Am I allowed to fire an airgun inside my own house?
- Thread starter BlaqueJacqueShallaque
- Start date
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
Yes you can as I have had short shooting ranges in every house I've lived in.
Ya definately be careful. In our area the by laws state that it is illegal to discharge firearms and this includes pellet guns under the 500 fps velocity.
That being said, as others have pointed out if the chances of getting caught are nil then pull the trigger on the idea, so to speak. Inside you house= yes, backyard= no.
Bylaws are the lowest form of laws that exist in Canada. They're passed by the city in the same manner as bylaws against littering, making too much noise (noise abatement bylaws) and other bylaws passed for the purpose of enhancing "public safety".
I'd suggest that you contact the City Clerk's office and ask them to kindly send you a copy of the "no firearms-discharge" bylaw (which creates the offence) as well as any bylaw that sets out the penalty provisions for breaching the "no discharge" bylaw (which might exist separately).
For the longest time here in Edmonton we had a bylaw that prohibited spitting in public. It was passed at a time when tuberculosis was a genuine public concern and, as with so many useless laws, was passed with the best intentions. Do people still spit in public? It would be a safe guess that some people still do.
So, what about littering? There's another offence that is generally prohibited within cities by appropriately worded municipal bylaws. Does that prevent people from throwing their empty Tim's cup out their car window? If they stow their empty coffee cups it probably isn't because there's a bylaw on the books telling them it's wrong to throw it on the road and threatening a fine if they break the law.
Remember: Municipal bylaws are the lowest rung of "enforcement"-type/quasi-criminal law in Canada. They are not criminal law and cannot result in imprisonment nor a criminal record of any sort. The penalty will be a monetary one (i.e. a fine) on conviction. If you're shooting your pellet gun within the confines of your own home, are you commiting an act they is endangering public safety?
I wouldn't recommend shooting your "non-PAL requiring airgun or airpistol" outside if you live in the city (even if you've got a great backstop) as you may be mistaken for someone with a real firearm, in which case all bets are off on what sort of response may take place.
But, in the basement of your own home? That sounds to be outside of what the bylaw is intended to address (public safety).
It's always good to get copies of the actual bylaw from the people who are in charge of keeping track of such things (i.e. the City Clerk's office).
It looks like the relevant bylaw is contained in "The City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 463 "FIREARMS", which, in turn, appears to have consolidated the following (FORMER MUNICIPALITIES’) FIREARMS BY-LAWS:
Former Borough of East York By-law No. 17-94, “To prohibit the discharge of
guns or firearms”, as amended.
Former City of Etobicoke Municipal Code Chapter, 130, Firearms.
Former City of North York By-law No. 366, “A By-law to regulate the discharge
of guns and other firearms.”, as amended.
Former City of Scarborough By-law Number 22959, “being a by-law to prohibit
the discharge of firearms in the City of Scarborough”.
Former City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 186, Firearms.
Former City of York By-law No. 1043-71, “To Prohibit the discharge of guns in
the Borough of York”, as amended and as codified in Chapter 865,
Firearm - Discharge in the former City of York Municipal Code.
Each of these bylaws would have been passed under whatever the enabling legislation was at the time (such as Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001, section 119)
Of course, no one is recommending that you should spit on the sidewalk or flick a cigarette butt out the window of your car as these are illegal acts in many municipalities. But the reality is that people do break these petty laws with boring regularity and the modest penalties reflect the (low) "gravity" of these petty "offences".
Use your head and exercise good judgment.
If you're in vanvouver the ERT (Swat) will show up throwing in a couple of flash bangs, shoot the family dog, dragging you out and throwing you down on the lawn. then ransack the house checking out your underwear...either that...or you'll shoot your eyes out.
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
shoot it, have someone listen out of doors...out of sight , and sound , all good
If you're in vanvouver the ERT (Swat) will show up throwing in a couple of flash bangs, shoot the family dog, dragging you out and throwing you down on the lawn. then ransack the house checking out your underwear...either that...or you'll shoot your eyes out.
Oh, yeah. Things sure have changed from the days when kids used to walk around the yard shooting targets or pigeons off the roof of the house with pellet guns or setting up at one end of the property (in full view of traffic and adjacent businesses) shooting pieces of gravel set up on a garbage can lid at the far end of an impromptu "range".
I sure do remember having cops stop by (we lived on a busy avenue and sometimes things happened in the neighbourhood), but they were always very cordial visits and nobody got excited about kids with pellet guns. I'm sure they all had much more important things to do, like dealing with crime.
Different times, that's for sure.
Yep. It can damage the air-pistol.
(It's like dry-firing a bow. Not a good practise)
As posted above, it's like dry firing a bow.
The pellet in the barrel provides resistance against the piston head which seals the air chamber. If a pellet is present, the piston slows substantially more before reaching the end of the chamber than if there is no pellet present. Without a pellet the piston slams into the front of the chamber, which will eventually damage the seal. It is the quickest way to ruin a 'springer' air gun.
ChubbsMcGee
Regular
- Location
- Great White North
Your in your house, as long as there's no way for the pellets to get outside or hurt you inside, then give'r ####!! You just need to use some common sense here and if you think it's going to make your life difficult, then don't bother!
Amen brother. Seems like common sense no longer prevails.
Oh, yeah. Things sure have changed from the days when kids used to walk around the yard shooting targets or pigeons off the roof of the house with pellet guns or setting up at one end of the property (in full view of traffic and adjacent businesses) shooting pieces of gravel set up on a garbage can lid at the far end of an impromptu "range".
I sure do remember having cops stop by (we lived on a busy avenue and sometimes things happened in the neighbourhood), but they were always very cordial visits and nobody got excited about kids with pellet guns. I'm sure they all had much more important things to do, like dealing with crime.
Different times, that's for sure.
Calgary seems to have their bases covered. It's probably illegal to play catch or frisbee in a City Park
ChubbsMcGee
Regular
- Location
- Great White North
A Hilti gun, your spos to have training and a card to use them! You have a great point cause there like .22/.25 cal aren't they, firing just like a rim-fire round!
