BARPC Range Safety Procedures and Risk Assessments
As the Club takes safety at all its shooting facilities very
seriously, all members are required to read and understand the following
documents
BARPC Walled Garden and Popham General Risk Analysis Documents
BARPC Walled Garden Risk Analysis
BARPC Popham Risk Analysis
BARPC EOVH Risk Analysis
Air Rifle/Pistol Laws
Authored by Simon Barker - BARPC Training Officer
The following section covers some of the common laws covering air rifles and pistols as they currently stand in March 2019 for England and Wales only. As the law does change, it is the readers responsibility to always check, with relevant police and government websites, that they are fully up-to date on their understanding of the current law. Other countries have very different laws and if you intend to take your guns to, or shoot in, any country outside of England and Wales (including Scotland, Eire and Northern Ireland) you should check the law relevant to that country.
In addition this section is only concerned with low power air rifles (below 12ft/lb muzzle energy) and pistols (below 6ft/lb muzzle energy). The law terms these as air weapons and regardless of any personal opinions on the terminology we will use the term air weapon(s) throughout this section to refer to these low power air rifles/pistols.
The information in this section is taken from the British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and the Hampshire Police websites.
Age Restrictions
Aged 18+ you can;
- Own an air weapon and/or ammunition.
- Use an air weapon where you have permission to do so.
Aged 18+ you cannot;
- Own an air weapon if you have been sentenced to prison for 3 months or more.
- Have an air weapon in a public place unless you have a reasonable excuse to do so.
Aged 14-17 you can;
- Borrow an air weapon and/or ammunition.
- Use an air weapon unsupervised on private premises where you have permission to do so.
Aged 14-17 you cannot;
- Purchase/hire/receive as a gift an air weapon or ammunition
- Have an air weapon in a public place unless supervised by someone aged 21+ and you have a reasonable excuse to do so.
Aged under 14 you can;
- Use an air weapon on private land with permission and under supervision of someone aged 21+.
Aged under 14 you cannot;
- Purchase/hire/receive as a gift an air weapon or ammunition.
- Use an air weapon unless directly supervised by someone aged 21+.
Points to Note
If you have been prohibited from owning weapons due to a custodial prison sentence (including suspended sentences) you will have been informed at the time of sentencing/release. If you are unsure you should check with your local police firearms licensing team.
Examples of a ‘reasonable excuse’ to have an air weapon in a public place include travelling to/from a place you have permission to shoot and travelling to/from a gun shop or gunsmiths. Public places include public transport and private vehicles travelling on public highways. Air weapons must be unloaded in a public place and should be covered at all times.
Parents/Guardians who buy an air weapon for use by someone under 14 must exercise control over it at all times even in the home or garden.
It is illegal to sell, hire, give or gift an air weapon to anyone under the age of 18.
The Crime and Security Act 2010 made it an offence to fail to take reasonable precautions to prevent someone under the age of 18 from gaining unauthorised access to an air weapon.
Crime and Punishment
Below are examples of some of the crimes that could be committed with an air weapon alongside their respective punishments.
- Trespass with an air weapon in a building | ≤6 months in prison ≤£5k fine or both.
- Trespass with an air weapon on private land | ≤3 months in prison, ≤£3.5k fine or both.
- Kill or injure any bird or protected animal unless authorised to do so under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 | ≤£5k fine.
- Discharge an air weapon within 15m (50ft) of the centre of a carriageway if likely to cause injury, damage or disruption to users | ≤£1k fine.
- Sell or hire an air weapon to a person under the age of 18 ≤6 months in prison, ≤£5k fine or both.
- Make a gift of an air weapon or ammunition to a person under the age of 18 | ≤£1k fine.
- Have an air weapon that you intend to use to damage property | ≤10 years in prison.
- Have an air weapon that you intend to use to endanger life or resist arrest | ≤life imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.
A Closing Thought on Airgun Law
There are at least 38 different offences that could be committed with an air weapon and the law makes no distinction between air weapons and other firearms meaning any offence committed could carry substantial punishment.
Air Rifle/Pistol Safety
This section will cover air rifle and pistol safety with specific regard to shooting at the BARPC ranges however the vast majority of these points should be applied wherever and whenever you are shooting.
Safety is everybody’s responsibility, not just the Range Officers’ or the Committee’s, all members need to understand this section before shooting at any of the club’s ranges and if they are unsure then they should raise their questions to a Range Officer or committee member.
If a breach of these safety rules and guidelines occurs (or if it appears that they are about to be breached) then the matter should be raised with the Range Officer immediately by whoever sees it. If the situation warrants it (ie likely to cause injury if allowed to continue) then anyone involved with the club is empowered to shout ‘Stop!’ and address the matter directly with the assistance of the Range Officer.
All humans make mistakes from time to time and shooters are no exception. Highlighting safety issues allows the individual(s) concerned and all club members to learn from mistakes. By being honest and open about accidents, incidents and near misses we can understand what caused them and work to prevent them being repeated.
Most situations can (and will) be dealt with by means of a discreet conversation highlighting the error along with the correct course of action. All accidents, incidents and near misses will be reported back to all the Range Officers to allow any trends to be identified and to ensure the training delivered by the club continues to be relevant and as effective as it can be.
The Committee may (if the situation warrants it) temporarily remove a member’s right to shoot at the club ranges until they receive additional safety training. In extremis the Committee reserves the right to revoke the membership of anyone deemed to be unsafe.
Whilst this page makes for sombre reading it is worthwhile pointing out that we have not had to revoke anybody’s membership during the club’s forty plus year history and if all members continue to be vigilant with regards to safety then we won’t need to start anytime soon.
All shooters must attend an induction course before being allowed to shoot at BARPC ranges. The only exceptions to this are guests from other clubs (with the prior agreement of a Committee Member) and non-members attending a have a go session who must be directly supervised.
Air Weapons.
Only air rifles making less than 12ft/lbs
and air pistols making less than 6ft/lbs muzzle energy may be used at BARPC
ranges. The club has chronographs and all air weapons will be checked periodically.
Muzzles must be kept pointing in a safe direction at all times. The safe direction is either down at the ground or down range (only if preparing to take a shot). This includes when in transit and when being removed from their case, cocked or loaded. Due to their short barrels particular care needs to be taken with pistols. If conducting any form of maintenance to an air gun at the club ranges the gun should be checked that it is clear at the shooting line before being taken to a bench for maintenance. When on the bench the muzzle should be kept pointing away from all personnel. Weapons are only to be shouldered/aimed when at the shooting line.
Shooting can only commence when the range is active.
At outdoor ranges the signal to stop shooting is a single whistle blast
or deploying the orange flag. The signal to commence shooting is two short
whistle blasts or retracting the orange flag. At the indoor range shooting
is controlled by coloured lights; a red light indicates danger – the range
is active and shooting can commence. A green light indicates safe – the
range is not active and no shooting may occur.
Actions on a signal to stop shooting.
All guns are to be unloaded and actions cleared into a safe backstop (either
the ground or a purpose made backstop). Guns must then be rested
(with hands/fingers away from triggers) before each shooter reports ‘Clear’.
Only once all shooters have reported clear will the Range Officer allow
anyone to move forward of the shooting line. During a ceasefire no guns
are to be shouldered, aimed or pointed down range.
Rifles and pistols must be unloaded when moving.
This means magazine removed (if a multi shot) an empty breech and the guns
being un-cocked. The only place guns should be loaded is at the shooting
line/gate/peg and guns must be unloaded before moving away from the shooting
point.
Ammunition.
Only lead, copper coated lead, tin, zinc, alloy and frangible (Dust Devils TM) pellets/BBs
may be used at BARPC ranges. Under no circumstances is ammunition containing steel or plastic to be used. This is to reduce the risk of ricochets, members may wish to reduce this risk further by wearing eye protection
Targets.
The club has a wide selection of paper, card and reactive targets
(purpose made metal bells, spinners, knock downs etc plus improvised targets
such as coffee stirrers, mints, used shotgun cartridges etc) members may
bring their own targets but should check with the Range Officer before using
them to ensure they do not pose a ricochet risk. Whilst not directly related
to safety it should be noted that the club does not allow the use of human
form targets at BARPC ranges.
Target placement.
No targets are to be placed
closer than 8 yards from the shooting line. Targets placed between 8 and
25 yards must have a steel backstop directly behind them. Targets placed
between 25 and 35 yards from the 55 yard shooting line must have additional
steels placed to the side nearest the 30 yard shooting line. All these rules
are to reduce the risk of ricochets causing injuries.
Spring/Nitro/Gas-ram
guns.
When cocking a piston powered air gun the cocking arm/barrel must
be kept under firm control at all times. This is to reduce the risk of injury
should the gun be discharged during the loading process.
Always treat a
gun as if it is loaded.
This is fundamental to safe gun handling and means
following all the safety rules all of the time and not just when you think
your gun is loaded. Whereas a powder burning firearm is completely inert
if a round is not loaded an air gun can still discharge high pressure air
regardless of whether a pellet is anywhere near it.
Understand how to operate
your gun.
Airguns are becoming ever more diverse and complex and you must
know how your gun works in order to use it safely. Always read the manual
for your gun (if you bought it second hand then most are available on line).
Understand how it functions, what safety features it has incorporated in
the design and also how to recognise/rectify common faults. If you are unsure
speak to fellow club members, someone is likely to know the answer.
Ensure
your gun is safe to use.
Airguns are the same as any mechanical device and
require a degree of maintenance in order to continue working correctly and
therefore safely. Check your guns regularly for signs of damage, for loose
bolts, rust etc and to ensure that all the controls are working correctly.
If something ‘doesn’t feel right’ it probably isn’t. If you are ever in
any doubt about the serviceability of your gun and your ability to fix it
then we would always recommend making it safe and taking it to a reputable
gunsmith.
Never trust a mechanical device.
Having learnt how your air gun
works and the safety features incorporated never rely on them. Safety catches,
anti-bear traps, anti-double loading devices etc have all been known to
fail. They are there to enhance good gun handling not replace it.
Alcohol
and drugs.
You should not shoot or handle air guns whilst under the influence
of alcohol or drugs. This includes illegal recreational drugs but also prescription
and off the shelf medicines. If you are taking any form of medicine check
the potential side effects for drowsiness or an impairment to operate vehicles
or machinery. If in any doubt speak to your doctor or pharmacist.