Latest re: Steyr LP50

[tacfoley]

Hi Tac,I hate to contradict you but the pistol is a firearm. The Firearms Act defines a firearm as " a lethal barreled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged and includes any prohibited weapon etc etc "
As an ex Police Inspector, I can assure that if you robbed some one using an air pistol you would be charged with firearms offences.
It may not be a powder burner, but is a firearm!
Best regards,mcmj

Well, Sir, I'm not an ex-police inspector, but I am an experienced crown witness on firearms-related offences captured on imagery with many court appearances, including the Old Bailey, to my credit.

I am therefore well aware of the penalties of using anything that either IS, or PURPORTS to be, a firearm as described in law.

However, there ARE laws which govern the nature of what is construed to be a firearm, that is to say, a device that requires the possession of a firearms certificate, on mainland UK. The laws are simple and must be as well known to you as they are to anybody else on these pages -

Air pistols up to 6ft lbs m/e are NOT classed as firearms. More than that and you must have an FAC - less and you don't.

Air rifles up to 12 ft lbs m/e are NOT classed as firearms. More than that and you must have an FAC - less and you don't.

These are absolute determining factors, not '6ft lbs or thereabouts'.

Most air pistols sold in this country [excepting NI],especially those made for the purpose of Olympic style shooting, no matter whether or not it is a single shot or, as in this case, a repeater, is made, ex-factory, to 6ft lbs or less, and is therefore outside the remit of 'firearm'.

If they were not, then everybody would require an FAC to buy any of them.

The method of introduction of the pellet to the breech is what seems to be puzzling N. Yorkshire constabulary - but no other police force on mainland UK. I stress the term 'mainland UK' because in Northern Ireland ALL paintball guns and ALL airguns over 1 Joule are classed as firearms and subject to the NI Firearms Act revisions. The Umarex Crosman style revolving magazine has been mentioned as being lawful, simply because it requires a trigger to be pulled to align the pellet with the breech. So has the 'belt'-style magazine of the newer 'SIGs' and earlier Makarov/Baikal-style pistols. The Steyr uses propellant gas to do this, but like all of my examples, still only presents the pellet to the breech of the barrel. A self-loading gun of any kind inserts the projectile into the chamber of the barrel - that is in the definition of a self-loader. It could be argued that the revolver system not only aligns the pellet with the barrel, but further pressure releases the propellant gas that fires it. One clear motion instead of the two that the Steyr needs to do the same thing.

Are ANY of these guns classed as firearms here on mainland UK?

Nope.

tac