air rifle in the city

[WildBill]

Air guns are not firearms. For target practice inside city limits, shoot them in your garage or house.

[Jumping Frog]

I know a guy who shoots his air rifle in the city limits. He has been very helpful in eradicating rabbits.

Violates the hunting regulations. Can't hunt game animals with a pellet gun.

[jmorris]

SB 1400 (Estes, R): Relating to the municipal and county regulation of air guns.
Impact: Prohibits cities from regulating the discharge of air guns on certain property, including private property if pellet traps are used. Also has other reasonable requirements. Prohibits counties from regulating the discharge of air guns except on specific county property.
Status: Final passage 5/22/13.

[CWOOD]

SB 1400 (Estes, R): Relating to the municipal and county regulation of air guns.
Impact: Prohibits cities from regulating the discharge of air guns on certain property, including private property if pellet traps are used. Also has other reasonable requirements. Prohibits counties from regulating the discharge of air guns except on specific county property.
Status: Final passage 5/22/13.

Actually, if you reread the SB1400, it prohibits municipalities from regulating the ownership, possession, transfer of air guns but the power of those municipalities to regulate the DISCHARGE the air guns remains unchanged.

Here is a link to the text of SB1400:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/ ... navpanes=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[brainman]

Air guns are not firearms. For target practice inside city limits, shoot them in your garage or house.

The city of Pflugerville disagrees with you. They specifically include air guns in their definition of firearm.

[Oldgringo]

I shoot mine in my fenced backyard.

[Shinesintx]

I know a guy who shoots his air rifle in the city limits. He has been very helpful in eradicating rabbits.

Violates the hunting regulations. Can't hunt game animals with a pellet gun.

It's not hunting, it's eradication...

[jmorris]

SB 1400 (Estes, R): Relating to the municipal and county regulation of air guns.
Impact: Prohibits cities from regulating the discharge of air guns on certain property, including private property if pellet traps are used. Also has other reasonable requirements. Prohibits counties from regulating the discharge of air guns except on specific county property.
Status: Final passage 5/22/13.

Actually, if you reread the SB1400, it prohibits municipalities from regulating the ownership, possession, transfer of air guns but the power of those municipalities to regulate the DISCHARGE the air guns remains unchanged.

Here is a link to the text of SB1400:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/ ... navpanes=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry, didn't read the whole bill, just synopsis on some firearm site.

Run by some lawyer.

[mewalke]

It definitely depends on the municipality. The city of Flower Mound allows it as long as you are using an adequate backstop and the projectile does not cross over your property line.

[1s1k52]

SO I decided to test my luck. We live in a cookie cutter fox and jacobs rental house at the moment. The front door is in a straight line with the back door which when opens leads straight to a small hill. On the top of that hill is a large well built thick wooden fence. With 5 -1 x6s and one gian OSPF board I think my back stop against the fence at a measured 60 ft was adequate. I remounted a friends scope for his "match grade" pellet rifle and had no issues with a cross over or over penetration.

I hunkered down directly behind the front door using my ever so pointless hallway decoration table, a yoga mat, and 4 2x4s to create the ultimate shooting bench. Wife was unhappy at my setup and had no issue letting me no.

However, in less than an hour she went from dis testing my setup, to shooting a few, to now wanting an air rifle as well as a pistol.

This was actually a really good learning experience for me because the MOA adjustments were 1/100 as on most rifles. However I have never tried to sight in anything with wanting pin point accuracy to not exccede 30-40 yards. Had I done my research first I would have none to make bigger adjustments as opposed to a few clicks at a time. For those who don't know what I am referring to. I essentially discovered after the fact I had to double almost triple my adjustments at close range versus at 100 yards making 4 clicks to move an inch.

So now the hunt has began for a pistol to plink with in the backyard while grilling. Although I don't agree with illegal taking of any game animal, the abundance of dove in my area is like dangling crack infront of a recovering addict. When I am suffering from a near heat stroke come dove season with seeing only 2 birds for weeks out on my brother in laws land, it tends to make me think otherwise when I arrive home.

[Abraham]

I suppose you could CLASSIFY a Piper Cub as a spaceship, but it's not.

An air rifle is just that.

It's NOT a firearm - yes, it shoots a projectile - with a spring, not a primer and gunpowder.

[jbirds1210]

Good source to look up your muncipal ordinances: http://www.municode.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jason

[WildBill]

Air guns are not firearms. For target practice inside city limits, shoot them in your garage or house.

The city of Pflugerville disagrees with you. They specifically include air guns in their definition of firearm.

That ordinance may be unconstitutional since it contradicts Texas Law.

[Rex B]

for that backyard plinker pistol, look for a Daisy 717.
cheap, accurate, and tunable.

[DocV]

I suppose you could CLASSIFY a Piper Cub as a spaceship, but it's not.

An air rifle is just that.

It's NOT a firearm - yes, it shoots a projectile - with a spring, not a primer and gunpowder.

Respectfully correcting you on the Piper Cub, Sir. The Piper Cub is a spaceship confined to low partial orbits. More importantly, it is also a time machine and the fountain of youth.

The city of Waco lists a $147 fine for "Discharging an Air Gun"
http://www.waco-texas.com/court-fines.asp

The only reference that I can find in the Municipal Code site says:

Sec. 14-4. Discharge of firearms.
...
(b) Violations.
...
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, to shoot, fire or discharge an air pistol, air rifle, or BB gun across a public right-of-way within the city limits of the city.

I do not want to be the test case, but to me it seems that if you get caught shooting an air gun inside city limits you can be fined where the city only directly prohibits shooting an air gun across a public right-of-way.



[Edit: grammar]