Air Rifle In Car On Ferry.

[Khandro]

I have an air rifle which I would like to bring to England in my car, [Calais to Dover] as a present. If it is well wrapped and out of sight can I get into any problems in the unlikely event of being searched please?

[black_cat51]

as long as you tell them :
24. Can I take my shotgun, rifle or weapon with me in the car?

Yes, provided you are fully licensed and can fulfil all the legal requirements.

You must declare this at the time of booking by phoning our Contact Centre at least 24 hours before you intend to travel:

Telephone
Call centre: 0871 574 7223, or

Call centre (outside UK): [phone]
You can take ammunition, but this must be kept to a minimum and wherever possible, stored separately from any weapon, e.g. in another compartment.

The weapons(s) must remain inside the vehicle and wherever practicable, the bolt, magazine or other vital operating part should be separated from the gun and either carried on the person, secured or hidden in the vehicle, or kept in a locked container, ideally secured to the vehicle. Any weapon must also be obscured from view, under a cover or inside a container. Once onboard, the ships loading officer will be discretely aware of you and will ask you to surrender your car keys for the duration of the crossing. The vehicle must remain locked and alarmed, if fitted. On arrival, the keys will be given back to you.

Once you have informed us of all the details, we must pass the information to other interested parties. All vehicles are subject to searching at both ports and this will avoid any misunderstanding. However, you should still discretely confirm to the check in operator that you are carrying such.

Even if your gun is only for display, the requirements are exactly the same.

[Buenchico]

High-powered air weapons are prohibited. Low-powered ones aren't:
https://www.gov.uk/import-controls-on-offensive-weapons

[jourdain2]

A friend of mine brought a proper shotgun through when he moved here (he's a farmer) and no-one turned a hair. He didn't bother telling anyone, just got his licence when over here. Don't know if it was legal or not.

[Khandro]

Thanks, but having weighed up the pros and cons, I think I will have to disappoint my grandson and not bring it. I've crossed the channel many times and never been stopped, but if I were, I can foresee a nasty scenario with me and my car surrounded by the fuzz at Dover. The scientific proof in the link above from Chris as to whether it's high or low powered, would not be easy to prove'
Astonishing when you think the UK is a major arms exporter.

[shoota]

Where did you buy it Khandro?
You are old enough to own an air rifle in the UK without any problems as long as it is less than 12 foot pounds at the muzzle, which, if it was bought in the UK or France without a firearms certificate it will be.
The French will not bother you, the British have no grounds to.....

[shoota]

(Whilst it is correct black_cat's info does not apply to standard power air rifles.)

[shoota]

The other thing to consider is that if the air rifle was bought in the UK it is quite likely to be above the power limit in France and therefore illegal there, France having a substantially lower power limit than the UK's 12fp.
Also of concern may be the calibre; .22 air weapons are not legal in France, .177 are, as long as they are sufficiently low powered to meet that requirement.
English guns are rated at no more than 16.25 joules (12foot pounds) whilst the maximum allowed in France is 10joules.

[Khandro]

shoota; It's a German made air-rifle and according to my grandson, (visiting here at the moment), it is of a top maker. How would I know how many foot pounds it has at the muzzle? and worse, imagine trying to demonstrate that at the ferry terminal.

[shoota]

Where was it bought and what calibre is it?

[Khandro]

It was left above my garage by the previous house-owner. I know nothing about rifles, but my grandson (now in bed) said I think. '177', could that be?

[shoota]

If the house it was left in is in France it will almost certainly be well within the legal limit for UK.
The same applies if it was left in a house in UK because it is illegal to possess an air rifle over the limit without a firearms certificate which have very strict regulations about disposing of firearms listed on them: you wouldn't just leave them in a garage.
Therefore you can bring back the air rifle legally, just ask the ferry company if you have to declare a non-FAC air weapon.
If it is a Weihrauch it is indeed a good piece of kit.

[shoota]

There are a number of air weapon calibres, the most common of which are .22 and .177 (of an inch)

[Khandro]

shoota; I have just examined it and it is stamped; WEIHRAUCH - as you say, the manufacturer. Mellrichstadt - Bay. which must be the town of manufacture in Bavaria. On the other side it is stamped, HE 30 MII,
Kal. 4.5 - presumably standing for 4.5 calibre.

[penelope2]

My Tai Chi Sihar had his sabres confiscated when he travelled abroad to Europe.

[shoota]

Yes, 4.5mm is the metric equivalent of .177".
I would be 99.99% certain that this air rifle would be legal in the UK.

[EDDIE51]

Is it one of these in the lists?
http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/seiten/englisch/standardluftgewehre/e_standardluftgewehre.html
The technical details of all the guns in the range are on the web site, that should tell you if it is ok, but they seem to supply them to the UK so it should be fine.

[EDDIE51]

Weihrauch UK dealer's web site , phone them and ask.
http://www.airrifleshop.co.uk/Guns/Weihrauch/WeihrauchMain.htm