
Originally Posted by
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.