Air Rifles & Pistols - The Law & Safe Handling.
You do not need a license to aquire, posses and shoot an airgun (within certain power limits) but you must be over 18 years of age. Other regulations exist that govern the power limits of "non-licence airguns", safe storage, the use of airguns by those under the age of 18, and where and what you can shoot etc, (see below). Like any type of gun, airguns are potentially dangerous and lethal weapons if handled and used incorrectly. Ensure that you understand the law and comply with safe shooting practice at all times.

Airguns are a great introduction to shooting for youngsters.
There is no actual lower age limit for using an airgun but there are rules for those under 14 years of age and for 14 - 17 year of age. Click on the "important reading" link below for more information.

The ammunition used in airguns are called pellets. These are designed to provide a good aerodynamic shape and make the optimum use of the power provided by the actual gun.
An airgun uses compressed air or gas as a propellant. When the trigger is pulled the energy contained in a measured volume of compressed air or gas is released, and this forces the pellet down, and out of the barrel of the gun. Airguns can be single shot or multi shot depending on their type of construction.

PCP (multi-shot capability) PCP stands for pre-charged pneumatic. The gun has a built in reservoir of compressed air from where a measured dose can be drawn each time the gun is fired. This type of gun can provide from 50 to over 100 shots from the built in reservoir, before the need for recharging. The reservoir can be re-charged by either using a separate hand pump or by decanting compressed air from a larger pre-charged cylinder, such as a diver's breathing bottle (scuba tank). Each time a multi shot gun is fired it can be quickly reloaded from an 8-10 pellet capacity, detachable magazine by cycling a "lever" or "bolt" backwards and forwards, which then reloads the gun with the next pellet from the magazine and re-arms the gun making it ready to fire. Some single shot PCP rifles and pistols have their own built in "charging" or "pressurising" system, which is lever operated, requiring either one or two "strokes" of the lever to provide a full "single shot charge".

CO2 (multi-shot capability) The compressed "air" for this type of gun comes from "standard" CO2 capsules. These can be either the small "sparklet" type cylinders (12gm), which are mainly used in multi shot air pistols, or larger 88gm CO2 bottles which are used in air rifles. Some rifle designs use two 12gm capsules together. CO2 capsules and bottles can provide enough gas for around 50 shots to 80 shots or more depending on the model of the gun. Air pistols using CO2 power are generally made as semi automatics. This means that the gun will fire each time the trigger is pulled, without the need to operate a bolt or re-cock the gun. Air rifles generally need to be re-loaded & re-armed by cycling a bolt or lever each time the gun is fired.

Spring power (single shot) This type of gun uses a controlled release of spring generated compressed air to drive the pellet down the barrel. A spring powered "pump" or cylinder, contained within the body of the gun, is primed for firing when the spring is compressed and held in position by the trigger action. The spring is compressed by using the barrel as a lever or by a separate built in lever usually housed in the "forend" or one that extends along and under the barrel. When the trigger is pulled the spring is released and compresses the air in the "pump" or cylinder section of the gun. The resultant burst of compressed air pushes the pellet down the barrel. These guns are sometimes referred to as "springers", "break barrels" or "under levers".

Calibres of airguns
There are two main sizes of pellets. These are .177 inch (4.5mm) or .22 (5.5mm). Both air rifles and air pistols are made in these calibres. A further calibre of .25 inch is also becoming more readily available.

Categories of airguns
You do not need a licence to aquire, possess and shoot an airgun in the UK provided it is below a certain level of power.
Airgun Law - UK Legal Power Limit for Airguns
Airguns in the UK are subject to the firearms acts, under the Firearms (Dangerous air weapons) rules 1969 they are classified as low powered Air Weapons (no licence required) and as such they are restricted to a maximum power of 12 foot pounds force for a rifle and 6 foot pounds force for a pistol. Above 12ftlb a rifle is classified as a Section 1 Firearm and requires a licence called a firearms certificate. Pistols above 6ftlb are classified as section 5 prohibited weapons.
The definition of a firearm under the act is "a lethal barrelled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged" it further defines "lethal weapon" as "a weapon capable of firing a projectile with sufficient force to inflict more than a trivial injury i.e.. with sufficient force to puncture skin".
The Home Office consider the lowest level of muzzle energy capable of inflicting a penetrating wound is one foot pound (1.35 joules) hence guns producing less than 1ft/lb are not covered by the act and therefore not classified as air weapons or subject to any restrictions.

The 1997 Firearms Amendment Act made handguns illegal in the UK but Air Weapons were excluded under Section 5 (1) subsection (aba) "a prohibited weapon includes a firearm with a barrel length less than 30cms and an overall length less than 60cms, other than an air weapon, a muzzle loading gun, or a firearm designed as signalling apparatus".

I'M CONFUSED
What does all this actually mean?
In practice the vast majority of air rifles and air pistols on display and generally available from your local gun shop will fall within the limits of a "No licence required" gun. They would not sell you a Section 1 air rifle without checking that you had the appropriate licence.

TARGET SHOOTING ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY OR ON LAND WITH THE OWNER'S PERMISSION:
Informal target shooting (or "plinking") is a great way to improve your shooting skills and have fun with friends. Types of target can range from a simple paper target printed with "scoring rings" or knock down targets including soft drink cans or more sophisticated and specially manufactured knock down and re-locatable targets. You can find these special targets either at your local air gun dealer or by "Googling" – "airgun targets".

If you are shooting in a restricted area, such as a medium sized garden, you will need to consider your neighbours (NOISE! – So using a silencer will help) and ensure that no pellets go beyond your boundaries and that there is an adequate "backstop" to prevent ricochets. You can be prosecuted if any pellet goes beyond your land, whether it is directly fired or an accidental ricochet. It is also against the law to fire an airgun within 50 feet of the centre of a highway if this results in someone being injured, interrupted or endangered.

Essential reading:To read the BASC – "Codes of Practice – Airguns".

Rifle Target Shooting
This is undertaken on 10 metre indoor ranges.
• 10 metre Match Rifle (the "Olympic discipline") - shot from a standing position with single shot precision rifles. 60 shots in 105 minutes for men, 40 shots in 75 minutes for women.
• 10 metre "3 position" Precision: Shot from a combination of prone (lying down), standing and kneeling with precision single shot target rifles.
• 10 metre "3 position" Sporter: Shot from a combination of prone (lying down), standing and kneeling with Sporter (hunting type) rifles.

This is undertaken on 10 metre indoor ranges. • 10 metre single shot "match" pistol (The "Olympic" Discipline): Shot one-handed from a standing position. 60 shots for men over 105 minutes, 40 shots for women over 75 minutes.
• 10 metre Multi-Shot" match pistol: This is a rapid fire discipline – 5 shots in a very short time frame using pistols with 5 shot magazines. Shot one-handed from a standing position. 40 shots for men and 30 shots for women in 5 shot segments with only 10 seconds allowed per segment.

The NSRA (National Small Bore Rifle Association) is the body which oversees much of the 10 metre match shooting in the UK.
For information on clubs & where to shoot visit the NSRA website

Field Target Shooting
Field Target Shooting uses knock down animal shaped targets set in a natural outdoor environment such as farm land and woodland. There are clubs throughout the UK all with their own shooting ranges so whether you just want to shoot for fun or get involved in competition they are a great place to meet new friends and get the best advice.

For more information on clubs in your area:

For British Field Target Association (BFTA) website.

For UK Association for Hunter Field Targets (UKAHFT) website.

For "Shooting the Breeze" website. Visit the BASC "Go Shooting" pavilion at The British Shooting Show.
For 2014 there will be a central feature area devoted to providing advice and information specifically for newcomers to shooting on The BASC Pavillion stand in the central area of Gunmakers Halls. A great opportunity to get more information and the best possible advice.

Live Quarry Shooting with Air Rifles
• Many people shoot live quarry, either on their own land or where they have permission. The species which you can shoot are limited by the law and the effective power of an air rifle.Air Pistols are less powerful than rifles and are entirely unsatisfactory for live quarry and should never be used.
• There are laws governing the shooting of live quarry and these should be studied and fully understood.

Essential reading:
For more information on live quarry shooting or to read the BASC "Air gun codes of practice".

• You must be a competent and accurate shot before attempting to shoot live quarry.
• Never practice on live quarry.
• Practice on artificial targets until you have attained the correct level of competence.
• Before going out on your own go with an experienced live quarry shooter to learn fieldcraft and all the correct and humane procedures.