DH has bought DS (15) an air rifle

[Fiendishlie]

They went to a 'gun club' for some sort of taster session. Of course they have come home with a £140 air rifle. I am furious on so many levels; guns, money, lack of consultation (pretty sure I've said no in the past).
What should I do? I've stormed off in disgust and taken to my bed. DH will no doubt do his usual trick of turning it round so that he's angry with me for daring to be upset.

Sorry but I don't think leaving a gun in the shed is good enough. Sheds are burgled more than houses where I live.

I wouldn't be impressed if I were (a) your insurance company, (b) the police, or (c) the mother next door.

Haven't read all the thread...but I would be furious. A gun is a gun is a gun, however it is dressed up,and it should have been discussed with you first ,in my opinion.

If you don't live somewhere with your own land, what is the point of owning a gun?

It's illegal to shoot over land boundaries, it's illegal to own one that's over a certain pressure (you need a firearms cert if it's over and they're a pain in the arse), gun cabinets cost a bomb. There's a reason they keep guns in the country; because they're used to all the shit that goes with keeping guns.

Then: what are you going to shoot? If you aren't on a farm, how much vermin can you possibly find? You aren't allowed to shoot crows or rats unless they're on your own land (plus there's the risk that the pellet will cross land boundaries). Shoot a can, you say? Well, you can, if you've got a big enough garden and you're sure that the pellet isn't going to go outside of your garden.

Having a gun at home, with kids, and no cabinet, is asking for bloody trouble. Accidents can happen - animals and children can get injured or killed. Can you be sure they haven't got ammunition? That they won't shoot it without adult supervision? Other posters on here have already said that they have guns, in locked cabinets with the keys scrupulously hidden.

Sounds like a royal pain in the arse to me. The OP's husband should have bought membership to the gun club, not a gun. You can shoot what you like there without any of the hassle.

There's also the question of Third Party insurance, which all gun users are recommended to have. This is clearly going to apply to you OP, as you don't have your own land, the gun will be being transported and it isn't (as yet) being used by anyone trained.

Like I said - give the gun to the gun club and keep it there. No reason AT ALL for a non-hunting, non-country dweller to have any kind of gun in the house.

Oh my df too had guns - all legit and we had this most awful bloody ugly safe bolted into our wall (so noone could steal them in burglary).

He took me shooting to a gun club at a young age (but legit) - massive bloody thing and I hated it (noting I could not even tolerate the sound of a can of fizzy drink being opened) and the noise and the recoil (painful).

Didn't do me any harm but he also bought my dcousin (male, of course) some sort of pellet or air gun when he was a youngish teen (I think) and dcousin's friend ended up shooting him in the leg. Family were none to pleased.

I wouldn't encourage it at all. I have a ds. I hate firearms. Not sexy, not funny, and I fail to see it useful in the development of a young person. Not in world view.

Gun laws have changed massively - ensure that your ds is safe and if you are not comfortable with a weapon in your home (I certainly was not afraid of the guns in our home but felt the safe was this huge and oppresive thing in the corner of our downstairs spare room) you need to get this dp to get rid.

A gun does NOT maketh a man.

Victor, you are lecturing me like I need a telling-off. quit it.
The rifle is not the type that needs a licence, nor is there any legal requirement to have any special sort ofcabinet for these types of air refles.
He did join the gun club; hence going on the taster/intro course.
What on earth do you mean 'This is clearly going to apply to you OP, as you don't have your own land'? I said the rifle is locked in the shed, and then clarified that it is a brick-built outbuilding. Nowhere has 'land' been mentioned. (fwiw I may not have a stately estate, but I have land enough to shoot a rifle on, should I wish)

refles? sorry

It is an offence to fire any kind of gun, rifle, air rifle, whatever, across the boundary of your own land or land where you have permission to shoot. It's also an offence to shoot within 50ft of the public highway.

It's not lecturing you to point out that it's a whole bunch of hassle and arse to own any kind of firearm in your home, and a pain in the bum to use it as freely as one might wish unless you're out in the countryside. It might not be outright illegal to own one but the law does make clear that heavy restrictions apply.

Op basically you are being told the law by someone tgat knows what she is talking about. It means that if your ds decided to do some targets in tge back garden he mustn't be within a certain distance of tge road and his ammo must not leave your garden ie he must be a bloody good shot and have tge right set up.

Also to add if anyone were to see his rifle don't be surprised if someone rings tge police some people are funny about firearms.

Yes, sorry. Don't forget I don't want the damn thing!
We're in the country. A mile from neighbours and shortest distance from the public highway is 500 metres down private drive. I've looked up the legislation. Plus I did say it is for use at the club only.

How much does your dh and ds know about it though? What is to stop your ds shooting at home ? Is he mature? Could he be influenced by peer pressure?

I think that owning an air rifle is an important part of adoslescent growth. I gave my DS an air rifle at the age of 7. He has grown to use it responsibly and has sorted out rat problem! I think that you should always look on the bright side of life!