpretation Nimrod177.
The reason I started this thread was that I was told by my RFD the FAC reg was the only option after confiscation and could not be offered the “reset to sub 12ft/lb at my cost”
I have a cheep chrono which I use to keep my gun inside the law but would like the option to confirm my old chrono is giving the correct readings. The fear of having my gun confiscated with out getting it back make me not want to have it checked.
Where would I stand legally if I was over but I had been regularly testing my guns on my chrono but that chrono was show to be wrong. Could it be shown I was ‘showing due diligence’?

[rancidtom]

I agree with your interpretation Nimrod177.
The reason I started this thread was that I was told by my RFD the FAC reg was the only option after confiscation and could not be offered the “reset to sub 12ft/lb at my cost”
I have a cheep chrono which I use to keep my gun inside the law but would like the option to confirm my old chrono is giving the correct readings. The fear of having my gun confiscated with out getting it back make me not want to have it checked.
Where would I stand legally if I was over but I had been regularly testing my guns on my chrono but that chrono was show to be wrong. Could it be shown I was ‘showing due diligence’?

It's a completely hypothetical question but...
Firstly up to the police, secondly up to the Crown Prosecution Service and thirdly up to the magistrates or judge/jury if it goes to Crown Court.
If you wish to verify your chrono ask the chrono manufacturer if they can or will calibrate it for you.
Even a calibrated chrono can give incorrect readings if used incorrectly so bear that in mind, no matter how you plead that you used it regularly and believe it to be correct the way the firearms act is written doesn't give anyone any "leeway" and certainly doesn't express or imply a "diligent" procedure, not you the owner or the RFD who may chrono a gun and find it over.
As stated previously there is no prescribed procedure for RFD's however in my case (and I'm sure most RFD's will do the same) I will advise the cutomer on the options and endeaver to adjust a gun if possible to get it under the limit.