Why the hell are crossbows legal in the UK?

I agree with the sentiment, there should be strict regulation around obtaining one of these.

However, does anyone else see the irony of a thread about how dangerous it is that these are freely available, that has done nothing more than glamorise it to a forum full of geeks, weirdos and misfits AND made them all aware that you can pick one up freely off the web!!!

:D
 
RomanNose said:
There's no need to ban every weapon, it would be pretty hard for someone to go on a rampage with a crossbow though and if someone just wanted to kill someone then a knife would be easier.
Firearms should be restricted though, as they can cause mass damage very easily. I think the government is being a bit oppressive about these things and I think it would be a sensible decision to have government run shooting clubs with access to many weapons with a fee.
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I didn't say ban. fwiw to get a Fire Arms Certificate for a gun in .22LR calibre you need to have a valid reason to have the gun, you have to meet stringent checks and you need to have cleared land (ie; the FLO says it's safe to shoot that calibre over(unless you have an open ticket)). You have to have safe and secure storage of your firearm and ammunition at all times. You will have a series of background checks to ensure that you are suitable to hold a Fire Arms Certificate.

The lowest muzzle energy of a .22LR round is about 100FtLbs with all those checks.

To buy a 130 FtLbs crossbow you just need an internet connection, or a local shop selling crossbows.

It's just plain wrong imvho.
 
Chris [BEANS];22508710 said:
I agree with the sentiment, there should be strict regulation around obtaining one of these.

However, does anyone else see the irony of a thread about how dangerous it is that these are freely available, that has done nothing more than glamorise it to a forum full of geeks, weirdos and misfits AND made them all aware that you can pick one up freely off the web!!!

:D
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Indeed.
 
had a few crossbows many moons ago,

fond memories of shooting fridges after consumption of too much buckfast.


oh and btw a 150lb bow will go right through a normal fridge freezer
 
RomanNose said:
There's no need to ban every weapon, it would be pretty hard for someone to go on a rampage with a crossbow though and if someone just wanted to kill someone then a knife would be easier.
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You can't use a knife to kill someone a couple of hundred yards away.

I agree that the situation with crossbows is very unlike the situation with guns, but if you want to kill someone by surprise without them even seeing you, let alone have any chance of defending themselves, a crossbow will allow you to do that and a knife won't.

I recall a mass shooting in the USA in which some nutjob was in a tower, shooting anyone within range. You could use a crossbow for that - rate of fire wouldn't be all that important.

I'd be more concerned with accidental shootings than deliberate ones. Someone buys a crossbow, without any controls and without any need to have any knowledge of the weapon, and takes a shot in their back garden. It's not a gun and it's legal in the UK without any controls, so obviously it can't be all that dangerous. The quarrel goes through their garden, through the fence, through the garden behind theirs, through the kitchen window and through the person doing the washing up.
 
Glaucus said:
No, hunting with a bolt or arrow is illegal.
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Ammunition cost alone is prohibitive never mind the law, even if it were legal the cost of lost and damaged bolts would make it an exercise in burning money.

As for pest control, a bolt action pre-charged air rifle with a magazine makes so much more sense.
 
I should have bought one a few months ago, these rabbits and other critters need a lesson, keeping me awake in the night is bad for you and stop pooping everywhere.
 
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