Thread: Even Air Rifles Sting

Just thought I would add my bit to this forum. When I was 13, I got a .22 air rifle as a Xmas pressie. My younger brother got a .177 air rifle at the same time (he is 2 years younger). After the obligatory tin can shootup after the midday meal, my brother disappeared. I grabbed my new toy and headed out the back paddock to see if I could scare up some magpies that had been a nuisance at breeding time. (both my brothers and I were sporting scars from their dive bomb tactics).

I walked round an old mac that dad had dropped, and my brother had made a fort under. As I was creeping along trying not to make a noise (with the air rifle cocked and loaded), I tripped over an old root, and the rifle discharged. The muzzle was pointed at a sheet of iron that my brother had tacked to the tree to get some shelter. First I heard a clang as the pellet hit the iron, quickly followed by a yell of pain from my brother on the other side.

White faced, I sprinted round the end of the tin, to find my brother lying down holding his leg. Being in St John, I quickly assessed the wound, and discovered that the pellet had just grazed the back of his calf. Split skin and a bit of blood oozed from the wound, but nothing major. Both of us were shaking badly, and needed a smoke to calm down. We never told mum or dad as we feared they would confiscate our new toys. My brother blamed the graze on the barbed wire fence that ran round our property.

Lessons learned?

1) Even Air rifles can damage
2) NEVER EVER walk with a cocked rifle
3) Keep your bloody finger off the trigger until you are committed to shoot
4) Watch where the muzzle is pointed at all times

ps. My brother did eventually forgive me, and got me back later in life - but that is another story

It wasn't that long ago that a serving police officer was killed by a drug dealing fuckstick with an air rifle. And he was shot through his vest.

They are no longer kids toys, they are lethal firearms and should be treated as such.

My dad some how scoped himself on my .22 slug gun, he hadnt fired a rifle since the bolt action .222s the police used to have.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

It wasn't that long ago that a serving police officer was killed by a drug dealing fuckstick with an air rifle. And he was shot through his vest.

They are no longer kids toys, they are lethal firearms and should be treated as such.

They are already releasing the piece of shit too.

He should be in a hole with no marker

My bloody cousin shot me with my air rifle while I was riding my motor bike,just embeded in the skin in my chest, lucky it wasnt my eye.
He must have had to lead me by a couple of meters

my Uncle lost his right eye to a drive by slug gun shooting. This was many years ago in the far north.

Originally Posted by Tommy

They are already releasing the piece of shit too.

Great, he would of well & truly 'learned' his 'lesson' by now huh?

Our justice system is designed & run by a pack of schmucks that can't ever seem to dish out a fair & 'just' penalty. Ever.

That's why I donate to the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Only thing to do short of offing the cunts yourself. Justice has to be seen to be done, and this ain't it. Some of our judges need the boot ASAP


Edit: I am in no way implying that extrajudicial killing is the way to go.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

It wasn't that long ago that a serving police officer was killed by a drug dealing fuckstick with an air rifle. And he was shot through his vest.

They are no longer kids toys, they are lethal firearms and should be treated as such.

Actually he wasn't wearing the vest that he was meant to be wearing if I remember correctly. Other than that I agree wholeheartedly.

Yep laugh as you may but a .22 cal FX air rifle is my main practice rifle. It spits out a 20 grain slug at about 900 FPS, so roughly half the muzzle energy of a .22 sub sonic. Had multiple one shot possum kills with it. That Cop found they are no toy, he should have had his vest on poor bugger.

I had a mate in the army that told the following story: "now I don't want you guys to think I'm careless with air rifles.....but one day I accidentally shot my mate in the forehead". After the roaring laughter died down he elaborated that he was under the carport and his mate was up above. He decided to poke his head down to tell him something and ZIP. He would have been sporting a lump the size of Mt Ruapahu. Lucky morons

Ouch, lesson learned!

YES & NO ,

Yes some of the new powerful air rifles are Lethal to us humans ,

NO they are NOT firearms as far as I am concerned , as they use AIR & NOT gunpowder , its just the NZ Police that have mis-labled them as firearms as it makes their application of Law easier .

Later Chris

They were used extensively in the Napoleonic wars and Lewis and Clarke took one on their expedition. They had were better in the rain than the flintlock firearms of the time I read.

Originally Posted by ChrisF

YES & NO ,

Yes some of the new powerful air rifles are Lethal to us humans ,

NO they are NOT firearms as far as I am concerned , as they use AIR & NOT gunpowder , its just the NZ Police that have mis-labled them as firearms as it makes their application of Law easier .

Later Chris

I agree they should be licensed. The old days where they had as much energy as a fart are long past. In the uk a joule limit is applied, and it doesn't take much to reach. We have it easy here, and if we don't and it means Joe Arsehole can have one and make me look like a dick and i lose my ability to have a firearm then see ya later Joe Arsehole.