UK Shooting News - aka Parliamentary Air Rifle Debate

[Fronteria]

With over 41,000 members of this forum we as a group are powerful political lobbying unit if we use it by each individual writing or e-mailing to your PM telling them what you think of this possible change in the legislation in a calm and cool manner pointing out that you are a member of the most law abiding and closely monitored section of the community in this country.
They just look at most of the organisations with distain and that they are only looking after their own backs and jobs.
Where you as voters can make an impact which they will not be expecting because we have never e-mailed or written to them as individuals expressing our opinion on the effect it will have on you personally and the possibility of it ruining your sport completely unnecessarily and only impacting on the law abiding and will not affect those who choose or are stupid enough to carry out criminal or idiotic actions with what is a tool to us who use it for target shooting or pest control operations.
The effect on the six hundred MP's having to reply to 41,000 letters or e-mails would at the very least get us noticed and they need your vote, if indeed every everyone who had SGC, FAC or was an Airgun owner or user was to write to their MP the receipt of over a million e-mails or letters would shake them to the core.
But I don't suppose for one minute you will do it because you don't care enough about your sport to spare a few minutes to write or e-mail your MP.

[gingernut]

You can't legislate against some halfwit pointing an air rifle at a child and pulling the trigger.

This is what happened in the Bristol case and it is the MP for that area who raised the airgun question in the Commons.

I don't see calls for legislation when said halfwits throw bricks off bridges at vehicles.

What we need in such cases is for existing laws to be enforced,proper prosecution ,and severe penalties.

[thisisdonald]

We tried it with the Scottish legislation and it landed on deaf ears. Some non Scottish members on here even Joking about selling our guns south of the border.
The empathetic attitude of a British citizen should not be underestimated. It's taken the government about 70 years to get us programmed to this level.
Good luck with your efforts. I will sign any online petition you have, but Unfortunately for us north of the wall, it's too late for writing to mp's

[bighit]

We tried it with the Scottish legislation and it landed on deaf ears. Some non Scottish members on here even Joking about selling our guns south of the border.
The empathetic attitude of a British citizen should not be underestimated. It's taken the government about 70 years to get us programmed to this level.
Good luck with your efforts. I will sign any online petition you have, but Unfortunately for us north of the wall, it's too late for writing to mp's

correct. there was a lot of english shooters who tried to help us scot but as you say a few thought they would get a cheap rifle from it and some even gloated about on here .

as donald has said ,i too will try and help if i can if they try to do the same to english shooters as they did to us scots .

[danco1987]

With over 41,000 members of this forum we as a group are powerful political lobbying unit if we use it by each individual writing or e-mailing to your PM telling them what you think of this possible change in the legislation in a calm and cool manner pointing out that you are a member of the most law abiding and closely monitored section of the community in this country.
They just look at most of the organisations with distain and that they are only looking after their own backs and jobs.
Where you as voters can make an impact which they will not be expecting because we have never e-mailed or written to them as individuals expressing our opinion on the effect it will have on you personally and the possibility of it ruining your sport completely unnecessarily and only impacting on the law abiding and will not affect those who choose or are stupid enough to carry out criminal or idiotic actions with what is a tool to us who use it for target shooting or pest control operations.
The effect on the six hundred MP's having to reply to 41,000 letters or e-mails would at the very least get us noticed and they need your vote, if indeed every everyone who had SGC, FAC or was an Airgun owner or user was to write to their MP the receipt of over a million e-mails or letters would shake them to the core.
But I don't suppose for one minute you will do it because you don't care enough about your sport to spare a few minutes to write or e-mail your MP.

I wrote to my MP today expressing my deep concern at the damaging effect any form of licensing of low powered air rifles would have on shooting as a sport and as a valuable industry to the UK economy. I also stressed that air rifles are vital for entry level shooters before progressing onto licensed powder burning firearms, detailed how offences involving airguns are continuing to decline and any potential licensing of low powered airguns would only prove to be a hugely expensive burden on police forces and would have zero impact on the criminal minority. I asked for confirmation that he would be rejecting any calls for licensing of low powered air rifles and his views on how to best preserve shooting for future generations.

Reading the HO news it doesn't sound like licensing is on the horizon, only that it will be discussed which I'm sure it has before. However, I thought it would be best to push back against any mention of licensing as soon as possible and hope the shooting organisations are straight on the case in preparation for this unnecessary review.

It took 15 mins chaps to ping off an email to my local MP and suggest everyone else does the same.

[Oldbean]

Danny can you put up a copy of your lett so we can use it to send to all mp's
Cheers

[Fronteria]

I wrote to my MP today expressing my deep concern at the damaging effect any form of licensing of low powered air rifles would have on shooting as a sport and as a valuable industry to the UK economy. I also stressed that air rifles are vital for entry level shooters before progressing onto licensed powder burning firearms, detailed how offences involving airguns are continuing to decline and any potential licensing of low powered airguns would only prove to be a hugely expensive burden on police forces and would have zero impact on the criminal minority. I asked for confirmation that he would be rejecting any calls for licensing of low powered air rifles and his views on how to best preserve shooting for future generations.

Reading the HO news it doesn't sound like licensing is on the horizon, only that it will be discussed which I'm sure it has before. However, I thought it would be best to push back against any mention of licensing as soon as possible and hope the shooting organisations are straight on the case in preparation for this unnecessary review.

It took 15 mins chaps to ping off an email to my local MP and suggest everyone else does the same.

I have also e-mail my MP lets see what happens.

[grumpygit]

Danny can you put up a copy of your lett so we can use it to send to all mp's
Cheers

I was just about to ask the sane thing.

[villaman]

Danny can you put up a copy of your lett so we can use it to send to all mp's
Cheers

Very good idea and then most will send it to the local mp

[danco1987]

Here's what I rattled off in 15 mins during my break and sent to my MP. I'm sure there's some more articulate members on this board with more persuasive letter writing skills, who can consolidate, tweak and insert more striking figures etc to get our point across more effectively. Please feel free to change and post amended versions that all can use.

Dear XXXXXXXX,

My name is XXXXXXXXX and I am one of your constituents residing in XXXXXXXX (my postal address is listed below). I am writing to you to express my deep concern about the government’s decision to review our already strict legislation governing the possession and use of low powered air rifles and pistols in England & Wales. I am very worried about the wider negative impacts any rash restrictions could have on the numerous hobbyists around the country who use air rifles and pistols, as well as shooting as a sport and as an valuable industry.

I am an enthusiastic and responsible air rifle user who carries out pest control in my spare time for landowners across Hertfordshire. I am a member of the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC) and abide by the many strict laws already in place governing the use, possession and storage of low powered air rifles.

What concerns me the most about this review is the Home Office and Nick Hurd MP’s subtle reference to reviewing the possibility of licensing low powered air rifles in England & Wales. I believe this would have severe negative consequences on shooting as a sport and its value as an important industry in the UK. Low powered air rifles which do not require a licence (below 12 foot pounds energy) in England & Wales are vital because they offer first time shooters lower power levels whereby they can establish safe behaviours and techniques before moving on to licensed powder burning firearms if they so wish. Without this, I fear fewer law abiding citizens will be able to initially participate in the sport, shooting would become less popular and therefore a less viable industry than it is today - supporting thousands of jobs nationwide and generating £2 billion for the UK economy. Air rifles are also vital pest control tools for those in rural communities especially on land where firearms are deemed unsuitable, such as around farm buildings and livestock.

I really want to stress that licensing cannot be a consideration for England and Wales during this review process and I hope you support this view also? Not only because of my fears above, but also because it will not help to reduce the number of offences involving airguns which have already declined significantly since 2004 according to the ONS, nor will it reduce deaths caused by airguns which thankfully are already very rare. The BASC estimates there are approximately six million air rifles in circulation across England and Wales and the vast majority are used in safe manner by law abiding hobbyists and pest controllers. It would not be possible for these all to be licensed, only law abiding citizens would oblige creating a burden for police forces and there would be zero impact on the minority who misuse airguns. Therefore licensing would represent a massively expensive, unnecessary and nearly impossible task for police forces, much like the experience Scotland is having after the SNP enacted an ill advised licensing regime there.

A far more effective approach would be more stringent enforcement of existing laws such as those regarding safe storage and the prevention of access by children. Harsher sentences should be imposed on those who misuse or allow an airgun to get into the wrong hands. Information about these laws needs to be more readily available to the general public from the Home Office and there could be more requirements for retailers who sell airguns to ensure users know the legal requirements for ownership, storage and the possible sentences for non-compliance.

England & Wales already have stringent laws which allow hundreds of thousands of law abiding enthusiasts to use low powered airguns in a safe and practical manner whilst safeguarding the general public from misuse. I voted for you in the recent general election because I was under the impression that the Conservative Party takes a pragmatic, evidence based view with regards to legislation surrounding firearms. Please can you confirm that you will reject any suggestion of licensing low powered air rifles and how your approach to this upcoming review will ensure shooting is protected in the UK for future generations?

Yours sincerely

[Insert Name]
[Insert postal address]



Be sure to enter your full postal address as there are rules regarding MPs responding to people outside of their constituency. Obviously take out the part at the end about the conservative party if you didn't vote for them and if your MP is from a different party.

[micky2]

Hi Micky,

Well, as angrybear says above - at the moment we have this:



Which sounds quietly hopeful, to me.

And we have a new "Safe handling of air guns" leaflet on the way, that was updated a few days ago: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...afety-jan-2011

Would it be a good idear if all the shooting mags put a copy of this update in their next editions.

[bighit]

Would it be a good idear if all the shooting mags put a copy of this update in their next editions.

according to one government post i read ,they are being sent out in airun world and airgunner

The leaflet will be available online and will also be distributed to readers of Airgun World and Airgunner. It advises on the laws and safety procedures to which all air weapon owners must adhere.

[grumpygit]

Just sent my letter to Mark Pritchard our local MP, come on lads lets inundate them with our concerns.

[danco1987]

Just sent my letter to Mark Pritchard our local MP, come on lads lets inundate them with our concerns.

Agreed

[DJP]

Shame the other thread(s) got shut.

Could they not have been merged?