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Should Air Rifle Be considered firearms?

  • 26-11-2014 2:18pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭


    I dont know if this has ever been discussed here. As im sure everybody knows, Air rifles require a normal firearms licenses. And anything over 1 Joule.
    However many countries completely differ. In The uk , anybody can go in and pick up a air rifles, provided it is under 12ft.lb (16 Joules ) for rifles and for pistols, 6ft.lb(8 Joules) Apparently the shop must be a rfd.

    With all this firearms change going on , should the way air Rifles/Pistols be changed. I know they are of course dangerous , dont get me wrong. But since the gardas are comparing ireland to other countries firearms law and saying they have this law so we should too , should it not work the other way

    Making Airguns more easily available would allow the sport to grow a lot easier imo

    Anyways , Thoughts .

    Should Air Guns be considered Firearms 89 votes

    100% Yes - Treated like any other firearm
    0% 0 votes
    No - More of a system like the UK
    17% 16 votes
    Only need a reason
    79% 71 votes
    Not as strict as as other firearm -but license required
    2% 2 votes


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    It occurred to us once or twice. Last time I saw it raised myself was at a public FCP meeting a few years back. DoJ didn't have any immediate problems with it at the time because it solves the paintball problem and everyone else in the EU works with a 7.5J limit anyway. Des didn't think it was important though and wanted it on the long finger, so it hasn't been touched since.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 601 ✭✭✭rsole1


    Sparks wrote: »
    It occurred to us once or twice. Last time I saw it raised myself was at a public FCP meeting a few years back. DoJ didn't have any immediate problems with it at the time because it solves the paintball problem and everyone else in the EU works with a 7.5J limit anyway. Des didn't think it was important though and wanted it on the long finger, so it hasn't been touched since.

    A limit of 7.5J would not be enough to even dispatch rats etc at close range.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    rsole1 wrote: »
    A limit of 7.5J would not be enough to even dispatch rats etc at close range.

    Pretty sure it would be if the pellet hit in the right place, but that's not the point of the airguns that use that limit - it was introduced for target shooting airguns in Germany. The EU seems to either use 7.5J or something similar to the UK's 12 ft-lb limit though they don't use UK units (Poland uses 17J for example). A few EU countries like Finland don't have the limit at all (last time I looked anyway).

    End of the day though, we're the daftest of the lot with a 1J limit and it ought to have been fixed years ago.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,727 ✭✭✭amadablam


    rsole1 wrote: »
    A limit of 7.5J would not be enough to even dispatch rats etc at close range.

    That 7.5J is just over 5.5 ft lb of energy and it takes 4-5 ft lb to kill a rabbit sized animal with a head shot.

    I'd hate to see the size of the rats around your way :p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Sparks wrote: »

    End of the day though, we're the daftest of the lot with a 1J limit and it ought to have been fixed years ago.
    Apparently they are quite strict in airsoft ranges if you bring your own airsoft gun, they do a test to make sure your under 1 joule
    Wasent the 1joule limit only brought in a few years ago , before then everything was a firearm if it fired something , I dont know now , cant remember. Then it was only changed when airsoft guns became more popular

    If i do recall most countries allow up to that 7.5 joules limit and then if you want a airgun for vermin control , its a normal firearms licenses


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    bpb101 wrote: »
    Wasent the 1joule limit only brought in a few years ago , before then everything was a firearm if it fired something , I dont know now , cant remember.
    Yes, the criminal justice act 2006.
    Then it was only changed when airsoft guns become more popular
    No, airsoft became popular afterwards.
    If i do recall most countries allow up to that 7.5 joules limit and then if you want a airgun for vermin control , its a normal firearms licenses
    No, it's not most. It's about half. The others have higher limits (either around the 16 joule limit or no limit at all). We're the exception.


  • Registered Users Posts: 518 ✭✭✭knockon


    The poll leader says "more like the UK" - what's different in the UK?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,727 ✭✭✭amadablam


    knockon wrote: »
    The poll leader says "more like the UK" - what's different in the UK?

    ln MAINLAND UK you can buy anything under 12 ft lbs [rifle] or 6ft lbs [pistol], but in Northern Ireland, also part of the UK, the law is the same as that in the Republic.

    Over 1 Joule - needs a firearms license.

    Thanks tac for the extra info :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,219 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    1J limit is not as daft as considering empty shell casings as ammunition !


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    1J limit is not as daft as considering empty shell casings as ammunition !

    To be fair they are each as daft as the other

    I'd like to hear from the silent 8 people who think they should be licensed lole any other firearm! Care to share your thoughts?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,727 ✭✭✭amadablam


    Just to dismiss any interpretations that buying a sub 12 ft lb Firearm is akin to buying any general goods over the counter in the UK.

    In mainland UK you can't just walk in and out with a sub-12ft lb airgun. You MUST be over 18, and you MUST give your address - no license, it's true, but nevertheless there ARE restrictions albeit a lot less than here in ROI.

    similar rules apply to airguns as they do to regular firearms - no public display or brandishing the Firearm in any manner (outside of sporting arrangements) is permitted.

    Carrying them around in a case of some kind is permissable, actually mandatory, but not on any kind of public transport.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    1J limit is not as daft as considering empty shell casings as ammunition !
    It leads to every stag party member who did paintballling as part of the stag party (along with every member of staff from CEO to janitor in the paintballing company) technically having broken the law with a possible penalty of up to seven years in jail and twenty grand in fines.

    I don't actually know how to weigh that against the daftness of considering every component part of a firearm to be a firearm. It's like trying to tell the 100th floor in the Empire state building from the 101st floor, while standing on the street on a very foggy day.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Sparks wrote: »
    I don't actually know how to weigh that against the daftness of considering every component part of a firearm to be a firearm. It's like trying to tell the 100th floor in the Empire state building from the 101st floor, while standing on the street on a very foggy day.


    in a real gun, there is effectfully an explosion. This propels the bullet. In an airguns air or co2 in some cases projects the pellet
    This is the different as far as law is considered in the states


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    bpb101 wrote: »
    in a real gun, there is effectfully an explosion. This propels the bullet. In an airguns air or co2 in some cases projects the pellet

    In a "real" (oh, we're so not getting into that) gun, there is no explosion unless something's gone horribly wrong. There's a very fast burn. That's why propellant isn't an explosive. There are ways to measure this sort of thing (wavefront propagation speeds and so on) and threshold values where you go from burning to exploding. Guns don't cross those thresholds.

    Legally however, all of that physics and reality isn't relevant :D Far as the law is concerned, paintball guns are mostly short restricted firearms which weren't licenced before November 2008...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,076 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    bpb101 wrote: »
    in a real gun, there is effectfully an explosion. This propels the bullet. In an airguns air or co2 in some cases projects the pellet
    This is the different as far as law is considered in the states

    Likewise Germany.Anything that propels a bullet with "cold gas" is considerd a "air powered gun" under 7.5 joules
    Anything that uses "hot gas" [IE a cartridge or powder] is a "firearm."

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    amadablam wrote: »
    similar rules apply to airguns as they do to regular firearms - no public display or brandishing the Firearm in any manner (outside of sporting arrangements) is permitted.
    Might be because, as here, the thing you point at someone doesn't have to be a firearm for it to be legally treated as if it was. There's little connection between how (or if) we licence something and how we treat people who abuse something to harm someone.

    For example, we don't have different licences for a Nissan Micra and a Porsche 911 - we just prosecute drivers who break the road traffic act (well... that's the plan, anyway :eek: )


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    Airguns are not firearms. People like to tinker with them, modify them, accessorize them, buy and sell them, collect them and even use them to put quarry in the pot.
    This does not happen with firearms. The sad truth is that airguns could be deregulated in the ROI and the sky would not fall down. Is it too much to hope that the issue will be discussed in any new legislation ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭Traumadoc


    Seeing as you can kill deer with an air gun, do you not think there should be some regulation?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    Traumadoc wrote: »
    Seeing as you can kill deer with an air gun, do you not think there should be some regulation?

    You can kill a deer with a bow and arrow and can buy them in nearly any outdoor shop over the counter with little or no restrictions and some of them would be a hell of a lot more powerful than an air rifle

    Over 18 as a restriction and maybe show id in the shop but definitely not as restrictive as we have it now


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Traumadoc wrote: »
    Seeing as you can kill deer with an air gun, do you not think there should be some regulation?

    You can kill a deer with a heavy pot. But you can still walk into homestore and more and buy a dangerous weapon


    With the reply above Id dissagree that people don't customise firearms and do air rifles. But agree with the rest of your post


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭Traumadoc


    bpb101 wrote: »
    ]You can kill a deer with a heavy pot. But you can still walk into homestore and more and buy a dangerous weapon


    With the reply above Id dissagree that people don't customise firearms and do air rifles. But agree with the rest of your post

    Or with a wire snare, thats not my point , my point is that some air rifles have the power of centerfire rifles ( perhaps not in range ) but are able to kill deer out to 60 0r 70 yards , they could quickly become the choice of poachers, etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Traumadoc wrote: »
    some air rifles have the power of centerfire rifles ( perhaps not in range )

    No, not at all


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Traumadoc wrote: »
    Seeing as you can kill deer with an air gun, do you not think there should be some regulation?

    Well... you could, but either you're talking about an airgun with about a thousand times more muzzle energy than target shooting airguns (and a pricetag not far off), or you're talking about beating a deer to death with an overly expensive club. I suppose you could shoot it and give it sepsis, but I don't think you could even manage to kill one that way with most airguns to be honest.

    As to regulation, it comes in many forms. Age checks, registration, all the way up to the insane level we have now. Most EU nations decided a long time ago that for target shooting airguns and paintball guns, the level of regulation we have is counter-productive.

    Honestly, if I was the Minister and wanted to reduce the number of firearms in Ireland, I'd up that muzzle energy limit to 16 joules. In one go, you've just taken thousands of firearms and made them not-firearms so the number takes an immediate drop; then over time people use airguns for tasks they're more appropriate to, like shooting rats or pigeons in barns on farms and so they don't get things like shotguns to do the job instead (which today you do because if it's the same hassle for either, you get the thing that can do more jobs to get the most from the invested time). Plus, it gives a bit of an economic and sporting boost to the country because now target shooting gets easier, selling the sports kit gets easier, and target shooting and paintball can grow the way airsoft did when the law changed in '06.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭Traumadoc


    Sparks wrote: »
    Well... you could, but either you're talking about an airgun with about a thousand times more muzzle energy than target shooting airguns (and a pricetag not far off), or you're talking about beating a deer to death with an overly expensive club. I suppose you could shoot it and give it sepsis, but I don't think you could even manage to kill one that way with most airguns to be honest.

    As to regulation, it comes in many forms. Age checks, registration, all the way up to the insane level we have now. Most EU nations decided a long time ago that for target shooting airguns and paintball guns, the level of regulation we have is counter-productive.

    Honestly, if I was the Minister and wanted to reduce the number of firearms in Ireland, I'd up that muzzle energy limit to 16 joules. In one go, you've just taken thousands of firearms and made them not-firearms so the number takes an immediate drop; then over time people use airguns for tasks they're more appropriate to, like shooting rats or pigeons in barns on farms and so they don't get things like shotguns to do the job instead (which today you do because if it's the same hassle for either, you get the thing that can do more jobs to get the most from the invested time). Plus, it gives a bit of an economic and sporting boost to the country because now target shooting gets easier, selling the sports kit gets easier, and target shooting and paintball can grow the way airsoft did when the law changed in '06.
    I would agree that lower power air rifles are certainly safer than say an Olympic bow .
    But large caliber air rifles ( .303, or .357) are a very different proposition .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Traumadoc wrote: »
    I would agree that lower power air rifles are certainly safer than say an Olympic bow .
    But large caliber air rifles ( .303, or .357) are a very different proposition .
    Yeah, but I can only think of one or two places where they're not fully licenced (and if you shot someone with one of them in those places, it's not like the laws on assault wouldn't cover it :D )


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    Wise words Sparks.
    airguns could be regulated in many ways and most responsible users would not object. What we have here is proscription - one airgun is your lot if you are a good boy.
    All EU countries have their rules about airguns and some like Holland have no limitations at all from what I read. There is no need for such draconian legislation here.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Sparks your dead right as it would get rid of a lot of shotguns maybe more so new applications


    When we, refer to air guns nobody is suggesting no restrictions as such.
    If somebody can make a 50 cal air rifle and can full auto shot that should be allowed . And let at 10 year old buy it

    I'm talking about .177 target ones and possibly allowing .22 used for rat killing

    The main issue with the law that is suggests that by having these strict controls on firearms , there will be less murder and that great and all but it's bullshÎt
    Yes when it gets to an American level we have a problem of I want one because its my right to have one then you have a problem.

    My point all in all with this thread is that if the goverment said air rifles are allowed as long as your safe. Over 18 and sure maybe even make a rds do a quick in store background check on you, you wouldn't have any increase in gun related crime .
    You would have increase in people taking up sports and saything active
    An increase in revenue for shooting
    A happier society from gun enthusiastic


    The measures In place are not for public saftey
    I would suggest that if somebody is caught drunk on the side of a road with an air rifle that he get jail time and the same punishment as somebody with a 22 rimefire


  • Registered Users Posts: 62 ✭✭Holdover


    Sparks wrote: »
    Honestly, if I was the Minister and wanted to reduce the number of firearms in Ireland, I'd up that muzzle energy limit to 16 joules. In one go, you've just taken thousands of firearms and made them not-firearms so the number takes an immediate drop; then over time people use airguns for tasks they're more appropriate to, like shooting rats or pigeons in barns on farms and so they don't get things like shotguns to do the job instead (which today you do because if it's the same hassle for either, you get the thing that can do more jobs to get the most from the invested time). Plus, it gives a bit of an economic and sporting boost to the country because now target shooting gets easier, selling the sports kit gets easier, and target shooting and paintball can grow the way airsoft did when the law changed in '06.

    That's a good point Sparks, in the recent working group report the British firearms policy is mentioned a lot.
    In the Annex 2 statistics it's stated in Ireland there's 8.6 legally held firearms per 100 population and in the UK there's 6.5 per 100 which makes it seem like Ireland is giving them out quite freely.
    However according to the BASC website there's 4 million air rifles in the UK so that's 16 air rifles alone per 100 population so along with the 6.5 firearms per 100 figure the combined total now is actually 22.5 per 100 population which now makes Ireland look quite restrictive.
    Here's the link to the BASC page
    http://basc.org.uk/airgunning/basc-air-rifle-code-of-practice/


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,076 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    Well... you could, but either you're talking about an airgun with about a thousand times more muzzle energy than target shooting airguns (and a price tag not far off
    ),

    Like this yoke???:)
    http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/pcp/BPE3571
    .357 cal pushing out 800fps.

    Would be liscensed anyway,as anything over 12 ft /lbs 7[?] joules is liscenseable anywhere in the EU ASFIK


    Yes when it gets to an American level we have a problem of I want one because its my right to have one then you have a problem
    .

    In a parallel multiverse perhaps that might happen:pac:.But trying to compare a country with a written constitutional right to keep and bear arms with about 360 million known firearms with 280 million people that is the worlds first hyper power,compared to all of us 4.5 million when we are all home with 250 K worth of arms and of those we are talking under 700 all in that the Gaurds want to grab,the chances of us saying anything is a "right" is about as likely as us developing an interstellar space ship next year.:)



    My point all in all with this thread is that if the goverment said air rifles are allowed as long as your safe. Over 18 and sure maybe even make a rds do a quick in store background check on you, you wouldn't have any increase in gun related crime
    .

    When I was growing up here,many wonderful things back in the 1970s and 80s are now not available anymore,simply because either more mentally deficent people or just plain idiots were born into society.:mad:

    Crossbows and bangers [to a lesser extent] being a prime example.How long would it be you think before some "tard decides it would be great craic to go shooting at cars on the M7 with his newly aquired liscense free air gun??

    Proably after a massive pile up and deaths,this idiot would be found to have 95 odd previous convictions,a "troubled childhood and dysfunctional family" and the judge will have no place to put him either,and after some plea bargaining he proably gets 100 hours community service[Whatever the Hell that is these days].

    Were you to do that in Germany and you were under age your parents would be strung,drawn and quarterd in the court for your offence.The father of the last perp of the school shooting in Winniden was facing multiple negligent homicide charges because his son had access to his firearm and ammo in the bedside locker.Recently some fool who was shooting at car transporter windows with an air pistol on the autobahn got fifteen years no parole for his actions.
    Simply said,if we want to have more liberal firearms laws here,we have to put in more serious consequences for their misuse.Don't lets all rush to the head of the ques here to fork out more of our tax monies for more jails and judges.:rolleyes:



    I would suggest that if somebody is caught drunk on the side of a road with an air rifle that he get jail time and the same punishment as somebody with a 22 rimefire

    Better still,Why not make a DUI conviction a reason to lose for the time of the sentence your gun liscenses as well?? You obviously take being under the influence of alcohol that you were driving 1.5 tonnes of steel very lightly.Can you be trusted with a firearm too? In Europe that almost a standard now,along with any other "liscense " you might have that requires motor vechicles ,boats or aircraft.They have even made 8 points on your drivers liscense a reason to revoke your gun liscenses until you have worked those points off.
    We would have an ultra stong arguement to say we deffo are the most law abideing people in Irish society.

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Great poll responsive , but i dont think we got people who think they should be licensed 100%. Were not talking about 50 cals just anything at most under 16Joules which is the English model


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Grizzly 45 wrote: »
    Simply said,if we want to have more liberal firearms laws here,we have to put in more serious consequences for their misuse.
    We already have those in law. For example, lets say some lovely young disadvantaged chap holds up a post office with an airsoft replica. The legal charge he faces is the same as if it had been a real firearm and not a replica of one. Absolutely no difference in the maximum imposable sentence. And the maximum sentence for possession with intent to endanger life is life in prison and any fine the court cares to levy.

    The problem's not that the law hasn't teeth, it's got so many it looks like an anglerfish; that the courts choose not to bite down with those teeth isn't going to be fixed by stapling more incisors into the jaws...

    The logical point is; if I can be done today for doing something illegal with a replica just as much as if I used a real firearm, then why is there such a need to keep more airguns in the licencing net instead of just having age limits and registration or something similar? It's just garda manhours, our time and money, economic restrictions on dealers and the sport, and an increased number of firearms in the population, all for no plausible gain.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    Sparks wrote: »
    For example, lets say some lovely young disadvantaged chap holds up a post office with an airsoft replica.
    love the line :L:pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    In all other EU countries airguns are treated as commodities that its citizens can enjoy.In the UK there is a thriving airgun scene and that's one reason why the UK is a world leader in PCP development - its citizens can actually buy its products.
    Its human nature to accumulate airguns if you like them - some of the guys on the BBS forum have 50 + in their collection.At £1500 for a top end PCP however most of us would not go that route !
    Its not rocket science to change the legislation - vet the person and set reasonable power limits, say 6 to 30 ft/lbs
    Do countries like Holland with no power limits have airgun crime ? Not at all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,076 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    recipio wrote: »
    Do countries like Holland with no power limits have airgun crime ? Not at all.
    But they do have;
    An armed police force,who take firearms misuse pretty seriously.

    An effective judical system that tends to bang up offenders in virtually ,compared to our dungeons,a utter five star hotel that would make the average hang and flog em taxpayer here drop dead from a heart attack if they had to fork out for it but actually rehabilitates people into society.

    A totally different mindset of a society to crime and personal freedom.I mean if you can grow your own pot and its a respectabletax paying job that requires a liscense to be a dominatrix[Or so I'm told!!:eek:]

    And an absoutely hideously difficult procedure to get live firearms and virtually no hunting whatsoever.

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    Thank God for countries like Holland :D Of course there are bad apples in every country but my point was that Dutch society is not collapsing in a country that has virtually no limits on airgun ownership - just a requirement that they don't look like military weapons.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭minktrapper


    What about the loss of revenue to the exchequer.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    What about the loss of revenue to the exchequer.

    What loss? Between VAT and a dozen other taxes, an increase in airgun sales once they're off-ticket (especially paintball) would more than exceed the loss from a few licence fees that come in once every three years and costs a few hours of garda time to process anyway. You'd see a net increase in the exchequer take for the year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭minktrapper


    Probably.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    What about the loss of revenue to the exchequer.
    Sparks wrote: »
    What loss? Between VAT and a dozen other taxes, an increase in airgun sales once they're off-ticket (especially paintball) would more than exceed the loss from a few licence fees that come in once every three years and costs a few hours of garda time to process anyway. You'd see a net increase in the exchequer take for the year.
    sparks has it spot on , The sales of airguns would go through the roof. Id say they sell 50,000 at least in 3 years. Thats a lot of vat and then the vat on the rounds, not to mention the tax on rfd, they might hire more staff as well.
    new dealers setting up to specialize in airguns. Ranges set up because of the demand = construction section increase.

    they may lose 25 euros a year from air rifles licensee per license , but if every airgun users bought an extra 3 boxes of rounds a year , that money would find its way back into the economy (and that presumes no new airguns sales )


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭minktrapper


    Great that we got that out in the open.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,076 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    recipio wrote: »
    just a requirement that they don't look like military weapons.
    The Dutch dont like any type of firearms military or civillian.End of!
    Mega PITA to get anything over there legally that is.

    Could have done an exellent cartoon of a gunowner walking around Amsterdam with its very liberal drug laws ,and sexual fetishes aplenty asking a cop where is the nearest gun shop?
    "A GUN shop???What kind of sick perverted degenerate are you?" would be the reply.:D

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    Grizzly 45 wrote: »
    The Dutch dont like any type of firearms military or civillian.End of!
    Mega PITA to get anything over there legally that is.:D

    But airguns are not firearms :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 310 ✭✭hathcock


    bpb101 wrote: »
    I dont know if this has ever been discussed here. As im sure everybody knows, Air rifles require a normal firearms licenses. And anything over 1 Joule.
    However many countries completely differ. In The uk , anybody can go in and pick up a air rifles, provided it is under 12ft.lb (16 Joules ) for rifles and for pistols, 6ft.lb(8 Joules) Apparently the shop must be a rfd.

    With all this firearms change going on , should the way air Rifles/Pistols be changed. I know they are of course dangerous , dont get me wrong. But since the gardas are comparing ireland to other countries firearms law and saying they have this law so we should too , should it not work the other way

    Making Airguns more easily available would allow the sport to grow a lot easier imo

    Anyways , Thoughts .
    You're coming at it from the wrong angle in my view,guns and that includes airguns are not in and of themselves dangerous,in fact being an inanimate object it could be argued that a gun is quite harmless,that is the case until of course some dangerous person picks it up.Research by a retired jersey island policeman concluded that firearms licencing produces no benifits of any kind and does'nt prevent a single crime,criminals can quite easily get hold of a gun,and needless to say only law abiding people licence guns anyway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭Zxthinger


    Great that we got that out in the open.

    And now is the time to propose this easing of legislation pertaining to air rifles etc to the minster. We might not get another chance!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,076 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    recipio wrote: »
    But airguns are not firearms :D

    Precisely...But try telling that to our paranoid police force and political denisens who want us to have nothing more dangerous than a feather duster.:rolleyes:

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    Grizzly 45 wrote: »
    Precisely...But try telling that to our paranoid police force and political denisens who want us to have nothing more dangerous than a feather duster.:rolleyes:

    Agreed. However I suspect that there is a quiet agreement somewhere to keep the ROI and NI on an equal footing. Imagine if we had a 12 ft/lb rule as in the UK. With an open border NI would have to change its legislation as well.?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,084 ✭✭✭nastros


    recipio wrote: »
    Agreed. However I suspect that there is a quiet agreement somewhere to keep the ROI and NI on an equal footing. Imagine if we had a 12 ft/lb rule as in the UK. With an open border NI would have to change its legislation as well.?

    But if we are going that route we should be allowed centre fire pistols and the right to reload as they do in the North.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭bpb101


    nastros wrote: »
    But if we are going that route we should be allowed centre fire pistols and the right to reload as they do in the North.
    yes of course ,we should


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    nastros wrote: »
    But if we are going that route we should be allowed centre fire pistols and the right to reload as they do in the North.

    We should , in theory anyway. However, airguns are far less lethal and that is why they off ticket in every other EU country.Who holds up a security van with a 12 ft/lb air rifle ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭Zxthinger


    When did northern Ireland introduce air rifles controls into their firearms legislation.
    I shouldn't think that deregulation of of air arms would need to occur on both sides as it's evident from any trip to NI that crossbows remain deregulation.

    I personally wouldn't like to see total deregulation of low powered air arms as there are just too many nut bags in the republic and giving them sudden and unexpected freedom and access to air arms now after years of treating them like monkeys, would surely end in tears!
    A better system would allow an approved applicant buy and own as many air arms as liked as long as they were secured and registered with a government body!
    At a minimum they need to be removed from the storage requirement's SI. Its laughable to think that 3 low power air rifles put you on an equal footing with an AR15. Lol
    I have to say it again! Now might be or only chance to get some restbit for these oppressive rules!


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