Air Rifle legalities

bullets

Noticed while surfing recently and looking up "Air Rifle"
that these places in the Republic of Ireland are advertising
Air-rifle shooting.

Is this Legal or illegal ?
I had thought for Air-Rifle you needed to be a member of a club
with no-day memberships allowed. While I would love this to be true,
How can a non firearms owner walk in off the street book a day out and
shoot rifle ??? (I know it can be done for clay pigeon shooting I just was not aware it was
OK for rifle)

http://abbeyfieldfarm.com/activities-page52436.html (Kildare)
http://www.xtreme.ie/events/air-rifle-shooting-ireland/ (Dublin)
http://www.avonri.com/air_rifle.php (Wicklow)


~B

InTheTrees

I dont think an "air rifle" qualifies as a "firearm" does it? I had one in county galway as a kid with no licence.

Its just compressed air after all.

But i'm no expert in Irish Gun laws.

Cass

Yes an air rifle is a firearm hence the needing a license to own one. Anyone with an airrifle and no license is acting illegally or as its otherwise kown in possession of an illegal firearm.

As to the open days at ranges. Not sure myself. Day memberships are not allowed, but perhaps for the purpose of event days, through club firearms or the sort it is possible.

bullets

Unless its false advertising. :eek:
Recently on a team building day we were told we were going to be going
clay pigeon shooting which turned out that in fact it was going to be Laser Clay pigeon shooting!!! (which ended up getting cancelled)

~B

Cass

There is always that too. I mean have you found out or does it say that they are actually of sufficient wnergy to be classed as a firearm (above the 1 joule limit). If not then they could be fairground type rifles.

Only guessing here.

InTheTrees

Ezridax wrote: »

Yes an air rifle is a firearm hence the needing a license to own one. Anyone with an airrifle and no license is acting illegally or as its otherwise kown in possession of an illegal firearm.

Seems wrong doesnt it? Considering there's no fire involved. Is a crossbow a "firearm"?

"A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile(s) at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant."

Cass

I don't agree with all air rifles being classified as firearms, but its what we have, for now.

As for the crossbow its deemed a restricted firearm under Irish law. Meaning the conditions to have, own, possess one are higher than for an unrestricted firearm.

shaywest

somebody told me once that if the airgun is "rifled"as in a spinny thing down the barrell then its illegal , if not then its not
maybe someone could correct me

Cass

Okay before i go further may i say i have feck all experience with air rifles so excuse any short comings with specifics on makes/models, etc.

The rifling of a barrel has no effect on its legality. Its the energy, caliber, size, style that makes it a firearm. Most shotguns and some/most air rifles are smooth bore. again its their energy, whether they use propellant to discharge the round, etc that makes it a firearm.

To the best of my knowledge in air rifle shooting the smoother the bore the better, but again i have limited eperience so stand to be corrected on that.

Sparks

Not sure about break-barrel airguns, can't remember looking the odd time I've picked one up, but ISSF air rifles and air pistols are definitely rifled.

As to the OP, they certainly look illegal - I can only think of two ways for them to be legal the way they're advertising, and those would be

1. use airsoft toys instead of airguns (which are legally firearms); or
2. get a 2(4)(e) authorisation from the local Garda Superintendent - if you had that, it would trump the club/range rules.

For those who've forgotten it:

(e) the possession, use or carriage of a firearm (other than a shot-gun) of a calibre not exceeding .23 inches or of ammunition by a person operating a range or shooting gallery in an amusement hall or at a fun fair, carnival or other like event for the purposes of the range or shooting gallery who stands authorised in that behalf under this section or by a person using such range or shooting gallery,

The normal 2(4)(d) authorisation wouldn't cut it as the clients in this case wouldn't be annual members of the club.

bullets

I was only chatting today with a bloke in work about that bit that allowed traveling fairgrounds to let punters fire the crossbows and metal firing pellet guns that you used to see years ago. (Have not seen any fairgrounds with them recently though)

~B

Sparks

Me either - I thought insurance costs might well have killed them off.
I could be wrong - I've never checked, only assumed - but I think this is how paintball gets away with running fields with people that come in without firearms licences and shoot for a day on what are legally club firearms.

session savage

I wondering this myself at the game fair in birr. there was a stall where you could take a few shots with a gamo air rifle. Was thinking it was strange that its illegal for me to let someone I know take a shot from my firearm but its seemed ok for these guys to charge complete strangers for the same priviledge!:rolleyes:

goshawker

im in the north and used to travel across the border for some air rifle competitions, and we needed to get a license for them,
also it is illegal to use an air rifle to kill any living creature in the south

Rovi

Sparks wrote: »

Not sure about break-barrel airguns, can't remember looking the odd time I've picked one up, but ISSF air rifles and air pistols are definitely rifled.

The vast majority of break-barrel air rifles are rifled too.
My BSA Meteor back in the 70's was rifled, as has every other break-barrel I've seen since.

Vegeta

goshawker wrote: »

also it is illegal to use an air rifle to kill any living creature in the south

Just want to point out that this is NOT true. They can be used on rabbits and any species where rifle is listed as an allowable method under derogation.

pcash

before the shop or on line company that is selling compressed air riffles you have to get a gun licence of the garda ,other then that yes you need a gun licence ,i'm not talking about airsoft they are toys you can hunt rabbits etc whit a compressed air riffle

Cass

Zombie thread.

Closed.