Firearm law questions

[Surfer 0]

Although in the past I have used high calibre firearms for shooting in Zimbabwe and South Africa, I have not used an airgun since the sixties and that was spring assisted. I like to think that I am familiar with firearm handling etc as this was drilled into me from a very young age, but the myriad of laws over here regarding firearm ownership can be confusing. I assume that they are strictly enforced.

I am interested in purchasing a suitable airgun to eradicate rats, however as I suffer from arthritis in my hands, wrist and arms, a spring assisted air gun is out of the question. As we live in a rural area, the rats that invade our property are of the grey variety and come from the Bulmer's apple orchard at the rear of our bungalow. Reading various websites it states that the BASC allows shooting of brown rats, but no mention of grey rats. Are you allowed to shoot grey rats? In the winter we can get up to a dozen rats congregating around the area where the bird tables are located. We tried rat traps, but after one of two birds got caught, we mothballed the rat traps.

Up to this point in my life, mainly I have only shot for the pot so culling rats is a totally new experience for me. It is unlikely that I can traipse around fields to shoot rabbits as I have to use elbow crutches, but you never know. LOL! I am assuming that for my modest needs a CO2 type rifle would suffice although some of the rats are quite large. We do not have a rabbit problem although we have issues with squirrels, but not really interested in shooting them. Maybe Woodpigeons as we get loads around here.

I would require telescopic sights as eyes not as good as they used to be, night sights and a silencer. Is it possible to pick up a reliable budget air gun that will not cost the earth but will do the job? Thanking you for your answers.

[donnyc 1,203]

Think an AA S200 would suit your needs nice and light extremely accurate

[matt_hooks 188]

I'm not sure what sort of rat you mean. There are only two types of rat at large in the UK, those being rattus rattus (the black rat) and rattus norvegicus (the brown rat). Despite its name, the brown rat can come in a huge variety of colours, from very dark brown right through to white.

 

Both species are pest species and should be destroyed on sight.

 

A standard (sub 12 ft.lb) air rifle will do this job admirably. With your limitations I would recommend a precharged pneumatic air rifle. CO2 is an option, but suffers from some huge disadvantages, especially where shooting is of the "fast and furious" variety, as the expanding CO2 can lower the temperature inside the pressure vessel to a low enough temperature to solidify the CO2. Even a small variation in the gas temperature can decrease pressure to a level that affects accuracy adversely.

 

With the PCP, generally you have a much larger vessel, and so each shot reduces the pressure proportionally less.

 

The PCP will be more expensive to buy than the CO2 gun, as you need to take into account a means of charging (for your needs I think a divers bottle would be the most suitable) as well as the gun cost.

 

It is well worth looking in the classified sections on this site, there are often several PCP rifles for sale at reasonable prices here.

 

As for the legal side, as long as your power level is within the legal limit, and you follow a few simple rules such as not allowing your pellet to cross boundaries over which you do not have permission to shoot, that you shoot only permitted species (basically rats, squirrels, rabbits and hare are fair game, plus a few of the commoner birds under the general licenses, for one of the prescribed reasons) and most recently that you take reasonable steps to ensure that no-one under the age of eighteen has unauthorised access to the weapons, you can't go too far wrong.

 

It's worth looking up the "general licences" to see what birds you are permitted to shoot, and for what reason, before you consider taking avian species.

 

I hope some of that is helpful.

[Phantom 631]

If it's a RAT and it's NOT BLACK then it needs a pellet in the front 3rd of its body

 

Grey, Brown, Pink or Sky Blue Pink with Yellow dots on, it needs exterminating.

 

A co2 will offer reasonable results if you are good enough!

A PCP such as the S200 is awsome!

Used mine last night;

I took a "Quatering" shot on a bunny at 45 yards last night, In through the eye, out through the back of the head, it was dead before its legs gave way

 

A multi shot rifle is the best for rodents unless you are going to bait them

 

Tony