Legality of 'air pistols?'

[Longshot]

A friend of mine is offering to give me an air pistol because he never uses it. It's some Russian make, the model is a 'Skif,' and is a CO2 type that fires .177. It's not modelled on any real pistol from what I can tell, but it does resemble something along the lines of a P99.

I only have airsoft pistols and know the legal situation with those, but what are the rules surrounding .177 air pistols, particularly when they resemble a real semi-auto pistol?

Cheers.

[Tiercel]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

This is a bit of a wierd one. There are no laws regarding purchasing an air weapon of any type, you just have to be over 18.

Bizzare seeing as how we have to jump through hoops to get our hands on a harmless toy bb gun, but you can go and buy a high powered air weapon with nothing but proof of your age.

[Longshot]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

That's what I thought, in relation to air rifles at least, I just wasn't sure about this one because it seems to be essentially a RIF pistol (although it doesn't actually imitate any partiular real firearm).

Picture:

[guard-sniper87]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

im sorry ,

but i swear HIGH POWERED AIR weapons over 6Ft per pound , you need a paper license ie a club member form and id plus CRB

as from over 6ft per pound they are section 2 fire arms

but .177s are not covered by this law just need to over 18 and be able to prove it .
so you should be fine aslong as do not go waving it about in public and not keeping it on show at your abode

[jfox61]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

The law is 12ft lb's then you need a firearms license, 18+ to buy and 14+ to own

[guard-sniper87]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

i was told by the cops mate that over 6ft per pound you need a ticket ,
also confirmed by Springfields army serplus in burton on trent the above info also

im not debating that , all above info is what i have been told ..

[Maverick-cat]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

I have a walther cp88 c02 pistol as long as it is not above 6ft per pound it is legal anything over that for a pistol you need a ticket for a rifle legal limit is 12ft per pound again anything over a ticket is needed. The co2 powered pistols/rifles came off the firearms list about 1997/8

[jfox61]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

Sorry! my bad, 6ft lbs for air pistols and 12ft lbs for air rifles

[cornishpotshot]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

I read (in the shooting times) that it was 12ft/lb before you need a liscence.

If the power is under that, you just need to be 18+ to buy an air pistol/rifle

[jfox61]

Re: Legality of 'air pistols?'

This was taken from an Airguns site with .co.uk in it, whose front page has all the laws and info you need.

A .22 pellet weighing 14.4 grains, maximum permissible speed is 612 ft/sec
A .177 pellet weighing 7.9 grains, maximum permissible speed is 826 ft/sec
The corresponding figures for a pistol are 433 ft/sec for a .22 and 584 ft/sec for a .177

Anything with power over that is classed as a section 1 firearm. Also the legal age to own or buy is 17 and not 18. I didn't know that either, I thought it was 18

It is 12ft lbs Cornish, but thats for Rifles, for pistols it is 6ft lbs