Reply With QuoteJust done my bit because I'd like to be shooting in 12 months time and not have to hand in all my kit to Plod Gratis.
And please don't go on about my attitude to replica weapons, they are a dying breed and are working against us more than we think. The sooner AK47 soft air guns and the like are out of circulation, the better.
Dear Mr Gapes,
As one of your constituents, I'm writing to express my views regarding the Governments' proposals that threaten further restricting legitimate users of air powered rifles and pistols. As a newcomer to the sport (target shooting) my main concerns are the rather extreme punishments (5 years imprisonment) meted out to owners of guns that are ,unintentionally or otherwise, over the 12ftlb limit. From conversations with more experienced shooters I have learnt that a gun that is well within the limit on one type of pellet, can be over the limit on another type of pellet. Given that the 12ftlb limit was arrived at because it was deemed to be the ideal level to cleanly and humanely dispatch vermin, as a member of the RSPB and National Trust, I’m sure you can appreciate the positive impact of vermin and pest control on our countryside. I feel that some leeway should be given to people who shoot vermin, or at the very least there should be a standard test using standardised pellets that all shooters should have access to. I would like to suggest that muzzle energy limit be raised to 18ftlb for rifles and that anyone using an air powered rifle that is over 14ftlb should be given the benefit of the doubt and given a caution and the opportunity to have their rifle adjusted so that it falls within the limit. Anyone using a rifle with 18ftlb of muzzle energy should be dealt with in the same way as someone who is over the 12ftlb limit at present. This allows shooters to use rifles that are on the agreed limit for a swift despatch of vermin without the need for worrying about falling foul of the law. Air pistols on the other hand are used mainly for target sports and I feel are sufficiently powered for their intended use.
Bringing further legislation onto an already over legislated sport with the intention to reduce street crime is naïve to say the least. One has only to glance at the figures in the last 10 years to see that the banning of the legitimate ownership of handguns has had a negligible impact on gun crime. Coming down on ordinary, law abiding people who enjoy shooting in a safe environment is not the way to get guns off the streets. I believe that the main problem involves young people gaining access to replica weapons and using them to cause alarm and fear. Obviously something has to be done about this, the obvious answer is to withdraw replica guns from the market, this is slightly more complex that it may at first appear because one has to define “replica”. Another solution may be to prohibit the purchase of such guns to persons under the age of 21 and even then the buyer should be able to produce proof of age, address etc. I feel that improper use of pistols in particular is where the problem lies. Rifles are less easily concealed and don’t carry the street ‘cred’ that a replica pistol might, legislating against rifles is, in my opinion, a waste of Parliamentary time, if anything, the opportunity should be used to make clear the very obvious differences between a firearm and an air powered rifle or pistol.
The punishment for open possession of a pistol in a public place with the intent to causing fear, should be increased and enforced, law abiding shooters have nothing to fear from legislation of this kind but everything to fear from poorly thought out, knee-jerk legislation that only serves to placate the very poorly subscribed pressure groups. I would request in the strongest possible terms that the Home Secretary take a long look at the problem areas and the cause of the problem areas and legislate accordingly. I suspect there are many deep seated social issues at the root of gun crime in the UK, I can assure you that people shooting rats in fields or paper targets on approved ranges is not one of them. I would respectfully request that you write to the Home Secretary and pass on my concerns.
Yours truly,
Oh, I DID put paragraphs in but the BBS took them out.
I would certainly fancy a pint with him to chat about a few things!
Zanx.....
