Air Rifle laws in Europe

[JRa]

Can anyone clarify the laws regarding air rifles in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. I would love to take my air rifle touring next year will it be legal, any special licences needed. Anybody know the score please.

In a nutshell:

In Belgium and the Netherlands you needn't a permit to own such a weapon when you're 18 or older. (I don't know if there are other laws in France or Germany)
But it is forbidden to carry it in public and even in your car it should be locked up in a closed box or special container. It should never be ready to fire when it is your car.
Under 18 years of age it is totally forbidden to carry (even to touch) an air gun.

In my opinion it is very dangerous to carry anything in public what looks like a gun. I even don't dare to use it my own garden.

 

[Wildman]

Yes indeed it is your right, but whats wrong with rat poison??

More people are killed crossing the road, but if there were no cars there would be no accidents would there?? Cars are a necessary evil but I cannot think of a single reason why anyone would "NEED" a gun at home. :Sad:

Just my opinion but I do feel the only safe gun is a gun that isnt in the hands of a person, however well intentioned or however experienced they may feel they are.

never seen a rabbit killed with rat poison yet.

 

[dazzer]

me neither

But the fact still remains there are lots of alternatives to dealing with pests than shooting them (dogs, traps, fencing etc etc etc).

Im not having a go at gun owners/user here and i do feel that farmers really are the exception to the rule as far as the justification for owning a gun is concerned.

I have no idea of statistics for accidental injuries/deaths as a result of gun use but however many it is, its far too many. No doubt some of the injuries/deaths will be down to guns in the hands of farmers (and im talking about farmers using guns for pest control NOT for "sport", although the term "SPORT" has no place in a past time that involved blowing birds out of the sky (why cant it just be called hunting????)...but thats a different story altogether!!!oh, but its the other people that dont need to control pests, that cannot honestly justify having a gun in the house.

Its these guns that should be locked away in gun club vaults etc. as its seems to be these guns that hit the headlines with kids finding them and getting hurt.

 

[barryd]

Why shouldnt I keep a gun in my house? I live in a remote village in Teesdale and can shoot out the back of our house, on farm land or on the moors. Usually just an Air Rifle. I occasionally go on shoots with proper guns but not very often and to be honest Im not into killing stuff as much as the other locals these days where it seems to be their favorite pastime. If I want to setup a target in the back garden or field behind my house, whats wrong with that. I am responsible, hardly ever shoot people unless under the influence of strong drink, whats the problem? It gives me great pleasure to watch the farmers kids spend ages building a snowman in the back field to then wild away an hour or two shooting its bits off from the bedroom window.

 

[Wildman]

"SPORT" has no place in a past time that involved blowing birds out of the sky (why cant it just be called hunting????)...but thats a different story altogether!!!oh, but its the other people that dont need to control pests, that cannot honestly justify having a gun in the house. "

Its these guns that should be locked away in gun club vaults etc. as its seems to be these guns that hit the headlines with kids finding them and getting hurt.
I quite agree of course and things like darts should be banned as well nasty sharp orrible things would have your eye out, and whilst we are at it fish hooks really do get caught up everywhere. 100MPH golf balls are also a real danger, ban them as well, Footballs have smashed more windows than air rifle pellets as well so they should be added to the list
I'm afraid old men with walking sticks should also be banned, quite an offencive weapon a walking stick and don't get me started on knitting needles.
Sport is a matter of skill. firing at targets is one such skill. Hunting for the pot is another and ridding the land of vermin is another. We have come to live in such a nanny society that we are in danger of losing the ability to hunt, shoot and provide, who will defend the country then, who in the event of a global disaster will provide the food for our tables. I am not a hard and fast survivalist but do think we should all be able to hunt and fish, live off the land.

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[barryd]

Dont forget Toasters! Lethal. (to Americans)

 

[dazzer]

"SPORT" has no place in a past time that involved blowing birds out of the sky (why cant it just be called hunting????)...but thats a different story altogether!!!oh, but its the other people that dont need to control pests, that cannot honestly justify having a gun in the house. "

Its these guns that should be locked away in gun club vaults etc. as its seems to be these guns that hit the headlines with kids finding them and getting hurt.
I quite agree of course and things like darts should be banned as well nasty sharp orrible things would have your eye out, and whilst we are at it fish hooks really do get caught up everywhere. 100MPH golf balls are also a real danger, ban them as well, Footballs have smashed more windows than air rifle pellets as well so they should be added to the list
I'm afraid old men with walking sticks should also be banned, quite an offencive weapon a walking stick and don't get me started on knitting needles.
Sport is a matter of skill. firing at targets is one such skill. Hunting for the pot is another and ridding the land of vermin is another. We have come to live in such a nanny society that we are in danger of losing the ability to hunt, shoot and provide, who will defend the country then, who in the event of a global disaster will provide the food for our tables. I am not a hard and fast survivalist but do think we should all be able to hunt and fish, live off the land.

As I said im not having a go at gun owner/users oh:

So you categorise guns to be the same as walking sticks, fishing hooks, footballs and darts then?? Do you know something about this global disaster that the rest of us are unaware of?? You dont need a gun to fish or to grow spuds so i dont really see the similarity there, sorry. After this global catastrophy is all over where are you going to buy bullets for it anyway??

Sport is not necessarily a matter of skill, is fishing, parachuting, rock climbing a sport?? In order for something to be a sport it must have a winner and a looser. Shooting birds.......how often do the birds win??? :Sad:

I think you seem to be missing the point im trying to make. Apart from farmers why does anyone "need" to have a gun in the house?? If you want to shoot at targets, fine go and shoot them at a gun club where its safe to do so and leave your gun there locked up nice and safe when you have finished.:thumb:

 

[stagman]

As I said im not having a go at gun owner/users oh:

You are so wrapped up in your perfect little world you do not understand and don't want to understand what other people get pleasures from things that you are not in favour of . Perhaps you should try a competitive day at a clay shoot or air rifle range so that you can start to understand what pleasures people get from shooting .

 

[barryd]

Ill try and make my point again, this time without trying to be amusing.

The nearest gun club where you can lock up a gun is at least 10 miles away. We are surrounded by fields in which many of us who live here can shoot. Air rifles are kept in a cupboard safe (there is virtually no crime here so they wont get nicked) proper guns are kept in locked cabinets in peoples houses as they have to be by law.

So again. If me or one of my neighbors wants to shoot 100 yards away in a field by his house as an excuse to take the dog out and bludger a few bunnies, why should he have to do a 20 mile drive to pick up his gun first.

Putting a load of guns in a gun club all in one place where everyone knows they are there. Hmm not the best of ideas once the lowlifes get to hear about it!

Ban them from the towns if you like but leave us law abiding bumpkins to our quite frankly gun injury free life!

 

[dazzer]

As I said im not having a go at gun owner/users oh:

You are so wrapped up in your perfect little world you do not understand and don't want to understand what other people get pleasures from things that you are not in favour of . Perhaps you should try a competitive day at a clay shoot or air rifle range so that you can start to understand what pleasures people get from shooting .

Glad you know me so well.

I go shooting a couple of times a year (clay pigeon). I do work for a lot of people who make a living from the shooting industry (duck/pheasant breeders etc). A lot of my friends regularly go shooting for pleasure (dinner!!!!).

I dont have anything against anyone who shoots, the vast majority of gun owners are responsible, hard working people who enjoy nothing more than a day blasting away at whatever they like.

Its the storage of weapons (of all kinds) that concerns me the most and the way kids seem to get hold of guns both air and firearm with usually disasterous results. If there are no guns in the house there is no chance of someone getting hold of it by mistake.:thumb:

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[dazzer]

Ill try and make my point again, this time without trying to be amusing.

The nearest gun club where you can lock up a gun is at least 10 miles away. We are surrounded by fields in which many of us who live here can shoot. Air rifles are kept in a cupboard safe (there is virtually no crime here so they wont get nicked) proper guns are kept in locked cabinets in peoples houses as they have to be by law.

So again. If me or one of my neighbors wants to shoot 100 yards away in a field by his house as an excuse to take the dog out and bludger a few bunnies, why should he have to do a 20 mile drive to pick up his gun first.

Putting a load of guns in a gun club all in one place where everyone knows they are there. Hmm not the best of ideas once the lowlifes get to hear about it!

Ban them from the towns if you like but leave us law abiding bumpkins to our quite frankly gun injury free life!

Virtually no crime where you live?? Your a lucky man!!! :thumb:

But what if the afforementioned opportunist lowlife decides he really likes your gun and knocks on your door, threatens you with a knife and demands you open your gun safe and give him the ammunition?? Would you refuse......I very much doubt it. And he would know you had a gun because he saw you wandering round the field with it in your hands.

However if the same lowlife decided he wanted your gun but knew it was locked away in a vault 10 miles away, you wouldnt get that knock at the door would you??

With that in mind which is the more secure option??

 

[stagman]

[With that in mind which is the more secure option??[/QUOTE]

I have owned guns for over 40 yrs . no one in their right mind would turn up at my front door with a knife after seeing walking into my house with a gun .Please get real
r

 

[barryd]

Virtually no crime where you live?? Your a lucky man!!! :thumb:

But what if the afforementioned opportunist lowlife decides he really likes your gun and knocks on your door, threatens you with a knife and demands you open your gun safe and give him the ammunition?? Would you refuse......I very much doubt it. And he would know you had a gun because he saw you wandering round the field with it in your hands.

However if the same lowlife decided he wanted your gun but knew it was locked away in a vault 10 miles away, you wouldnt get that knock at the door would you??

With that in mind which is the more secure option??

Unlikely. If someone sees me wandering around shooting he isnt necessarly going to know where I live and even if he does find out, robbing someones house who you know has a gun is not that clever. However a firm of organised profesionals who know where there are 100 guns stored thanks to your idea of keeping them all in one place in a vault may well find themselves with quite a nice haul.

 

[dazzer]

[With that in mind which is the more secure option??

I have owned guns for over 40 yrs . no one in their right mind would turn up at my front door with a knife after seeing walking into my house with a gun .Please get real
r[/QUOTE]

That would be the same gun that is locked up in a gun cabinet with the ammo in a different place and the bolt in yet another place would it??

Or do you leave loaded weapons laying round the house??

 

[stagman]

I have owned guns for over 40 yrs . no one in their right mind would turn up at my front door with a knife after seeing walking into my house with a gun .Please get real
r

That would be the same gun that is locked up in a gun cabinet with the ammo in a different place and the bolt in yet another place would it??

Or do you leave loaded weapons laying round the house??[/QUOTE]

Just now you said I had just walked into my house

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[Jim]

I don't think the theft of guns has ever been a problem, There are thousands of shotguns at homes all over the country, rarely are any stolen. Why steal a shotgun when you can by a revolver for £85 in any UK city and and automatic weapon with ammo for a grand.

Fact file: guns in Britain

Punishment or "respect" shootings are a growing trend in London, with 72 reported cases of people being shot in the legs this year, more than double the 33 incidents reported in 2008.
Between 1 April 1 and 30 September this year, there were more than 1,700 crimes committed involving guns in the capital. This represented a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2008.
Every year, between 50 and 60 people in England and Wales die as a result of shooting incidents, according to government figures.
The weapons of choice for gangsters are the Mac-10 sub-machine pistol and the Russian-made 9mm Baikal pistol, which is smuggled into the UK from illegal weapons factories located in Lithuania.
In the first seven months of 2009, 985 firearms were seized by police in London. Of these, 217 were "live-firing" weapons, and of these, 136 were handguns, 72 were shotguns and nine were sub-machine guns.
The rest are believed to be "BB" pellet guns, air guns, replicas or other "non-live firing" guns.
A 14-year-old boy was convicted of possessing a gun, a silencer and ammunition for the weapon earlier this year. The weapon was found in his bedroom in Lewisham, south-east London, when he was just 13.​

 

[stagman]

I don't think the theft of guns has ever been a problem, There are thousands of shotguns at homes all over the country, rarely are any stolen. Why steal a shotgun when you can by a revolver for £85 in any UK city and and automatic weapon with ammo for a grand.
[

You are absolutely right Jim , the theft of guns which are held legally by the public has never been a problem .The criminal would never bother to go to all that trouble when he can easily pick up any weapon and calibre he chooses from a pub in the City .

 

[The Wallace]

when he can easily pick up any weapon and calibre he chooses from a pub in the City .

Am in the market - where?
Need it to protect myself from the guys who only feel secure traveling abroad if they can take their airgun!

 

[stagman]

Am in the market - where?
Need it to protect myself from the guys who only feel secure traveling abroad if they can take their airgun!

You be safe enough with your curling tongs

 

[The Wallace]

You be safe enough with your curling tongs

We don't use tongs when curling - only rocks and brooms - how did you know I am that kind of curler?

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