A Plethora Of Pistols

Gary Chillingworth answers more readers’ questions and delves into the wonderful world of air pistols

- Gary Chillingworth

Last month, I answered letters from readers, Matt and Paul, and we delved into shooting from home and what you can and can’t do. Since the article came out, I have had some great emails – and a few that were not so nice – so before we get into this month’s subject, I’ll take a minute to answer those people who kindly wrote in.

Firstly, the negative; I fully agree that Air Gunner is not an airsoft magazine and the inclusion of an airsoft SLR is outside our normal way of working, but we are all part of the shooting community and there comes a time when some of us have to look for other ways to get our fix. This rifle was perfect for one of our readers and it has enabled him to continue having fun at home, so I stand by the piece.

Secondly, I have been asked about the legality of shooting at home and I will answer this to the best of my ability. It is fully legal to shoot at home as long as you have permission. If you own the property, there’s no problem, but if you rent, your tenancy could be invalidated because some councils and landlords do not allow it. The basic rules are as follows:

• Pellets must not leave your boundary and you cannot shoot within 15m of a road.
• Children under 14 must be supervised by an adult over 21, and no one under the age of 18 can purchase a air rifle or pistol.
• Rifles must be under 12 ft.lbs. and pistols under 6 ft.lbs.
• Shooting somewhere where you do not have permission is classed as ‘armed trespass’ and you could end up with a big fine or even a custodial sentence. If you are unsure of the law, your local police station will help or if you are a member of a shooting organisation, ask for advice.

GARDEN ARMY