From: Norman Bassett, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Very few people have ever been killed with 12
foot-pound (and under) airguns and I don't think its
therefore reasonable in the legal sense to say that
they ARE lethal.
If something doesn't go bang it's not a firearm, by
definition, even though it might be included in
various Firearms Acts.
I've never (previously) heard it argued that 12
foot-pound airguns WERE firearms and I don't think
saying that "they're really lethal firearms but we're
being given a concession" is helpful, particularly at
the present time. I don't think it's true, either.
Regards
Norman Bassett
drakenfels.org
--
It is true, as I am sure Jonathan can point out to you
at great length. Airguns are usually considered to be
lethal barrelled weapons unless they are so weak they
cannot cause a lethal injury under any circumstance, that's
been the case for decades. The actual level is the point
of conjecture. The Home Office use theoretical tests to
arrive at a level of 1 ft/lb. My view is that so many
people have been shot with airguns over the past century
that the level should be set at the demonstrated level of
lethality, i.e. 3 ft/lb - anything under that level is
not a firearm.
The Firearms Act 1920 created the legal situation that
an airgun is a firearm, but created an exemption in Great
Britain for air pistols under 6ft/lb of energy and air
rifles under 12 ft/lb of energy from the certification
requirement. However, since the 1920 Act airguns have
always required firearm certificates in Ireland.
Plenty of people have been killed since 1920 with 12 ft/lb
air rifles, over the course of 80 years it's well into
double figures, although I'm not aware of any fatality
ever having been caused with an air pistol. Bearing in
mind that few air pistols have a muzzle energy over 3.5
ft/lb.
Another point though is that muzzle energy is a very poor
method of determining lethality. The actual design of
the projectile probably has more to do with it.
The arguments for licensing airguns however are utterly
potty, although it is possible to kill someone with great
difficulty with an air rifle, the number of fatalities in
the past decade can be counted on your fingers. The scale
of the threat simply does not indicate a need for licensing,
any more than it would indicate a need for licensing hammers,
for example.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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