2 replies to this topic

[Strike Team]

The central government in Westminster intends to hand control over airguns to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP will use this opportunity to impose licencing on all new airguns.

It's no use sitting and being helpless, here are some practical steps you can take:

Write to your MP and the Home Secretary. Convincing the Government and Members of Parliament in Westminster to refuse to give the Scottish Government and SNP control over airguns is our first line of defence. The Write to Them website will enable you to find out your MP's name and address. Simply enter your postcode into the site. A letter is more effective than an email or fax. Be polite and reasonable, emphasising the positive aspects, such as enjoyment you get from shooting, participating in competitions and controlling damaging vermin. If you belong to a club, make that clear, and also mention any formal disciplines you shoot, such as FT, HFT or 10 Metre Match Rifle/Pistol. If you shoot with your son or daughter, be clear about the benefits of a positive and fun family activity and its value in teaching individual responsibility and safe gun use to your child/teenager. State clearly the problems with licencing such as the high cost to the taxpayer, bureaucratic burden on the police and the fact that it will do little to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Be clear that there are already sufficient laws against airgun misuse, and that the best solution is to properly enforce those laws and impose tough penalties on anyone criminally misusing a gun.
Before posting your letter, take time to read it carefully, looking at it from the MP's point of view, and check that it comes across as being reasonable and sensible. If you write to more than one MP or official, send an individual letter to each as sending identical letters to different people will not be well received. Keep your letter short, concise and to the point. MPs and official are very busy and receive hundreds of letters each week. They're unlikely to properly read a letter more than a page or two in length.

This is a letter written by a SARPA member to the Home Secretary. This must not be copied word for word, but is an example of how to write an appropriate letter:

Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Home Secretary
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Dear Ms. May,
I am writing to you regarding the government's plans to transfer control of air guns from Westminster to Holyrood. I have enjoyed using air rifles for competitive Field Target shooting and hunting for many years. Indeed this hobby is particularly important to me as an M.E. sufferer, as my health precludes more active sports that I would like to enjoy, such as mountain biking and Judo.

The SNP proposes to introduce licencing of newly-purchased air rifles. This will cost the taxpayer a fortune, at a time when there is a desperate need to cut back every possible piece of non-essential government expenditure in order to start paying off the vast debts run up by the previous government. With many thousands of existing air guns in circulation, and the ability to purchase air guns freely in England and bring them over the border, this will do nothing to keep air guns out of the hands of the minority who abuse them. It will however make life more difficult for the great majority who use airguns for positive and lawful activities such as pest control, hunting and target shooting.

A far more effective response would be to hand down tough, deterrent sentences to those who criminally misuse guns to commit violent crime. Tough, deterrent sentencing cracked Glasgow's razor gang problem in the 1940's, there is little doubt in my mind that the same can be done with gun misuse.


Yours Sincerely


Better still, go and see your MP in person at his/her surgery. A Google search for your MP's name will take you to their website, which will have details of the time and location of the surgery. Write a letter beforehand, and be polite and reasonable. Remember, you're trying to persuade your MP. After visiting, send a quick thank-you letter or email.

It is even better to invite your MP to visit your club. This is the perfect opportunity to show your MP, who may not know much about air rifle shooting, your club, the disciplines you shoot, your safety procedures and equipment.

Write a letter to newspapers opposing the ban, using the same arguments as above. Local papers are often short of news, and more likely to print readers' letters. Again the letter should be short, concise, clearly argued and to the point to have more chance of being printed.
This is a letter, written by a SARPA member, which was published in a national newspaper:

Sir,
I was deeply concerned to read that the SNP intends to make another attempt to ban airguns. I have suffered from M.E. for a number of years, and as a result the physically active sports that I would love to participate in, such as mountain biking and Judo, are not open to me. However I am able to enjoy Field Target air rifle shooting in spite of my health problems. I am appalled that Alex Salmond wants to take this enjoyment away from me.

A ban will not solve the problem of criminal airgun misuse. Gun crime rocketed after Labour's 1997 handgun ban, there is no reason to believe the SNP's proposed air gun ban will be any less ineffective.

In addition, the government would be required by European law to compensate shooters for the full value of their guns. The compensation bill for the handgun ban was in excess of 80 million pounds. With up to 500,000 air guns in Scotland, many of them expensive precision models used in Field Target shooting, hunting and vermin control, the cost to the taxpayer would be horrific.

When Glasgow was plagued with razor gang attacks in the fifties the authorities did not ban shaving equipment, Instead they handed down severe sentences for razor and knife crime, and the attacks stopped. Until our elected representatives accept that it is violent people, and not guns, that cause gun crime, we are unlikely to see any reduction in the criminal misuse of firearms.


If your club has a competition or other noteworthy event, send a photo with a short article to your local paper's sports desk. The article should also include a contact phone number for those interested in joining.

[Kenny]

Not a criticism but merely an observation. In letters i have written in the past over the years i tend to stick draw attention to not only 'club life' but private individuals who use airguns safely and without concern in there own property and also the thousands who use them as a free service to aid human and livestock foodstock on farms. It's my own feeling that we need to preserve what is in existance and not try to force politicians down the route of forcing shooters to join clubs. Especially in this country when there are so few and don't cover and serve the hole country geographically.

I also point out useful statistics on the falling airgun crime figures, but love the use of past events and the course of tough action in order to erradicate it. i like you also feel that tough deterents are the only cost effective measure.

Good for you and great letter Jim

Rgds
Kenny

[blackdog]

Hello,

I am new to AGS and joined primarily for more information on the proposed air gun ban.

I am in my fifties and got my first air rifle when I was nine years old ( yes, pre Firearms Act, 1968 ).

I am not a member of an air rifle club and never have been. I think clubs are good for the shooting sport but not for me. I am sure there are many others like me. Also, I do not have a club near me. I have a wee farm so shooting ground is not a problem. My passion is target shooting with spring air rifles.

The reason for this post is that I completely agree with Kenny. There are many shooters who are not in clubs ( maybe even more non-club shooters than are in clubs ). I think part of the problem is getting the message out to these non-club shooters who do not have the benefit of club newsletters etc making them aware of the situation. How you would do this though I am not altogether sure.

We have sufficient legislation to cover air weapons as it stands. To me, this is a lack of enforcement issue rather than a legislative one. Crack down on the offenders instead of creating headaches for the law abiding shooter.

I have written to my MP about this.

Keep up the good work !

Regards to all,

Blackdog.