Airgun - Indian Laws - General

Term Airgun As per New Encyclopedia Britannica Volume I as under : air gun, weapon based on the principle of the primitive blowgun that shoots bullet, pellets, or darts by expansion of compressed air. Most modern air guns are inexpensive BB guns (named for the size of the shot fired). The best of these develop about half the muzzle velocity of light firearms, are accurate enough for marksmanship training at ranges up to 100 feet (30 metres), and can kill small game. Darts with tranquilizing drugs may be fired to immobilize animals for handling or capture. An air gun projectile seldom carries beyond 100 yards (90 metres). Gas guns are comparable in power and accuracy to air guns but are powered by a reservoir or cartridge of liquid carbon dioxide, of which a portion escapes as an expanding gas when the trigger is pulled. Major ref. 8:501d shooting competition event and rules 16:707c. In a case report Air Gun A Deadly Toy? authored by F S Kuligod, Prasanna S Jirli and Pradeep Kumar, Officers of the Department of Forensic Medicine, K.L.E. Society s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum, Karnataka introduced Airgun as under: Many people fantasize about handling guns. They try to make it come true by playing with air guns (air rifles) at funfairs by target shooting, or bird hunting in the fields. As there is no age restriction in most countries to have or handle air guns, they are easily accessible to children who, due to their ignorance, handle them inappropriately. The air gun is a simple yet ingenious and effective weapon based on fundamental mechanics. The gun primarily employs a very stiff compression spring to transmit momentum to a light pellet. Here, a very clever method of transmitting energy to the pellet is used. It is not by collision but using the dynamics of compressed air. Most modern air guns are inexpensive BB guns (named for the size of the shot fired) (DiMaio, 1985). The best of these employ about half the muzzle velocity of a light firearm, are accurate enough for marksmanship training at ranges up to 40 metres and can cause serious injuries (Reddy, 2003) An air rifle is distinguished from an air gun as the former is a rifled weapon and the latter is a smooth bore. Air pistols may be either rifled or smooth bore. The weight of an air weapon pellet is concentrated in the head; with a hollow body. Its centre of gravity is well forward from the mid point. Hence, these slugs are not subject to the tendency of tumbling. This is an important factor in a projectile of low energy contributing to its capability to penetrate a target (Ravindra,1999). There are three basic power systems for airpowered guns. They are pneumatic type, spring air compression system, and gas compression type (Di Maio, 1985). Death from an airpowered gun is rare. A review of English language literature reveals only a few deaths. Most involved children (Green, 1982). In most of the cases the point of entry was in the head. The authors after examining applicable mechanism design and use of airguns concluded as follows: Air guns, although considered as toys, can cause injuries ranging from trivial to fatal. The type and severity of injuries depend on the type of air gun used, the range at which it is fired, and the anatomical site at which the pellet hits. A fair degree of comparison between injuries by hand guns and air guns can be made by careful examination of the entry wound. Lack of care, supervision and unstructured use are the risk factors contributing to the incidence of fatal injury from air guns. Even in developing countries proper laws should be enforced regarding the sale and use of air guns. M/S TARGET CENTRE VERSUS THE COMMISSIONER COMMERCIAL TAX LKO. - 2019 (3) TMI 709 - ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT