Csail
N/A
What are the laws on keeping/using an air rifle on the boat??
Air rifle law
- Thread starter Csail
- Start date
mtb
New member
should be the same as for carrying it in a car
must be covered and reason for having it
one of the lads in my flying club is a copper thats what he said last night
cheers
Mick
must be covered and reason for having it
one of the lads in my flying club is a copper thats what he said last night
cheers
Mick
davel
Active member
Thou shalt not kill !
Major Catastrophe
New member
[ QUOTE ]
Thou shalt not kill !
[/ QUOTE ]
Apparently the correct translation of the ten commandments is: Thou shalt not murder.
Thou shalt not kill !
[/ QUOTE ]
Apparently the correct translation of the ten commandments is: Thou shalt not murder.
SpecialBranch
Member
The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 which became effective from 20th January 2004, has new laws which effect airguns.
Part 5 of the Act is headed:
Firearms: Introducing New Prohibitions on Air Weapons and Imitation Firearms (Sections 37-39)
New powers for the police
Under section 37 the police will be able to arrest someone carrying an air weapon (whether loaded or not) or an imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
Section 38 will mean that a young person must be 17 before they may own an air weapon and it will be an offence for anybody to make a gift of an air weapon to a person under that age, subject to a level 3 fine (max £1000). Air weapons may only be used unsupervised by young persons when they are in an approved rifle club or (if 14 or over) they are on private land and have the permission of the occupier. It has also been made an offence to shoot outside the boundaries of that private land.
there is no need to have a licence to own one-provided its power is within the legal limit: a muzzle energy of 12ft.lbs for air rifles or 6ft.lbs for pistols. Airguns over the legal limit are classed as Firearms and require a firearms certificate (FAC). The latest laws on Firearms will also require FAC air pistols - up to .22 calibre and able to shoot above the 6ft.lb limit - to be kept at registered gun clubs. Being unaware of the law will not stop the courts imposing heavy penalties, including confiscating the airgun, if you are caught breaking the law.
It is against the law to trespass on any land, rivers, lakes or in any building, carrying an airgun. It makes no difference if the airgun is unloaded, or even that you have no pellets with you. Unfenced land, or if no signs say that the land is private, does not give anyone the right to go there, especially with an airgun. You will be liable to heavy fines and to the confiscation of your airgun if you trespass.
All land in this country belongs to someone or some organisation. If you enter without the owners permission, you are trespassing - unless there is some public right of access - and if there is, the following restrictions will apply:
AIRGUNS IN PUBLIC PLACES It is illegal for anyone to have a loaded airgun in a public place, unless for some proper reason - such as authorised pest control. The airgun does not have to be cocked - anything in the breech, barrel or magazine defines the gun in law as loaded'. A public place is anywhere that the public are allowed entry, even if they may have to pay to do so.
AIRGUNS AND HIGHWAYS It is against the law to fire an airgun within 15 metres of the centre of a roadway - if by doing so you cause any risk or nuisance. Using an airgun on private property, close to a road. in a way which upset or put at risk people on the road, would be an offence.
PROTECTION OF BIRDS Almost all birds are protected by law. Some think that anyone can kill those birds regarded as pests: sparrows, starlings, wood pigeons, rooks, crows, jackdaws, magpies, jays, collard doves and feral pigeons. But they may only be killed by an 'authorised person' - one who legally owns the land or who has permission to shoot pests on that land. Anyone shooting at such birds without authorisation will be guilty of offences against the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Firearms Act. The birds do not have to be killed, or even hit, for such offences to be committed.
If the river or sea or lake is in the public domain, then you would have a hard job to justify having an air weapon on baord - unless of course the squirrels in the rigging couldbe classified as vermin.
Part 5 of the Act is headed:
Firearms: Introducing New Prohibitions on Air Weapons and Imitation Firearms (Sections 37-39)
New powers for the police
Under section 37 the police will be able to arrest someone carrying an air weapon (whether loaded or not) or an imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
Section 38 will mean that a young person must be 17 before they may own an air weapon and it will be an offence for anybody to make a gift of an air weapon to a person under that age, subject to a level 3 fine (max £1000). Air weapons may only be used unsupervised by young persons when they are in an approved rifle club or (if 14 or over) they are on private land and have the permission of the occupier. It has also been made an offence to shoot outside the boundaries of that private land.
there is no need to have a licence to own one-provided its power is within the legal limit: a muzzle energy of 12ft.lbs for air rifles or 6ft.lbs for pistols. Airguns over the legal limit are classed as Firearms and require a firearms certificate (FAC). The latest laws on Firearms will also require FAC air pistols - up to .22 calibre and able to shoot above the 6ft.lb limit - to be kept at registered gun clubs. Being unaware of the law will not stop the courts imposing heavy penalties, including confiscating the airgun, if you are caught breaking the law.
It is against the law to trespass on any land, rivers, lakes or in any building, carrying an airgun. It makes no difference if the airgun is unloaded, or even that you have no pellets with you. Unfenced land, or if no signs say that the land is private, does not give anyone the right to go there, especially with an airgun. You will be liable to heavy fines and to the confiscation of your airgun if you trespass.
All land in this country belongs to someone or some organisation. If you enter without the owners permission, you are trespassing - unless there is some public right of access - and if there is, the following restrictions will apply:
AIRGUNS IN PUBLIC PLACES It is illegal for anyone to have a loaded airgun in a public place, unless for some proper reason - such as authorised pest control. The airgun does not have to be cocked - anything in the breech, barrel or magazine defines the gun in law as loaded'. A public place is anywhere that the public are allowed entry, even if they may have to pay to do so.
AIRGUNS AND HIGHWAYS It is against the law to fire an airgun within 15 metres of the centre of a roadway - if by doing so you cause any risk or nuisance. Using an airgun on private property, close to a road. in a way which upset or put at risk people on the road, would be an offence.
PROTECTION OF BIRDS Almost all birds are protected by law. Some think that anyone can kill those birds regarded as pests: sparrows, starlings, wood pigeons, rooks, crows, jackdaws, magpies, jays, collard doves and feral pigeons. But they may only be killed by an 'authorised person' - one who legally owns the land or who has permission to shoot pests on that land. Anyone shooting at such birds without authorisation will be guilty of offences against the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Firearms Act. The birds do not have to be killed, or even hit, for such offences to be committed.
If the river or sea or lake is in the public domain, then you would have a hard job to justify having an air weapon on baord - unless of course the squirrels in the rigging couldbe classified as vermin.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Besides which, seagulls don't taste good.
BlueSkyNick
Active member
Depends how hungry you are, I spose.
I can't see any good reason for keeping an airgun on board, so why bother?
I can't see any good reason for keeping an airgun on board, so why bother?
Sans Bateau
Well-known member
But surely jet skis are fair game??????????
Emjaytoo
New member
And Frenchmen who won't let you raft up to them!
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Dalliance
New member
Why do you want to?
Neddie_Seagoon
Active member
Mostly depends on whether it is a "sea-going vessel" or not.
So your offshore cruising yacht (power or sail) may have firearms in its ships equipment, technically including firearms which are banned in the UK (sub-machineguns, handguns etc., (Section 5 weapons)), or licensed weapons (rifles, shotguns, air rifles of over 12ft/lb muzzle energy). You may not bring them on land without the correct license / permit. You may get a dealer to deliver them to the vessel / collect them from the vessel without a permit, although the dealer may have to get Police authority to move the weapons depending on type. When you arrive in a foreign port the rules will be different!
Your inland waterways vessel doesn't benefit from this exemption to UK firearms controls, so the law is as the UK mainland.
All that notwithstanding, many harbours have local byelaws prohibiting the keeping of firearms aboard vessels in the harbour.
In the case of an unlicensed air rifle (under 12ft/lb) on inland waters - I think I'm right in saying there wouldn't be a problem, except that the owner of the mooring might object. However you may only shoot over "land" where you have the landowners permission so you couldn't actually use the gun inland. A further catch would be in the type of projectile used - it is illegal in England & Wales to use lead shot for waterfowl, to prevent lead shot falling into the environment and being eaten by grazing waterfowl. most air-rifle pellets are lead.
Frankly inshore the whole thing is a regulatory nightmare, offshore you can pretty much do what you want. There are some international / UN regs, but not really relevant to domestic uses iirc.
Need more detail - what do you want to do?
So your offshore cruising yacht (power or sail) may have firearms in its ships equipment, technically including firearms which are banned in the UK (sub-machineguns, handguns etc., (Section 5 weapons)), or licensed weapons (rifles, shotguns, air rifles of over 12ft/lb muzzle energy). You may not bring them on land without the correct license / permit. You may get a dealer to deliver them to the vessel / collect them from the vessel without a permit, although the dealer may have to get Police authority to move the weapons depending on type. When you arrive in a foreign port the rules will be different!
Your inland waterways vessel doesn't benefit from this exemption to UK firearms controls, so the law is as the UK mainland.
All that notwithstanding, many harbours have local byelaws prohibiting the keeping of firearms aboard vessels in the harbour.
In the case of an unlicensed air rifle (under 12ft/lb) on inland waters - I think I'm right in saying there wouldn't be a problem, except that the owner of the mooring might object. However you may only shoot over "land" where you have the landowners permission so you couldn't actually use the gun inland. A further catch would be in the type of projectile used - it is illegal in England & Wales to use lead shot for waterfowl, to prevent lead shot falling into the environment and being eaten by grazing waterfowl. most air-rifle pellets are lead.
Frankly inshore the whole thing is a regulatory nightmare, offshore you can pretty much do what you want. There are some international / UN regs, but not really relevant to domestic uses iirc.
Need more detail - what do you want to do?
2Tizwoz
Well-known member
Obvious enough why you need one
Or to get that
Heigaro spider
Or to get that
bilbobaggins
N/A
[ QUOTE ]
Apparently the correct translation of the ten commandments is: Thou shalt not murder.
[/ QUOTE ]
According to the research properly quoted in Dawkins' 'The God Delusion', the correct translation from the source documents is an exhortation to avoid murdering fellow members of one's own Jewish- or Israelite - tribe.
In common with certain other tribal religions to this day, that civilised principle was not extended to the rest of the human race.
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Apparently the correct translation of the ten commandments is: Thou shalt not murder.
[/ QUOTE ]
According to the research properly quoted in Dawkins' 'The God Delusion', the correct translation from the source documents is an exhortation to avoid murdering fellow members of one's own Jewish- or Israelite - tribe.
In common with certain other tribal religions to this day, that civilised principle was not extended to the rest of the human race.
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Major Catastrophe
New member
Even though, I am still going to do my best not murder anyone today..or any other day, for that matter.
rhinorhino
New member
It is a little known fact (and perhaps unsuprisingly not one broadcast by the Police) that the Firearms Act does not apply to ships' equipment (or incidentally Aircraft equipment).
If you can afford it and the yacht can bear the wieght you could fit a 20mm cannon on the foredeck if you wanted.
In fact many "super yachts" are quite heavily armed these days.
Common sense of course dictates that actually doing this would lead to all sorts of interesting discussions with all sorts of authority figures.
There are also regulations dealing with what happens to the weapons while you are in Harbour, if serious ask the Hampshire Marine police Unit.
If you can afford it and the yacht can bear the wieght you could fit a 20mm cannon on the foredeck if you wanted.
In fact many "super yachts" are quite heavily armed these days.
Common sense of course dictates that actually doing this would lead to all sorts of interesting discussions with all sorts of authority figures.
There are also regulations dealing with what happens to the weapons while you are in Harbour, if serious ask the Hampshire Marine police Unit.
tobble
New member
I find the upholsery gets stuck in my teeth
itsonlymoney
New member
Someone has to ask......................why would you want one onboard, what do you want to do with it ?
Neddie_Seagoon
Active member
When I was on Windermere I was very tempted to take a silenced shotgun along for overnight stays on the boat. The morning and evening wildfowl flights can be excellent /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
itsonlymoney
New member
Yep I know what you meen.... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
landaftaf
New member
have you ever wondered how these critters seem to know when to keep their distance ..... its almost as if they know when you have a gun - a bit like fishing, when you pack up for the day and put your fly away, the big juicy ones come to the surface /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif