Sub12 foot pound

[GregL]

Hi guys
Sorry if this has been asked before but how was the sub 12 foot & 6 foot pound regulations derived from

Does it ever get reviewed?

[Neil54]

As the 12ftlb limit is written in law, its hard to revise.
The exact reason seems lost in the mists of time.
Some say it's because that's all that British rifles at the time could make.
Some say that's all you needed to dispatch small quarry.

[averageplinker]

Hi guys
Sorry if this has been asked before but how was the sub 12 foot & 6 foot pound regulations derived from

Does it ever get reviewed?

If it gets reviewed I would only expect a downward trend in the power level allowed without a firearms certificate.

[Mark Palmer]

As above, the real reason is lost in the myths of time, I heard that 12ft/lb was lethal for vermin but deemed less so for humans

[Waddy]

The most plausible reason I've read is that 12 ft/lbs was about all the British air rifles could make at the time, whereas foreign built rifles were making a lot more. If this is true then protecting British companies & British jobs was the point of the limit, nothing to do with the lethality of the guns.

It also makes sense because back then youngsters weren't going around stabbing each other left, right, & center.





.

[angrybear]

It's quite interesting that the definition of a "Firearm" is a "lethal barrelled weapon that discharges a projectile with a kinetic energy over 1 joule" yet airguns of 16 joules (12ftlb) are classed as not especially dangerous.
so 16x lethal but not especially dangerous

The 12/6ftlb rule came in as part of the 1968 Firearms act, but why those limits is not recorded.

[Geezer]

As I understand, at some point in the 1960s, a nutter got hold of a Sheridan multi-pump and took shots at vehicles in London. I think on the Hammersmith flyover.

Various newspapers and MPs led a campaign to ban these “new” (they weren’t new…) dangerous airguns. Something Must Be Done!

In consultation with the domestic makers, the government concluded that:

- The Crosmans and Sheridans made around 14 ft-lbs.
- The best products of BSA and Webley were more like 10-11.
- 10-11 was fine for typical pest control at the time.

So 12 was chosen as a limit to keep the U.K. makers unaffected, while closing off the supply of American pumpers (until they/their U.K. importers worked out how to modify them to sub-12), and the papers and MPs could pat themselves on the back for having Done Something.

The limit was first enshrined in the Dangerous Air Weapon Rules (non-statutory guidance to law enforcement) and then in law in the 1968 Firearms Act.

[TonyL]

Yep, that's what I understand to be the case.

[Blackrider]

As I understand, at some point in the 1960s, a nutter got hold of a Sheridan multi-pump and took shots at vehicles in London. I think on the Hammersmith flyover.

Various newspapers and MPs led a campaign to ban these “new” (they weren’t new…) dangerous airguns. Something Must Be Done!

In consultation with the domestic makers, the government concluded that:

- The Crosmans and Sheridans made around 14 ft-lbs.
- The best products of BSA and Webley were more like 10-11.
- 10-11 was fine for typical pest control at the time.

So 12 was chosen as a limit to keep the U.K. makers unaffected, while closing off the supply of American pumpers (until they/their U.K. importers worked out how to modify them to sub-12), and the papers and MPs could pat themselves on the back for having Done Something.

The limit was first enshrined in the Dangerous Air Weapon Rules (non-statutory guidance to law enforcement) and then in law in the 1968 Firearms Act.

Interesting Info. thanks for posting !

[T 20]

As I understand, at some point in the 1960s, a nutter got hold of a Sheridan multi-pump and took shots at vehicles in London. I think on the Hammersmith flyover.

Various newspapers and MPs led a campaign to ban these “new” (they weren’t new…) dangerous airguns. Something Must Be Done!

In consultation with the domestic makers, the government concluded that:

- The Crosmans and Sheridans made around 14 ft-lbs.
- The best products of BSA and Webley were more like 10-11.
- 10-11 was fine for typical pest control at the time.

So 12 was chosen as a limit to keep the U.K. makers unaffected, while closing off the supply of American pumpers (until they/their U.K. importers worked out how to modify them to sub-12), and the papers and MPs could pat themselves on the back for having Done Something.

The limit was first enshrined in the Dangerous Air Weapon Rules (non-statutory guidance to law enforcement) and then in law in the 1968 Firearms Act.

Is the correct and very well put answer.

As far as I know apart from C02 powered guns, the only European guns that the 12ftlb limit stopped from being imported into the UK were the Arcos Setra AS1000 and the HW35 Barracuda.

[TonyL]

Great to see you on, Mick.

And didn't you once tell us that (some of) the vehicles that the said nutter was shooting at were cranes or JCBs?

[angrybear]

Is the correct and very well put answer.

As far as I know apart from C02 powered guns, the only European guns that the 12ftlb limit stopped from being imported into the UK were the Arcos Setra AS1000 and the HW35 Barracuda.

Prior to 1997 all CO2 powered guns were excluded from the "not especially dangerous" class so regardless of power would be FAC or prohibited,
the same is still true today for the use of any gas other than Air or CO2 .

[shivadow]

The real reasons the 12ft/lb law was introduced is because it takes 12ft/lb to break a human bone so that's the rifles. The pistols are more likely to be used in crime as they can be hidden so they ruled 6ft/lb to stop it breaking through skin.

Between the 1960's and 1980's there was a significant increase in teenagers misusing air weapons by shooting people at random in the street and each other for fun so there was a reform on firearms and the above limits were set.

12ft/lb in rifles because higher can break a human bone.
6ft/lb in pistols because higher is likely to puncture human skin and pistols can be hidden.

Dunblane reinforced those limits.

Any higher than specified above are classed as Class 1 firearms and require certification by police to posess.

[TonyL]

That's a very interesting explanation of the reasoning behind the limits agreed on.

[angrybear]

The real reasons the 12ft/lb law was introduced is because it takes 12ft/lb to break a human bone so that's the rifles. The pistols are more likely to be used in crime as they can be hidden so they ruled 6ft/lb to stop it breaking through skin.

Between the 1960's and 1980's there was a significant increase in teenagers misusing air weapons by shooting people at random in the street and each other for fun so there was a reform on firearms and the above limits were set.

12ft/lb in rifles because higher can break a human bone.
6ft/lb in pistols because higher is likely to puncture human skin and pistols can be hidden.

Dunblane reinforced those limits.

Any higher than specified above are classed as Class 1 firearms and require certification by police to posess.

The limits were set in the 1968 act & have not changed, so what happened in the 70's/80's has nothing to do with it, especially not Dunblane.
I'd like to see proof to support your other claims.
Oh & a pistol above 6ftlb is not sect-1, it's sect-5 prohibited.