Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns States where pellet guns are considered firearms

I don't know but New York isn't one of them.

New York city considers air guns actual fire arms along with black powder guns and prop guns that fire only blanks. Get caught with any of these without a permit and they will charge you with a felony. I guess thats what they mean by "common sense" gun control.

I'm aware of that but the OP asked about states, not cities.

If a black powder firearm is ignited with a primer not a cap, in NYS it is classified as a modern firearm, requiring a FFL and a NICS check.

I'm not so concerned with states that consider airguns "firearms", as I am expanding the states that allow modern adult airguns as legal weapons to be used in hunting.

Lots of education and work needed in that area.

I probably don't want to hunt in a state that considers them in the same classification as a firearm anyway.

I'm not so concerned with states that consider airguns "firearms", as I am expanding the states that allow modern adult airguns as legal weapons to be used in hunting.

Lots of education and work needed in that area.

I probably don't want to hunt in a state that considers them in the same classification as a firearm anyway.

I'm not convinced about using them on anything as large as a deer yet. The velocity and energy figures place them in the same ballpark as a .38 Special or .45 target loads. It'll kill 'em, but don't see it as a practical choice under normal hunting conditions. Ought to be a good turkey load.

I know from my outlaw youth that a .22 pellet is a killer-diller on squirrels and rabbits. Bigger stuff, not so much.

Nice work! Details on gun, pellet, shot placement, etc, please.

Like I said, they can kill larger stuff, but that doesn't make them practical, effective choices for average hunters under average conditions. You've clearly got your act together.

Had a guy approach me and another hunter at the parking lot of the WMA I hunt. He wanted to know if target practice was allowed there. He was packing a Benjamin .357 and a Talon .25. The magazine on the .357 was jammed and he drove for miles to discharge the load because he was afraid his neighbors would object to the noise. He also wanted to know if airguns were legal for hunting there (they're not). He was interested in hunting deer. Everything about him made it clear he knew next to nothing about guns or hunting, but he was eager to give it a go with the Benjamin.