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Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information


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Air gun licence and starter gun

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  • 18-03-2009 9:59pm
    #1
    lab20
    Registered Users Posts: 25 ✭


    well lads..
    I have being tinkin bout gettin an air gun som time for da summer. at the moment i have a shotgun licence but am looking to get a air gun licence!! how does tis work? how long does it take to get the licence? what type of gun wud be ideal for a starter? was lookin in da region of 150-300 euro to spend!!


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    #2
    fathersymes
    Registered Users Posts: 558 ✭✭✭fathersymes


    lab20 wrote: »
    well lads..
    I have being tinkin bout gettin an air gun som time for da summer. at the moment i have a shotgun licence but am looking to get a air gun licence!! how does tis work? how long does it take to get the licence? what type of gun wud be ideal for a starter? was lookin in da region of 150-300 euro to spend!!

    Firstly, <please> learn how to spell!! :mad:

    da summer = the summer, tinkin = thinking etc..

    Now, to your question. Depends what you want to shoot, I'd get a .22 rifle if you already have a shotgun. License application time will vary but should take no longer than six weeks.


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    #3
    jwshooter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,612 ✭✭✭jwshooter


    lab20 wrote: »
    well lads..
    I have being tinkin bout gettin an air gun som time for da summer. at the moment i have a shotgun licence but am looking to get a air gun licence!! how does tis work? how long does it take to get the licence? what type of gun wud be ideal for a starter? was lookin in da region of 150-300 euro to spend!!

    how long does it take to get a licence ,witch summer are you looking for it for .
    you will want to move on it fast .they reckon a 177 is a better cal than the 22. faster falter shooting the smaller pellet has better penetration than the 22 only read that in one of the shooting mags this week


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    #4
    Duck's hoop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,530 ✭✭✭Duck's hoop


    It's like this: if you spend 400 yos on a decent PCP which is 'FAC' rated, means it's more than 12 ft lbs energy, and probably 28+ then get it in .22 as it shoots flat to 60 odd yds anyway. Get a serial number off the dealer, go to Firearms Officer in your friendly Garda station, fill in your forms, wait 6 weeks and bingo. You should have no bother as you've got a ''proper'' gun already.


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    #5
    rrpc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭rrpc


    Duck's hoop wrote: »
    It's like this: if you spend 400 yos on a decent PCP which is 'FAC' rated, means it's more than 12 ft lbs energy, and probably 28+ then get it in .22 as it shoots flat to 60 odd yds anyway. Get a serial number off the dealer, go to Firearms Officer in your friendly Garda station, fill in your forms, wait 6 weeks and bingo. You should have no bother as you've got a ''proper'' gun already.

    No such thing as 'FAC rated' in Ireland. All airguns over 1 Joule require a licence which is effectively anything that's not an airsoft.


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    #6
    Jonty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,830 ✭✭✭Jonty


    If you have enough land OP you should be looking at a rimfire. You'll get bored with an airgun quick enough, unless you spend mega bucks getting a high power one.

    License wise they will cost the same.


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    #7
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    You'll get bored with an airgun quick enough
    Oh, I don't know about that, some of us haven't gotten bored yet after the guts of a decade shooting air :D


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    #8
    Jonty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,830 ✭✭✭Jonty


    Sparks wrote: »
    Oh, I don't know about that, some of us haven't gotten bored yet after the guts of a decade shooting air :D

    I would say that airgun hunting and airgun target shooting are 2 different things. I would definately agree that airgun target shooting is good craic, but you are shooting within the capability of the air gun, ie the target is always within range.

    With airgun shooting, the rabbit at 50-70 yards is very safe, if you've got no cover to sneak up on him, this is when a .22 rimmy comes in to play.

    If the quarry is far away, in open ground, the airgun has its limitations, and as such will cause the shooter to become demoralised.


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    #9
    milkerman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 460 ✭✭milkerman


    In defence of air rifles
    1. Yes, they have limited range. But in some circumstances this is a major asset such as clearing vermin in farm sheds.
    2. The air rifle (particularly springers) educates the shooter on trajectory and the need to estimate distance accurately. Accuracy with springers is only achieved when the shooter learns to hold the gun correctly and this helps when you graduate onto other types of rifle.
    3. A lot of farmers are uneasy about standard .22 cartridge rifles being used on their land. Air rifles are viewed as being much less risky.
    4. The added power, velocity and noise of a cartridge rifle means there are many hunting shots you have to pass on. Whereas the magpie that settles in the tree over the air rifle shooters head will not make the same mistake again!
    5. PCP's are great guns and have eclipsed the older spring type gun. The spring gun is still a good gun though, is self contained and can be powerful enough for rabbits out to 40yds. The Weihrauch HW80 is probably the best all rounder in my opinion, has been around for 25 years, is accurate & bombproof.


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    #10
    BryanL
    Registered Users Posts: 1,124 ✭✭✭BryanL


    you can get some stunning airguns in England, if you are able to bring them across with your licence and paper work which is very easy to sort out.
    for 300 euro's you could get a very nice secondhand PCP take a look at www.airgunbbs.com some great deals and information there
    Bryan


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    #11
    Duck's hoop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,530 ✭✭✭Duck's hoop


    rrpc wrote: »
    No such thing as 'FAC rated' in Ireland. All airguns over 1 Joule require a licence which is effectively anything that's not an airsoft.

    I know. However, I think you'll find that many in the gun trade use this UK phrase as a handy way of differentiating between 'High power' and 'Low power' air rifles. The ones I talk to do anyhow.

    Edit: And what milkerman said.


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    #12
    recipio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,804 ✭✭✭recipio


    ;) The rimfire and an air rifle have equal pro's and con's. A good springer will cost about the same as a budget rimfire.You will have to develop "fieldcraft" i.e good stalking skills to take rabbits with an air rifle, but hey, that's half the fun. You can only carry about half a doz rabbits anyway.
    PCP rifles are relatively expensive, difficult to maintain and need investment in charging equipment.As a beginner I'd avoid them.
    Ben Taylor, one of the best airgun suppliers in the UK is about to introduce a multilink pump action PCP which will give the best of both worlds--but at a price . Check out the debate on www.airgunbbs.com
    Lastly, a multishot version of any rifle is great for that quick second shot and worth having even in a springer air rifle. Have a look at the Air Arms prosport.

    cheers.


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