Air Rifles

[steffanf]

I'm a bit new to this, so I would like some information on these rifles. Do you need to register an air rifle in MN? Any special regualtions regarding usage of air rifles? Is there any vermin (rats, mice, etc.) that one is allowed to hunt using an air rifle and do you need a hunting licence to do so? Can one target-practice shooting an air rifle in a residential neighborhood (I would have a special target set-up) or must you go to a shooting range? Any and all information is greatly appreciated.

-Gregg B.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

no registering needed, yes you can blast rats and everything. If you are going to small game with an air rifle then yes you need to buy a license. I believe yes you can blast away in town not to mention no one is really going to hear you shooting in the first place.

[Jameson]

Most towns, cities, whatever, including my own lump air rifles, bow and arrows, pistols, shotguns, etc in to the same group. So likely whatever the laws outlawing the use of "real" guns in your city apply the same for air guns.

If it's a slick, highpowered air rifle, ya should be able to take out many a small critters with it. If it's a cheapo air rifle, stick to pop cans.

[jigging-matt]

Be careful shooting you air rifle in town. Like what was previously said, most places consider it a weapon and it is not allowed to be shot in town.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I guess the cops around my place have never cared about it or no one has ever called them on me. Now that I know that I will have to look more into it.

[MuleShack]

We got in trouble for shooting stuff from our balcony back in college. It was facing the back yard and it was during a day time party with a BB gun and we were shooting cans etc. Cops came and we got a ticket for it and let us keep partying. 20 years ago though.

[koonie]

Many of the newer style air rifles are pushing pellets at 1000 to 1600 fps. If this is the type of air rifle you have it's definately not safe to shoot in town. Also, the make a fairly loud pop when shot.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Ya no mins the old style. Not a new style one that can take a pig down. quite and i'm lucky if it makes in 50 feet lol:)

[steffanf]

This is a 1000 FPS Winchester (Daisy), sight and all. Was wondering if it can be fired in my backyard, at a safely-built target, of course. I can understand if it is not allowed to be fired within city limits, but I just wasn't sure. It certainly doesn't make much noise, so there aren't any noise-abatement laws being broken.

[Tom7227]

Firearm defined - Minn. Stat. §97A.015 Subd. 19. “Firearm” means a gun that discharges shot or a projectile by means of an explosive, a gas, or compressed air.

You are at risk if you shoot this gun in an urban area. You must follow the law as if it were any other firearm.

[steffanf]

That was kind of what I was looking for. I also checked some other state stautes. You can not discharge a firearm in a municipality... period. So, air guns appear to have all the same restrictions as typical ballistic firearms. Thanks for your help fellow FMers...

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Ya now I can't shoot it anymore knowing what I know now. I'm not looking to get my privies of owning or even having a gun near me taken away.

[Archerysniper]

When your driving home and you see the sign that prohibits the discharge of firearms in your city guess what your bb slinger is a firearm by the law enforcement community.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I always shoot my air guns at my girlfriends in her yard and nobody has ever seemed to care. I'm sure it's not legal, but we eliminate rabbits from her yard because they bury themselves into the ground and make for a bloody mess when you run their babies over with a lawnmower. The .22 pellet rifle we have drops them in one shot at 40-50 yards.

If you want something for pest control, let me recommend a .22 cal pellet gun. Beeman makes a GREAT rifle that comes with two barrels, one being .177 and one is .22 cal. These are break barrel, so no c02 and no pumping 10 times.

[MuleShack]

I'm sure it's not legal, but we eliminate rabbits from her yard because they bury themselves into the ground and make for a bloody mess when you run their babies over with a lawnmower. The .22 pellet rifle we have drops them in one shot at 40-50 yards.

I would rather use a paint ball gun on those rabbits. That way you would tell which ones you hit by the colors and it would be like shoot and release

[nofishfisherman]

Steffanf,

I see you are in Lakeville. About 15 years ago when I was a teenager I was shooting my air rifle and had the Lakeville Police came and paid me a visit. I was out in the woods near my house and they came and tracked me down.

Apparently someone saw me carrying the air rifle out there and called the cops.

Anyways the cops gave me the run down. An air rifle is considered a single object projectile weapon and it is not legal to shoot it within 500 feet of any building within city limits.

Being young a uninformed they let me off with a warning and sent me home with my gun.

So I can 100% verify from personal experience that it is not allowed in Lakeville.

[fish with teeth]

i have the same pellet gun as minnesotawild, and as he said it is nice even has a scope on it. i use it for crows, rabbits, squirels, woodchuck, and even got a raccoon last year that was trying to move into the wood pile. yes it is not legal so i dont really take it outside (removed the screen from a back window, they dont even know what hit them). i take the risk so you have to decide for yourself.

[nofishfisherman]

Originally Posted By: MinnesnowtaWild

I'm sure it's not legal, but we eliminate rabbits from her yard because they bury themselves into the ground and make for a bloody mess when you run their babies over with a lawnmower. The .22 pellet rifle we have drops them in one shot at 40-50 yards.

I would rather use a paint ball gun on those rabbits. That way you would tell which ones you hit by the colors and it would be like shoot and release

I bet you could kill a rabbit with a paint ball gun if you had the mind to. Most paint balls guns have the ability to be adjusted to increase the velocity of the paint balls. I bet you could sling the paint fast enough to kill a small animal like a rabbit with the proper adjustments. Also the paint wears off really quickly so labeling the trouble makers wouldn't work so good. Within 10-15 mintues most of it fades so you can't see it any more.

[BoxMN]

I am not a fan of having BB guns classified the same as a "Real" rifle, but it is what it is. I do know that a paintball gun would be treated the same as a pellet gun, and even a potato gun, YES a potato gun!, would be likewise classifed. Even a bow is... So if you live in even a smaller community, make sure you know the rules. I know in WBL it costs $750 for that first pellet you are caught shooting... heh, not from personal experience, but from good source. I don't shoot mine in town anymore...

[Tom7227]

A paint ball gun is not a firearm for purposes of a charge of assault in the second degree unless it can be shown that the defendant fired the gun with the intent to cause great bodily harm. State v. Coauette, 601 N.W.2d 443, Minn. App. 1999.

[BoxMN]

So it is not a single projectile weapon? I am not sure, I guess, but they sure lump everything else in to that. So you are saying one would NOT get a ticket for firing it in city, or at an animal? If so, I am going out to buy one this week

[Jameson]

Guarantee ya that a tippman paintball gun just slightly turned up with some cold paintballs will kill a chipmunk at 10 yards.

Guaranteed.

[nofishfisherman]

It was my understanding that cold paintballs will actually do less damage. The paint inside has enough alcohol in it that it can't freeze and cold temps make the outer shell more brittle and more easily broken.

But still I don't want to be the guy getting shot at to test that theory.

The last time I was playing paintball I had a rental gun and some of the guys that brought their own guns had them turned up quite a bit and I can tell you it REALLY REALLY hurt. You could tell which gun you got shot with just by how much it hurt. I ended up getting shot in the neck with one. It was the first and only time I was taken off my feet after being hit.

[redogman67]

First of all I am not sure why anyone would want to try to kill a rabbit or a chipmunk with a paintball gun. Even if it could kill a rabbit which I doubt it would at any reasonable distance, why would you want to? I am pretty sure it is illegal to shoot any animal with a paintball gun and you would get in more trouble doing so, than from shooting any pellet gun within city limits. All cities have different regs on what an air rifle is classified as, so if you wanna be sure just goog l e your city and you should be able to find your answer. If its legal and you have some pests you wanna take care of just use a pellet rifle that's at least around 900 fps or greater. But I hope people aren't trying to see what the bare minimum it takes to kill things for example.... using a paintball gun... that's what little kids do.

[MuleShack]

settle down bud,

The comment was with tounge in cheek stating that it would mark it such as catch and release in stead of shooting it with a pellet gun. hence the