FPS and PAL

[Heimdude]

I'm still confused about gun laws. Changing the type of ammo you use in a airgun can drastically change the FPS, especially in larger calibers. For example, if you shoot a 5g steel 50cal ball at 280 FPS with a pistol you're techincally under the 500 FPS limit and according to the law legal, but what happens if you happen to have a nylon ball in there that weighs 1.5g so it then becomes 510 FPS? In both cases the joules would be 18. Is the airgun pistol automatically restricted, and therefore not legal to have on you?

 

[ted_dent]

I'm still confused about gun laws. Changing the type of ammo you use in a airgun can drastically change the FPS, especially in larger calibers. For example, if you shoot a 5g steel 50cal ball at 280 FPS with a pistol you're techincally under the 500 FPS limit and according to the law legal, but what happens if you happen to have a nylon ball in there that weighs 1.5g so it then becomes 510 FPS? In both cases the joules would be 18. Is the airgun pistol automatically restricted, and therefore not legal to have on you?

Back when Bill C-68 was being implemented the RCMP pulled a lot of crap like this (big surprise ) by shooting ultra lightweight pellets through sub-500 fps air guns and as soon as they exceeded 500 fps with the lighter pellets classified them as PAL level firearms. Luckily cooler (and smarter) heads prevailed and the 'joules' criteria was added which put an end to a lot of that nonsense.

Therefore, currently for an air gun to qualify as a firearm that requires a PAL to purchase or possess it has to meet TWO criteria:
1. velocity - if the projectile speed exceeds 500 fps
AND
2. energy - it has to generate 5.7 or more joules of energy

If it only meets one of these criteria it does not require a PAL.

I haven't thought about it much but I'm guessing that since handguns are now illegal to purchase, transfer, etc. an air pistol that meets both of these criteria can no longer be acquired.

I'm really not much of an air gun guy so I stand to be corrected but I'm pretty sure the above info is accurate.

 

[Hunter7]

The thing is a lot of these airguns are rated at non pal status but most will readily exceed the fps joules rating with lighter pellets. Many will register 510-520 fps generating 7 joules. I have seen a 200 fps variation in velocity in the same air rifle from the heaviest pellets to the lightest ones. If you go by the Government criteria most airguns any more powerful than a Red Ryder BB gun would be PAL rated. There are several fps to foot lbs/joules calculators available online.