Quote Originally Posted by DM80 View Post
All done yes to most, but one question should be in their should all airguns be licensed.

Dave
I always find this an odd one. How would licensing actually be helpful, for air rifles are already given a low power rating to make then useful but not particularly dangerous when compared to a firearm?
In truth BB, air-soft, have been erroneously given more restrictions because of their "replica" look, and to stop the Police shooting another person holding a replica looking firearm. Bad people can just spray the replica black so its not a deterrent.

Scotland has a licensing system for air rifles, which has cost plenty and a continued cost. Has it made any difference to air rifle use abuse in Scotland? Is it just another barrier to shooting sports?
To me the legislation just smacked of "Trainspotter Politics", and anti shooting. In a place where they need more recreational Stalkers to keep Red Deer populations under control, and air rifle shooting plays an important part as an educational tool to have competent shots. Or just as a self improvement sport.

Firearm ownership is all about personal responsibility. Air Rifles play an important role in the education progression and just a useful aid in learning gun responsibility. That is why those anti gun like attacking air rifles, air soft, and denying those tools to gun responsibility and competence.
To me it is important that part of society are gun competent, be it for security, defence, or wildlife management. Air Rifles make an important youth training aid; for grown ups too.

All this when large parts of society have no issue with playing violent computer games for entertainment. A multi billion pound media business. But this is not reality as no personal responsibility is required. Society has to know the difference between fantasy and reality. But the anti gun brigade wish to deny society the very safe and sensible educational tools that can teach gun reality, and gun responsibility.

Legislation rarely removes society problems. The Hand Gun ban made no measurable difference to hand gun use by criminals. Just denied society a great sport.
Interestingly the Military now issue more handguns to their personnel than ever before.

I'm not against licensing for firearms, for they provide some safeguards. But I see no benefit for licensing air rifles, as the risks don't warrant the resources that would be required to give any measurable benefit. Air-solft went too far, to save face for the Police.
Bad people will find other things to use for their bad ways. Knife crime proves they will find something if they so wish.

Big subject.