Pellet Guns?

[FUSE]

Anyone know if there is any reason why I wouldn't be able to shoot my pellet gun in my backyard?? There's no laws governing that is there?

[wilit]

It depends on the municipality. Some consider pellet guns to be firearms. I found out the hard way.

[FatKatMatt]

I used to have a BB gun and a .22 pellet gun before I upgraded to real guns, shot them at cans in my backyard for a while until I learned it was illegal to shoot them in the city limits.

[Guns R Tools]

Would it be illegal to do so inside the house, like garage?

[ts]

Sling shots are illigle to shoot inside your house, legally putting a paper clip between a rubber band and flicking is illigle to do inside city limits. Is that gonna stop me? Is anyone gonna give you trouble? If your carring around a pellet gun and you are minority in a bad neighborhood they will give you trouble. But if you have a logically reason for carrying it with you then I am sure you will be fine.

[rorschach]

Sling shots are illigle to shoot inside your house, legally putting a paper clip between a rubber band and flicking is illigle to do inside city limits. Is that gonna stop me? Is anyone gonna give you trouble? If your carring around a pellet gun and you are minority in a bad neighborhood they will give you trouble. But if you have a logically reason for carrying it with you then I am sure you will be fine.

I know departments around here treat pellet guns the same way firearms are. Why would anyone be carrying a pelletgun on their person anyway? If you're a minority with a pellet gun you are going to get crap anyway, good neighborhood or bad.

And where the hell is ohsmily when you need him??

[ohsmily]

Sling shots are illigle to shoot inside your house, legally putting a paper clip between a rubber band and flicking is illigle to do inside city limits. Is that gonna stop me? Is anyone gonna give you trouble? If your carring around a pellet gun and you are minority in a bad neighborhood they will give you trouble. But if you have a logically reason for carrying it with you then I am sure you will be fine.

Why don't you cut and paste the law from your particular municipality or local jurisdiction and show us that putting a paper clip between a rubber band and "flicking" is "illigle"

[elsolo]

Where I live it is considered discharging a firearm in city limits.
Most folks don't know that and aren't at all concerned about the adult neighbor that shoots a relatively quiet airpistol in his home.

If you carry it out onto the street to shoot that pigeon off your roof, you are in a whole different set of circumstances.

[eckerph]

Call you're local PD, my mom called the cops on her neighbor for shooting her AC unit with a paint ball gun. The officer said it was the same as discharging a firearm. Will they lock you up for it? probably not, they didn't take the neighbor away just gave him a talking too.This happend in Clovis,CA BTW.

[ohsmily]

I spoke with an LAPD officer (he was on duty) specifically about shooting air rifles and pistols in residential areas/backyards, etc. He said there was no law preventing it but if it was causing a nuisance to neighbors and they complained, that the cops would issue a warning and thereafter if the behavior continued, write a citation....

I doubt he knows what they actual laws are about it, but that is the way he handles the situation when it arises.

[pacificamark]

Hmm

Interesting, being a current student of criminal justice and knowing that the California prison system is running well beyond its maximum capacity limits already, we need to be more concerned about jailing VIOLENT offenders and not jailing those responsible for trivial offenses like discharging an air pistol or bb gun in the privacy of your own home or even your backyard. It's a nuisance until someone is hurt. I think your local PD would be more interested in getting a monetary settlement from you regardless of what the law actually states. Hell, DAs let felons plead down every day of the week because of their backlog.

[ts]

Why don't you cut and paste the law from your particular municipality or local jurisdiction and show us that putting a paper clip between a rubber band and "flicking" is "illigle"

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=39826

read that thread

No person may fire or discharge a firearm, gun, rifle, spring gun, air gun, air rifle, BB gun, pellet gun, sling shot, or other gun or device which throws or projects bullets or missiles of any kind by means of elastic force, air, or any explosive substance. (Amended during 2005 recodification; 1991 code § 5-8.1)

that good enough for you?

[ohsmily]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ad.php?t=39826

read that thread



that good enough for you?

It's pretty good. However, what that amounts to is a poorly written, overly broad law. A reasonableness standard properly applied to that statute would allow someone who was arrested for shooting a spitball through a straw with their "air" power, or launching an eraser using a rubber band (elastic power) to not fall under the definition of that law. So, enough hyperbole, use your rubber bands and straws as much as you like. It isn't "illigle" or illegal.

[ts]

Well thanks for correcting my spelling! I typed that late at night, and I didn't take the post that seriously. Everyone knew what I meant. That law is very broad, but all those things could be contrived as illegal - under that law - now is anyone going to enforce that, of course not.

[xrMike]

I doubt he knows what THE actual laws are about it, but that is the way he handles the situation when it arises.

There --much better now.