Airguns: Regulation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered reviewing controls on the (a) purchase and (b) possession of air weapons, in the context of recent trends in attacks on animals.
Answered by Sarah Jones
The possession and purchase of air weapons is subject to statutory controls. Higher powered air rifles that are over 12 foot pounds, must be held on a firearm certificate and air pistols over 6 foot pounds are prohibited weapons.
Although lower powered air weapons can be possessed without a firearm certificate in England and Wales, they are still subject to control. For example, it is an offence to carry an air weapon in public without reasonable excuse, or for an air weapon pellet to be fired beyond the boundary of the land or dwelling where permission has been given to shoot. It is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill a pet animal or knowingly cause a pet animal to suffer unnecessarily, which could be committed by shooting at a domestic cat.
We keep the law in this area under close review.
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