Safety at Westfield Air Rifle Club is of paramount importance at all times. All visitors and prospective members are required to take a Safety Induction Course before using the facilities.
All air weapons brought to the club must be chronographed before first use to ensure compliance with the UK power limits, and the results recorded. These limits are set at 12 ft-lb for a rifle and 6 ft-lb for a pistol. Regular checking of guns is recommended as power levels can fluctuate for a variety of reasons.
The use of air weapons developing power higher than the stated limits is not permitted within the club grounds.
Above: New rifles will be discharged through a Chronograph to ensure they meet legal requirements.
Although air weapons are of relatively low power, they are capable of causing serious injury or death. By following the guidelines below (which can be applied to any firearm), and ensuring the safe storage and use of the weapon, the risk of an accident happening can be kept to a minimum.
Always treat an air weapon as though it were loaded.
Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
Always point an air weapon in a safe direction, preferably at the ground, and never at another person.
Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use .
Never fire an air weapon unless you are certain that the shot will be safe. There must be no objects or persons who might be at risk from the shot, and there must be a suitable backstop or pellet catcher to prevent ricochets. You are responsible for the shot, from the moment it is fired until the pellet stops safely.
Never rely on a safety catch to make an air weapon safe. Many only block the trigger, and do nothing to prevent accidental discharge by other means.
Never put a loaded air weapon down. Always safely discharge or unload and uncock it first.
Never store a loaded air weapon. Air weapons should be stored out of sight and separately from pellets.
Air weapons must be securely stored such that only the licence holder has access, in a lockable cupboard or gun cabinet with the keys stored separately. They should be stored inside a house and not in outbuildings, such as garages or garden sheds.
Consider ways of rendering a stored air weapon incapable of being fired, such as using a Trigger Locking device.
When being transported, air weapons should be covered, either in a gun slip or hard case.