The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Lead free pellets are an oxymoron.

Where the hell is this irrational lead phobia coming from?

If you are serious about poisoning, pollution and damage to the environment, then I would stop using anything with an internal combustion engine before I would worry about a few lead pellets FFS.

There is no sense of proportion in the world any more.

walesdave wrote:While I'd almost guarantee your air-pistol isn't even close to the legal limit (it's hard to find even a modern one that is), remember that any air pistol in the UK over 6ftlb is a mandatory 5 years in jail, so worth getting tested by a proper air gun specialist....as others have said, 'regular' RFDs can be a bit hit and miss.

Not quite. Unauthorised possession of, yes, but on an FAC, NO.

I did not think a +6ft/lbs air pistol was allowed on S1. I could be wrong though, it is not something I have ever come across.

Ovenpaa wrote:I did not think a +6ft/lbs air pistol was allowed on S1. I could be wrong though, it is not something I have ever come across.

Agree - I don't think there's any provision for 6ftlb + air pistol on an FAC.

If it's the usual "barrel over cylinder" Webley airpistol it won't be anything like 6ftlb - I certainly wouldn't worry about getting it tested, other than curiosity.

The whole design would deem it almost impossible to get much above about 4.5ftlb. The swept volume of the piston and the lost volume and torturous route of the transfer port, turning 180 degrees through two right angle bends it's surprising the pellet clears the barrel. I've hear of these pistols breaking the 500 fps barrier with lightweight match pellets, after extensive machining but that calculates to just 4ftlbs.

A photo and a serial number we could probably date it for you - some variants are quite collectable.

dromia wrote:Lead free pellets are an oxymoron.

Where the hell is this irrational lead phobia coming from?

If you are serious about poisoning, pollution and damage to the environment, then I would stop using anything with an internal combustion engine before I would worry about a few lead pellets FFS.

There is no sense of proportion in the world any more.

Hmmm I agree that maybe pellets / pipes and the like are probably not so much of a risk, but I disagree people have an irrational lead phobia in general. I know its off topic but lead paint / dust etc is well know for causing all sorts of side effects especially in children. I guess it's a bit like asbestos being that it's all over the place but people don't always realise the hazards until they start breaking it up. Don't want to get in a debate about it, I would just prefer lead free if possible, unless they are crap, which from what I have read many are? I'm not against them or anything just would choose the lead free if the performance was the same even if I had to pay a bit more.

1066 wrote:

Ovenpaa wrote:I did not think a +6ft/lbs air pistol was allowed on S1. I could be wrong though, it is not something I have ever come across.

Agree - I don't think there's any provision for 6ftlb + air pistol on an FAC.

If it's the usual "barrel over cylinder" Webley airpistol it won't be anything like 6ftlb - I certainly wouldn't worry about getting it tested, other than curiosity.

The whole design would deem it almost impossible to get much above about 4.5ftlb. The swept volume of the piston and the lost volume and torturous route of the transfer port, turning 180 degrees through two right angle bends it's surprising the pellet clears the barrel. I've hear of these pistols breaking the 500 fps barrier with lightweight match pellets, after extensive machining but that calculates to just 4ftlbs.

A photo and a serial number we could probably date it for you - some variants are quite collectable.

Thats the only picture I have at the moment. Don't have serial number to hand but can get it. Cheers.

Steve12345 wrote:

dromia wrote:Lead free pellets are an oxymoron.

Where the hell is this irrational lead phobia coming from?

If you are serious about poisoning, pollution and damage to the environment, then I would stop using anything with an internal combustion engine before I would worry about a few lead pellets FFS.

There is no sense of proportion in the world any more.

Hmmm I agree that maybe pellets / pipes and the like are probably not so much of a risk, but I disagree people have an irrational lead phobia in general. I know its off topic but lead paint / dust etc is well know for causing all sorts of side effects especially in children. I guess it's a bit like asbestos being that it's all over the place but people don't always realise the hazards until they start breaking it up. Don't want to get in a debate about it, I would just prefer lead free if possible, unless they are crap, which from what I have read many are? I'm not against them or anything just would choose the lead free if the performance was the same even if I had to pay a bit more.

This sounds irrational to me, you use a car, bus taxi etc. road haulage delivers almost all your goods if children's health is an issue then I suggest that you do something about that as lead free pellets won't make jot of difference other than perhaps salving your "green" conscience a tad. There are things called pellet catchers either bought or home made that most air gun users use for catching said highlt dangerous pellet so as not to scatter all over your garden and stop any chance of carry over into unwanted territory.

Steve12345 wrote:

1066 wrote:

Ovenpaa wrote:I did not think a +6ft/lbs air pistol was allowed on S1. I could be wrong though, it is not something I have ever come across.

Agree - I don't think there's any provision for 6ftlb + air pistol on an FAC.

If it's the usual "barrel over cylinder" Webley airpistol it won't be anything like 6ftlb - I certainly wouldn't worry about getting it tested, other than curiosity.

The whole design would deem it almost impossible to get much above about 4.5ftlb. The swept volume of the piston and the lost volume and torturous route of the transfer port, turning 180 degrees through two right angle bends it's surprising the pellet clears the barrel. I've hear of these pistols breaking the 500 fps barrier with lightweight match pellets, after extensive machining but that calculates to just 4ftlbs.

A photo and a serial number we could probably date it for you - some variants are quite collectable.

Thats the only picture I have at the moment. Don't have serial number to hand but can get it. Cheers.

That's a later model Webley senior with the slanted grip and plastic grip plates, good boxed condition made somewhere between 1935-64. Quite collectable and worth , at a guess a couple of hundred pounds. (3.5 ftlb on a good day)

if you remove the lead from your house, you will get very wet. Lead paint has not been readily available since the 1950s. ANY metal oxide and most salts are poisonous to a greater or less extent. Watch out for water---too much and it kills you.
Fred

Polchraine wrote:

walesdave wrote:While I'd almost guarantee your air-pistol isn't even close to the legal limit (it's hard to find even a modern one that is), remember that any air pistol in the UK over 6ftlb is a mandatory 5 years in jail, so worth getting tested by a proper air gun specialist....as others have said, 'regular' RFDs can be a bit hit and miss.

Not quite. Unauthorised possession of, yes, but on an FAC, NO.

No way to legally own a +6ftlb air pistol in the UK - FAC or otherwise.

https://forensicfirearmsconsultancy.com ... -it-wrong/

"if an air pistol which has a barrel less than 30cm or an overall length less than 60cm, exceeds the 6 foot pound limit then it becomes a prohibited weapon by virtue of section 5(1)(aba) of the 1968 Act as amended by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997. Possession of a section 5(1)(aba) prohibited weapon carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment."