Is newsagent allowed to display BB guns in shop window?

lovinituk

Dimey wrote: »

Is it legal to own a black BB gun? Just illegal to sell one?

Yes its legal to own one as long as the speed it fires the projectile is within legal limits for its intended use. The VCRA that restricted the sale of them is fairly recent and all guns purchased and owned prior to that are still perfectly legal. The VCRA only restricts the sale of them to the appropriate people so it only becomes illegal to sell them in some circumstances.

Dimey

wealdroam wrote: »

Two of those links are from United States of America.

The Peterborough news item is about airgun pellets.

Not sure there is any relevance here to BB guns as sold in the UK.

I just picked the first 3 stories for illustrative purposes to show MadPolly she was wrong in thinking you'd have more chance of killing an animal with a potato gun than a BB gun.

The relevance is that children who buy a BB gun from a newsagent are very capable of making a mistake or being deliberately cruel to injure or kill a cat or even another child.

All the stories on the internet show it can happen with similar guns. I'm astonished you don't see the danger. These children don't even get training. There parents may not even know about it to offer guidance.

Where is adult responsibility here.

Dimey

Hintza wrote: »

My daughter needs her Rohm Twinmaster Top to compete in her sport of Tetrathlon, she is only 9 years old and has represented her country twice at home internationals.

If she is any good she will go on to hopefully compete for Team GB in the Modern Pentathlon.

She also fences is that a no no too?

Don't be ridiculous, I have previously said OUTSIDE THE SPORTING ARENA. Perhaps I should have also said outside the farming and professional pest control arena.

You should realise that if your daughter is competing for Team GB she will have been trained to use her gun in a safe controlled environment by professionals who know what they are doing. She will also have been counselled how and where to use her gun.

wealdroam

Dimey wrote: »

I'm astonished you don't see the danger.

Oh, I understand the danger alright.

It's just that we have been told by others on this thread that the terms 'airgun' and 'bb gun' have different meanings depending upon which side of the Atlantic you happen to be.

Your links were mentioned by one poster as examples of BB gun tragedies in the UK.

earthstorm

lovinituk wrote: »

There is an awful lot of incorrect information here. Sorry to pick on you earthstorm but a lot of what you have said is wrong...



They should be at least 51% brightly coloured to sell to someone who does not hold a legal defence to the VCRA (eg an airsofter). They are not restricted to spring powered. Air and gas power are fine as long as don't exceed certain fps limits. And the minimum age is 18, not 16.


It is not illegal to sell bb guns that are black or silver but the buyer must have a legal defence to the VCRA (eg an airsofter)


Or at any private property that allows the use of them.


No its not but you must have a valid reason for carrying them i.e. on way to an airsoft site, on way back from shop etc.


The minimum age is 18, not 16.


To the OP - they are not illegal to stock or display them in any colour, they only become illegal if they are sold to someone who is under 18 or in the case of realistic imitations (e.g. all black) are sold to someone who does not hold a legal defence to the VCRA (eg an airsofter)

As a retailer i am aware of the regulations for BB guns, selling to general public the air/electric versions have been increased to 18 but the spring loaded the min age is 16. yes to sell these to general public in a general retail environment they have to be coloured

Dimey

wealdroam wrote: »

Oh, I understand the danger alright.

It's just that we have been told by others on this thread that the terms 'airgun' and 'bb gun' have different meanings depending upon which side of the Atlantic you happen to be.

Your links were mentioned by one poster as examples of BB gun tragedies in the UK.

I thought it was Earthstorm's links in post 33 that were being described as tragedies. I didn't notice whether anyone was claiming they were UK, which clearly they aren't.

But Earthstorm obviously used them as proof that these types of guns can kill in order to counter a suggestion that they couldn't. It doesn't really matter that the examples were from the US. Earthstorm wasn't portraying them as UK.

Edit: - Oh I've just read Earthstorms post 43 and followed the link. I realise what you are saying now.
Well I can only reiterate that I just pasted the first 3 I found on google and wasn't specifically looking for UK examples. We can obviously find more UK examples if necessary.

wealdroam

Dimey wrote: »

I didn't notice whether anyone was claiming they were UK, which clearly they aren't.

Dimey wrote: »

Earthstorm wasn't portraying them as UK.

Post # 43.

earthstorm

you also need firearms licence for the more powerful BB guns in the UK.

OlliesDad

earthstorm wrote: »

As a retailer i am aware of the regulations for BB guns, selling to general public the air/electric versions have been increased to 18 but the spring loaded the min age is 16. yes to sell these to general public in a general retail environment they have to be coloured

Do you know what regulation it is covered under? My local police website advises that it is 18 for any BB gun.

earthstorm

OlliesDad wrote: »

Do you know what regulation it is covered under? My local police website advises that it is 18 for any BB gun.

i was told this by a police officer when i was trading at the appleby horse fair. the cheaper spring ones can be sold to anyone from 16 yrs old. it is when you get the rifles and the powerful air ones that it has to be 18 years.
It does not bother me as i dont sell them and wont on principle, i have seen some traders sell them to kids as young as 5, although the ones like you get from poundland have no power to them to hurt anything