"Being a farmer I rely on my air-guns for shooting/controlling small vermin , its the safest way, of doing so,I have never been a danger to the public in over 30 years of owning air weapons. To me the answer is simple, anyone owning an air weapon, must either be a member of a Air Rifle?Pistol Shooting Club that is registered with proper insurance, or has written permission from a farmer/landowner and hold valid insurance, as far as I am concerned anyone else with Air weapons should not have them, I would be in favour of some sort of license being put in place, a move to ban air -guns is morally unfair to the decent law abiding citizens amongst us, and I feel Heart Sorry for those people who have lost family members or have been injured by a minority of air gun users."

"This isn't about safety primarily. This is about votes. The same as it was when handguns were banned in 1997. No lessons have been learned because it's far more important to be seen doing "something" rather than letting the opposition suggest "something else" that popular opinion likes the sound of. If governments were really concerned with safety they would stop under 21's from driving supercars, bring back the death penalty for murder, lock up anyone convicted of a crime of violence (and throw away the key) and stop interfering in the politics of distant countries under the pretext of making the world a safer place. The pistol ban didn't work, the airgun ban won't, but it will get the backing of the non shooting public - and you can be sure their voices will drown out the rest of ours. I sympathise with anyone shot with any gun, arrow or missile and utterly condemn the misuse of any apparatus that brings about the harm of man or animal but if the existing laws were upheld as they were meant to be then no new laws would be necessary. But then there aren't enough police officers, the ones we have got are too busy filling out crime reports and paperwork to be able to do useful policing, and finally when culprits of crime are brought to court they are regularly and often sent off with a telling off over and over again because there's no room in our jails and we can't afford to build new ones. Better hope they'll compensate us if we are forced to hand our airguns in. That's about the most you can hope for - especially when the tabloids start one of their campaigns. I feel particularly sorry for Scottish Airgunners as I remember them at the rallies in Trafalgar Square in 1997 (yes I rallied and lost). Scottish Airgunners deserve respect for coming down to London and rallying under their banner, and I call on all English airgunners to support them now in their time of need. Good luck guys (and girls)."

"Good grief, give more powers of any sort to the clowns at Holyrood? ban air rifles, very clever. So I can shoot rabbits with my 12 bore shotgun but not with my air rifle? Cricket bats are dangerous in the wrong hands, beaches are dangerous if you're really stupid or careless, so why not ban them too?"

"Oh gosh. This is another step of disarming the public - why? For power. For control. Look around, we have no power over the government. They have all the power. In every single case of Genocide in the history of mankind has involved some sort of gun control. Those who forget history are bound to repeat it."

"some people have been killed with cricket bats but we dont automotically ban cricket do we, people have been killed in a car accident we dont ban people from driving, i think to ban it would be unfair on MOST of the air rifle community 95% are law abiding citizens that are sensible enough to shoot and own a air rifle, just because a few people have got hold of one and done stupid acts doesnt mean that everyone should suffer i think the law should stay as it is there are already enough laws in place so whats the point in adding more. ?"

"As with all things , the minority shout and the world changes ! I have been a resposible airgun owner all my life , having served in the forces i was taught to a high standard to repect weapons , I hunt rabbits etc on farm land well away from the public ! Why not ban slingshots ? they can be far more dangerous ! Cricket bats, golf clubs It does not matter to the common thug which ! "

"im 15 ill be 16 this year. I have been shown how to fire wepons and handle them safly for years. I use my airgun on an estate. i hunt crows rabbits etc but where i shoot is miles from the public away up in the hills hunting myself and sometimes with my dad.i enjoy shooting and i have earned the respect of the farmer through years of beating and clay pigeon shooting and i dont think its fair that i and others should be punished for somthing we had no part in. its not the morons that your punishing they people dont care about airguns there gust thugs. if they ban air rifles the thugs will gust use knifes,baseball bats,hammers or even onto fire arms. its the law abeiding sittisons that they are punishing =[ i love my gun my parends and i worked hard for the money to buy it and its my pride and joy i would hate it to have to give it up..."

""after a number of high profile cases of shootings following guns falling into the wrong hands" Well...how many times has a car fell into the wrong hands...a drunk, an underage reckless teen! Do we ban anything of potential harm? Kitchen knives? People depend on air guns as a method of pest control. It's also a good outdoor sport. 99% of owners are respectable members of the public. 1% are idiots. But we will always have idiots....idiots in cars...idiots with blunt objects...idiots! "Lets ban sex to stop acts of rape. Therefore stopping child birth and ridding the world of pheadophiles and rapists!" How far do you go?"

"i have owned shotguns and high powered rifles but the best of all are my airguns, i come from a family of shooters and fishermen and i had my first airgun when i was 5 years old a little gat gun by the age of 12 i was shooting shotguns, aged 18 i joined the army and took all my skills and honed them in there for 8 years as a sniper.i now have three sons who all shoot airguns and they respect guns and what they can do, i respect guns what i dont respect are the idiots behind them guns dont go around killing people idiots do. i gave up my shotgun licence and my fac years ago and now i use only my airguns.i have paid over £3,000 on my airguns,will i be paid to hand them in ??? i dont think so, we will be expected to just be good citizens and hand them over because they can kill or maime.sorry first minister but you can shove it right where the sun dont shine,i'll be the first to see the inside of a cell cause you aint getting mine,great 50 years old and i want to start breaking the law.as for the people who do abuse airguns i hope your in the cell with me, you wont get out safely."

"Banning air rifles wont stop people geting guns. Take a look at those thugs with ak47's and glock 18c's down in london. Did banning pistols and automatics stop them?"