Any air gun owners here?

[d000hg]

We had an air rifle when my brother and I were kids, I think a spring break-barrel .177.

Now I live in the country again I was considering it but no idea if you can just buy one these days, or need a license and site safety assessment

A few here must have suitable homes/gardens - anyone got a rifle/pistol/BB able to give any advice? And yes, I know it's not a toy.

[TestMangler]

I have several (as well as shotguns and 'real' rifles). In England, you don't need a licence for an airgun (yet), but things have moved on from the 70's so you can't just pop over to the local woods and start killing wildlife.

Pop onto airgunbbs.com and they have faqs and stickys, just like here.

[woohoo]

We had an air rifle when my brother and I were kids, I think a spring break-barrel .177.

Now I live in the country again I was considering it but no idea if you can just buy one these days, or need a license and site safety assessment

A few here must have suitable homes/gardens - anyone got a rifle/pistol/BB able to give any advice? And yes, I know it's not a toy.

I have one, years old - I do use it in the garden occasionally but that's about it. We are surrounded by fields and was tempted to take the dog out hunting as we have a working dog. But it's so difficult to transport it anywhere and as the other poster said you can't turn up at a field and use it. If you are reported you can be in serious trouble.

Why not consider a gun club or archery. I quite fancy that, a colleague did it and he loved it.

[cojak]

I still own a lovely BSA .177 spring break-barrel but haven't used it in years.

They are all CO2 these days.

But my advice is to join an air rifle club. That's what I did when I took up the hobby and they were the nicest people and keen to bring new people into the sport.

It's basically broken into 2 parts - target and field. Some people are exclusively one or the other and some are both but there is no friction between the two as everyone is a responsible gun owner when you join a club.

There were 2 good magazines as well when I did it - I would do a bit of research as I learned a lot by reading them.

And you'll find a lot of help when you research your gun in a proper shop - this isn't the kind of purchase you ought to be getting off the web.

[TestMangler]

Let's google that:

Airgun law in the UK - Expert advice on airgun models & accessories | Airgun Shooting

I'm pretty sure that doing some of the things I did with air rifles and air pistols when a great deal younger would lead to the plod circling in their helicopter & the arrival of an armed response unit.

But there you go.

Apparently as long as the pellets stay within the confines of my garden I'm ok.

Not sure I'm prepared to test that, mind you.

Most definitely. These days, firing an air rifle in your garden in most built up areas would result in someone phoning the cops. Even allowing for the 'within your own boundary' laws, there are also some regs around the distance from a public thoroughfare that need observed.

[MrMarkyMark]

We had an air rifle when my brother and I were kids, I think a spring break-barrel .177.

Now I live in the country again I was considering it but no idea if you can just buy one these days, or need a license and site safety assessment

A few here must have suitable homes/gardens - anyone got a rifle/pistol/BB able to give any advice? And yes, I know it's not a toy.

Buy a proper rifle and take the opportunity to meet up with other like minded souls.

[scooterscot]

When I was a nipper living up the west coast of Scotland I had a P45 air pistol similar to this Umarex TD P45 Tactical 4.5mm Air Pistol by Umarex (.177 cal AIRGUN NOT AIRSOFT) | Evike.com - which was fun.

But then I got one of these... way more wicked powerful. Used to shoot pellets through a can of sand and find said pellet buried in the bark of some tree. No license required.

Some instructions - yes it is about shooting

[cojak]

Buy a proper rifle and take the opportunity to meet up with other like minded souls.

You haven't been to an air rifle club, have you?

While field were responsible gun owners, where some discharged their guns, and who owned the partridge was another matter...

[TestMangler]

I still own a lovely BSA .177 spring break-barrel but haven't used it in years.

They are all CO2 these days.

But my advice is to join an air rifle club. That's what I did when I took up the hobby and they were the nicest people and keen to bring new people into the sport.

It's basically broken into 2 parts - target and field. Some people are exclusively one or the other and some are both but there is no friction between the two as everyone is a responsible gun owner when you join a club.

There were 2 good magazines as well when I did it - I would do a bit of research as I learned a lot by reading them.

And you'll find a lot of help when you research your gun in a proper shop - this isn't the kind of purchase you ought to be getting off the web.

Pretty much on the money, except for the CO2 bit.

'Proper' air rifles these days are pre charged with air up to 2-300 bar (depending on the individual gun) although FT and HFT competition shooting has increasingly popular 'springer' classes. Most clubs tend to be really friendly and are happy to see new people turning up to ask questions and try stuff out.

[MrMarkyMark]

You haven't been to an air rifle club, have you?

While field were responsible gun owners, where some discharged their guns, and who owned the partridge was another matter...

I haven't to be fair.

You do recognise the slightly "porky" individual on the left of the photo I hope though