From: "jim.craig", [EMAIL PROTECTED] I am a long term airgunner who hasn't done any serious firearm shooting since leaving the Army twenty-five years ago but I've recently applied for probationary membership in a local firearms club who sometimes use the same military range as my own club because of the freindships i've made with some of their members. They seem to be the same kind of guys (and a few gals!) who are into airgun shooting, univerasally polite and welcoming, knowledgeable about their sport and more than willing to help a newcomer with an interest in what they are doing. They're mostly ex-pistol shooters but the club now caters for just about everything that is still legal to shoot and there are members shooting fullbore rifles, smallbore rifles, black powder front-stuffers and pistol calibre carbines all happily co-existing together and even taking an interest in air and CO2 . There probably is not one of them who are in the sport for cash rewards and I doubt if such prizes would do much to attract new shooters. What will do it is the kind of attitude exhibited by the members of this club, the kind of 'we're all in this together and let's get on with it' attitude which welcomes newcomers, takes an interest in all of the shooting disciplines even if it's not their own particular preferernce and conducts its collective self in a manner which reflects credit in itself and its sport. Now why can't we have more of that kind of attitude and behaviour. Incidentally and on another tack altogether, I've seen estimates stating that there are between four and seven MILLION airguns in circulation in the UK (ther very inexactness of the fugures tells a story) which makes airgunners by far the biggest section of the shooting community in the country. The problem is that they are disparate and unorganised and appear totally unaware of what Tony and his gang have in store. Even if only half of those guns are still in use and only half of those users could be persuaded that therir interests were being threatened, just think what a scare we could throw into the antis! Sad to say, none of the existing airgun organisations appear interested and I get the distinct impression from some other shooters thst they would be more than willing to see airguns being the next sacrificial victim on the altar of appeasement. I've been campaigning within my own governng body to the point where I think they regard me as a bloody nuisance and even among them there are some who state openly that the registration and licensing of airguns would be a 'good thing' since it would deter misuse! Some of us apparently dont learn much from the misforunes of other shooting disciplines. -- I wonder how many of these people who own airguns and who think licensing would be a good thing actually currently hold an FAC. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
