Age for non-supervision of an air rifle, under 500 fps

Wikipedia, for what it's worth...

"Air guns that meet the Criminal Code definition of a firearm, but that are deemed not to be firearms for certain purposes of the Firearms Act and Criminal Code are those that have a muzzle velocity of less than 152.4 meters per second (500 feet per second) and/or a maximum muzzle energy of 5.7 joules (4.2 foot pounds). Such air guns are exempt from licensing, registration, and other requirements under the Firearms Act, and from penalties set out in the Criminal Code for possessing a firearm without a valid licence or registration certificate. However, they are considered to be firearms under the Criminal Code if they are used to commit a crime. The simple possession, acquisition and use of these air guns for lawful purposes is regulated by provincial and municipal laws and by-laws. For example, some provinces may have set a minimum age for acquiring such an air gun. These air guns are exempt from the specific safe storage, transportation and handling requirements set out in the regulations supporting the Firearms Act. However, the Criminal Code requires that reasonable precautions be taken to use, carry, handle, store, transport, and ship them in a safe and secure manner.[5]

Carrying one of these firearms is permitted for those aged 14 or older."
 
Personally i think supervised they should be 5 or 6 unsuppervised when they are responsible enough to shoot it in a safe manner. On the farm I would imagine about 10. That's how old me and my friends were when we would go down to the dump and clear out rats.
 
Oh the memories...
I was about 11yrs with a brand new Slavia 624 and let loose as a mouse exterminator along local hay fields as well as rats/mice , English Sparrows and Starlings,around my grandparents horse stables *. With that said, proper safety training and responsible handling is required before anything else at ANY age . I lucked out and had it drilled into me by my dad and uncle , who were both WW11 vets...Oh yeah...it was drilled into me ;)
At 13yrs I was given a Slavia 620 for my birthday...I became a hunter with that rifle.
This was 50yr ago , however... f:P:2:
"Society" had a different view on these things back then ...
 
Society needs to turn back the hands of time when it comes to guns. Kids today spend countless hours saving the world from aliens, zombies, and the criminal element, yet have never learned the respect that is needed to handle a real gun. They need to know that pulling that trigger has real life consequence that cannot be fixed by resetting the game. This is not an argument against guns but an argument for teaching our youth at a young age the responsibility that is needed to own, and handle one.
Teach them young how to be responsible or their peers will teach them when their older something else.
 
Memories....Back in the 50's I got my first BB gun at about age 8 or 9. By 10 we were into BB gun fights (actually we played war with rules in the Edmonton Industrial Airport. George Falkenberg, Barry Ashton - later Lt.General Barry Ashton and the boys. Great fun. Nobody got hurt aside from the occasional hit in the behind.

That was then and this is now. Out in the country who cares? In the city's well times have changed. The days of riding your bike out of town with a .22 hung over your shoulder are long over. As a parent today, in the city.....unsupervised is probably not a good idea going from my memories, kids have notoriously short memories when it comes to parental instructions. I know we did and I doubt much has changed.

Take Care

Bob
 
I would have laughed at the idea of eye pro, all my years as a kid running around with my pellet gun.

Took a shot yesterday, prone off our deck, with our old chicken coop as a target backstop. Little pellet made it through the layers of cardboard, into the vinyl siding of the coop (1/2 particle board) and managed to zing it's way back to give me a little smack on my left shoulder. Lol! Close enough for me.



Most years I'm good for about 40 grackles and starlings. This year has been all zeros (gun must be bent...)
 
hawk223 said:
Perhaps I've used the wrong .22 pellet gun but it was almost useless. It was my cousins and I was shooting gophers so they didn't destroy his lawn or the dog dig up a tree looking for one. I recall seeing the pellet knock the gopher over and bounce off. It got up and ran down a hole. I grew up on a cheap .177 pellet gun and it worked great. It actually has some penetration power. So comparing the two with equal velocities I'd take the .177 every time. If you have a higher performance .22 then it may be better but a blanket statement that .22 is better just is not true.
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Must have had a bad seal or something. I've killed quite a few gophers with a non PAL air rifle in .22. The .22 hits harder, at the same velocity than a .177. Not sure if it penetrates much, or any better in critters. But half the time (roughly) I didn't even pump the air rifle up to the maximum 10 pumps, and killed the quite a few with 7 or 8 pumps. The gun was a Canadian spec Crosman 2200 Magnum.

And I would estimate that about the same percentage made it back into the hole before expiring as those that I have shot with RN .22 LR. Used mostly wadcutters if I remember right.
 
I think I was 10yrs old running around the yard here taking pot shots at whatever I could call a target.

I had enough tree rats walk away from a sub500fps pellet shot within 15yrds, I couldn't imagine trying one on a rabbit.
 
MasterMC said:
I believe our Cadets start shooting Daisy 853C air rifles at around 12 years old. So, it should be the proper age for this kind of. 177 rifles.
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Kids can join the Air and Army cadets at 12 years old and start training on Air rifles. Naval cadet join after they turn 8 and they too are trained on air rifles.
 
gunsaholic said:
I don't think the OP is really referring to maturity level in his question but more so to is it legal for someone that age to be left unsupervised with an air rifle that is under 500 fps and doesn't require a pal.
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I believe the age of consent in BC is 19... under that age the parent is responsible. Although under 500 f/s is not classified as a firearm requiring a PAL, I believe provincially an air rifle is classified as a firearm.

If it is being used on private property I don't think it will matter...
 
I was the range officer for my buddies in my back yard when I was about ten. I was a very responsible kid mind you and, of course, our culture has changed ..... I also ran around with cap guns shooting at my “cops and robbers” buddies and no one called the cops.
 
City Boy said:
I was the range officer for my buddies in my back yard when I was about ten. I was a very responsible kid mind you and, of course, our culture has changed ..... I also ran around with cap guns shooting at my “cops and robbers” buddies and no one called the cops.
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Yes it sure has...

I grew up on a farm and started shooting when I was 4. When I was 6 I had my own .22 single shot and was allowed to go down in the pasture on my own and shoot gophers. I wasn't allowed to have any friends along... that stayed the same until I was 16. Dad trusted me but not necessarily other kids... The farm was a great place to grow up on.
 
Any age the parents deem their kids to be responsible enough to not point the gun at something living unless they intend to kill it and understand that is acceptable. My buddy hunts with his kids. They do great. They are 11 and 14. Been out on the field with them. I'd trust them over some of the older blokes I see at the gun club......
 
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