Evening all.

So today was eventful...

A man in a van; I know who it is; pulled up outside our property and took aim at something in the trees with an "air rifle".
I did not get a great look at it as I was cowering in doors.

The police were called...

They popped in after speaking to him, to tell us not to worry it was a just an air rifle and he did not know he could not go around doing that.

Can I just Check:

• Game season is over?
• It's a Sunday?
• I am not in Syria, the Ukraine or Iraq?
• Air rifles look bigger than the converted to 22 rifles I fired over 15 years ago?
• Brandishing a fire arm on a highway is not totally cool?
• Firing any form of weapon on to someone else's property is definitely not TOTALLY cool?
• Firing at birds is illegal?
• Oh and "I did not know" is a known tried and tested defense?
  

So now I suppose is should just stop coursing a fuss, what with complaining about the dog poop on my verge, people dogs running around the garden and some **** snaring one of the badgers that used to live here.

P.S. I eat Pheasant. IN SEASON!

In general, you may shoot *anything* only on private land and with the land-owners permission. Exceptions exist for specialist pest management.

Waving rifles around in public is a good way to get an armed response unit arriving, but I'd guess a warning for a first attempt is reasonable if there were no other circumstances.

You can shoot vermin (pigeon, corvids, squirrel) with an air rifle whenever you like. What you can't do is shoot in a public space or, as barnacle says, on private land without the landowner's permission.

I don't think (outside Scotland) air rifles (below a certain power) are considered firearms. Scotland has just introduced legislation making them firearms requiring a certificate. This was very poorly publicised. I had to bring my two (including the BSA Meteor I've had since I was 12) back to England.

Air rifles and pistols ARE firearms but are only licensed over a certain power outputs. Miss-use can result in anything from fines to imprisonment. If you are prohibited from holding a firearms licence you are not allowed to hold air weapons either.

I would argue that you should not hunt Pheasants with an air rifle even when in season - they dont really have enough power unless FAC rated. Home Office guidance states air rifles can be used a number of purposes including target shooting,vermin control and hunting small ground game (i.e. Rabbits)

The person in question has broached several rules including:

It is an offence for any person shooting on private land, regardless of age, to use an air weapon for firing a pellet beyond the boundaries of the premises.

It is an offence for any person to have an air weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse. While there is no statutory definition of a reasonable excuse, it might include carrying a weapon to and from a shooting club, or taking a new weapon home from a dealer. However, it is ultimately for the courts to decide what a reasonable excuse is.

and also possibly

It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill certain wild animals and birds. When shooting live quarry, it is your responsibility to make sure that you only do so legally.

I would take it back up with the Police.

When does an "airsoft" BB gun become an air rifle?

Interesting that, as you say, there's the FAC-rated airweapons (12ftlbs seems to stick in my head) yet all airweapons (except airsoft?) are firearms?

Can't say I entirely agree about pheasants. Sure you should go for a headshot using a .22 pellet in a good air rifle but, if you shouldn't shoot pheasants like that with an airgun, then I'd say you shouldn't attempt to shoot them with a typical game cartridge as a single pellet from one of those carries a lot less energy than a .22 pellet. A relative of mine used to hunt pheasants incredibly effectively with an airgun.

Yes all are firearms with only more powerful (yes 12ftlbs) options needing a FAC.

Airsoft are also firearms as they are airguns from what I understand but are not as restricted excepting high power variants which fall above home office lethality thresholds as they are typcally less powerful than an standard air pistol/rifle. Airsoft also have their own additional issues as they can also fall under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 as Realistic Imitation Firearms unless specifically painted bright colours. Owning an RIF requires specific criteria to be met - typically your an airsoft skirmisher.

This particular bit of legislation is bizzare as you can buy full metal replicas that fire pellets which are not RIFs but a plastic version is.

Re hunting Pheasant fair enough if the shooter is good enough and knows when not to take the shoot but as standing advice I still think its inadvisable.

Just to add also that its not quite true you can shoot anything on private land with permission. Even with permissions you must do so within the provisions of Firearms Licencing Law and Wildlife & Countryside Act.

I'd assumed by "anything" he'd meant any weapon i.e. You always needed the landowners permission to fire any weapon.

The Sunday reference refers to it being illegal to shoot or take game in Sundays and Christmas day.

I think the rule regarding highways is within 50ft of the highway but only applies to impact the use of that highway. More applicable is use of a firearm in a public place without authority or reasonable excuse.

Possibly MRS. Wasn't that clear so wanted to clarify.

Not 100% on all this as its not really my area as I don't hunt but do shoot.

I'm a bit more shaky than I was - I used to shoot targets and hunt and even made weapons for a brief spell at Royal Ordnance Enfield. I'd like to shoot clays again but I just don't have the time to commit to it.