My 9 y-o daughter, Amy, has come back from her friends, and she has an inch round bruise on her lower back. She's told us that a young boy on her friends street has shot her with a BB gun. Is there a law against BB guns or an age limit on using one? Basically, Angie and I are furious, and want to know where the law stands.
This might help: What are 'BB' guns? BB guns, also known as 'Soft Air', or 'Air Soft' have been around in many other countries for a number of years, but have only recently started to become more popular in the UK. BB stands for the small, usually 6mm round plastic Ball Bearing projectile that is fired from the gun. How powerful are they? Most BB guns are under 1 Joule in power. The simple understanding of this is that even the most powerful 6mm plastic BB guns will not pierce human skin. So used with safety goggles, you can have paintball-like shootouts without the mess! Mostly they will cause a sharp sting & a red mark (usually followed by bad language from the victim). However, this does not mean that they will not cause any harm! Aimed carelessly - particularly toward unprotected sensitive areas such as eyes - and they can cause permanent damage. BB guns must be treated with respect. Are they legal in this Country? The simple answer is yes - if used on private property. BB guns come under a grey area in the law - because they are spring operated they can be seen as air weapons. And the air weapon laws state that they must only be sold to the over 17's & must only be used by 14 -17 year old's under supervision. But they are relatively low power (in air weapon terms) and some maintain they are just a toy - after all, they are little different from the toy guns you can buy in a local toy shop or market. How old do I have to be to buy one? GiftsToYou must legally take the stance that these are air weapons & therefore will only sell to over 17's. What you do with them after this point is entirely your discretion. We recommend to any parent buying one as a gift for a youngster takes the necessary steps to ensure they are supervised & do not abuse the weapon. We do not sell these as toys - they must be only used with knowledge & understanding. Where can they be used? Many BB guns sold are very lifelike full size replica's. They usually have no marked or red painted end (like toy guns now usually have) and some have to be closely studied to tell them apart from the real thing. At first glance - particularly from a little distance - they will look real. Due to this fact, these guns cannot be possessed in public places. From 20th January 2004 a new law comes in force where police can arrest someone on the spot for possessing a replica gun in public. Waving one around in public is not only illegal but it is also irresponsible & highly stupid - it's not unheard of someone getting shot & killed for this reason. It's what leads to BB guns getting a bad name. BB guns are great fun & should only be used amongst friends (or soon to be ex-friends after they get shot) in the home, garden or on private land.
