I was at my local gun dealers shop earlier this afternoon, looking for a new .22 air rifle (a gas air ram springer), when the discussion got onto legalities such as Firearms Certification (FAC), Registration and the newly proposed Scottish Governments Licensing on Sub FAC 12ftlbs energy Rifles.

I was surprised that Registration of non FAC classified air rifles was required but this was apparently required after changes a few years back that air rifles now have to sold face to face. This was before I had purchased my last air rifle via the Internet.

This is where things get strange after the discussion of registration for knives (yes I know Knifes! ) was required for selling knifes to the public.

A Buck Metro - required registration i.e taking the customers name and address for registration- This was classified as a Knife weapon.

A Fallkniven A2 Fixed Blade - no registration required - Regarded as a tool. Able to sold to the public no questions asked.

.....

Amazing! And all this silliness from the land that gave us the skean dhu. Could it be that the Metro is thought to be useful as a weapon in the same manner as the traditional armpit dagger (whatever you call it in Gaelic?)

Hmm, really!?

Sounds nonsense to me (fellow UK inhabitant).

A Skean Dhu (an actual fighting knife weapon or would that have been fighting knife tool) would not have required registration for purchase. It is a fixed blade knife!

The Dealer explained that any locking folding blade of any size whether it was a Buck Metro 1 inch blade or not, required the customers details to be recorded, i.e. Name and Address, as part of his legal compliance.



So as long as your 'tooled up' for a knife weapons, er I mean tool fight in fancy dress then open carry of the sgian-dubh is perfectly legal.

There is a difference between a sub FAC 12ft/lbs Air Rifles and a FAC Daystate 0.303 Calibre Wolverine Air Rifle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysvz378Ttjw

There really seems to be little understanding of lethality capabilities from the Politicians though.

This is even in the area of knife use in crime. Most assaults in Scotland is made using Kitchen Cutlery, where there are no sale or registration issues for folks aged 18+

Interesting. Here in California, it is the fixed blade knives that are regarded as weapons of mass destruction, while folders are hunk dory..

That's exactly what I initially thought! In fact I was a left a little bit speechless. The dealer certainly did know his stuff upon further questioning.