IIRC Tennessee considers it to be a firearm for carry purposes. One of the local cities specifically outlawed the sale air rifles a long time ago and just recently did the same for paintball guns (2nd hand info on the paintball guns). All the other cities around have no problems. Look in the sporting good section of four out of five cities' Wally Worlds and no problem getting one but the only large retailers in one county can't carry them because they are in the city limits.