TargetTalk

We all know that the F in a Pentagon on many airguns show that they have been tested to approved power outputs.

The question is, what does the letter "F" stand for?

I'm presuming that it's the first letter of a German word but, if I'm right, which word?

If I'm wrong then ...... ?

Freimark. Frei = free of need to license in Germany.
<7.5 joules
there's probably other theories.

F stands for: "Frei". In German this means "Free" "(no licence required). Energy level is a max. of 7.5 Joule.

Albert T
(The Netherlands)

Thanks Gents.

That makes sense.

It's indeed F for frei/free *) - applied by the manufacturer on each airgun under 7.5 Joule, but only after the PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig) has given the approval based on own test with 5 sample guns.

So in Germany we have (contrary to UK and maybe other countries) a type approval for each model, and the manufacturer is liable to build these guns according to the technical data stated in the PTB-test. A Tolerance is already included, average under 7.5 Joules and no single shot above 8.5 Joules.

For a moment I hoped that all these info could be found here:
https://www.ptb.de/cms/en/ptb/fachabtei ... eschg.html

but the important description of the test method is still in German only, sorry.
https://www.ptb.de/cms/fileadmin/intern ... oblatt.pdf


*) I have to add: for Germany that is: free to buy, if 18 years or older. Shooting is allowed for minors also, if surveillance by an adult is available (for 12-17 years).

Thanks Ulrich.

It's interesting to see that they have built in a tolerance; a common sense decision.

Google Translate does okay with .pdfs - obviously not perfect but enough to get an idea:

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

Interesting that here in England and Wales part of UK we have free ownership to over 18'S for pistols up to approximately German level, but rifles up to 16.3 Joules. Unusual for such an anti-gun country like ours to allow a much higher level for air rifles than Germany. You can't humanely dispatch a rabbit with 7.5 joules I guess is our thinking.
Most of our 10m target air rifles would match the Freimark power level or less.

Ulrich Eichstädt wrote:So in Germany we have (contrary to UK and maybe other countries) a type approval for each model, and the manufacturer is liable to build these guns according to the technical data stated in the PTB-test. A Tolerance is already included, average under 7.5 Joules and no single shot above 8.5 Joules.

Thank you very much for those links and information.

It might be a Sisyphean task, but I'd like to start pushing for shooting associations in Canada to start pushing for realistic legislation concerning target airguns. As it is a pistol or rifle shooting at greater than 500fps _OR_ greater than 6 joules means you're in possession of a firearm. With all the restrictions on acquiring, storing, and use as any firearm. Which effectively means the pistols aren't legally available and anyone wanting a high powered air rifle for target competition ends up taking a safety course, that while practical in some aspects, focuses on hunting and includes history and other information about powder fired weapons.

Do gun laws ever get less strict anywhere? Good luck!

TenMetrePeter wrote:Do gun laws ever get less strict anywhere? Good luck!

Thanks. Canada abolished the federal long gun registry. So yes, even gun laws can get less strict.

SlartyBartFast wrote:

TenMetrePeter wrote:Do gun laws ever get less strict anywhere? Good luck!

Thanks. Canada abolished the federal long gun registry. So yes, even gun laws can get less strict.

Come to think of it when UK banned all civilian cartridge hand guns in 1998 they took CO2 guns "off ticket". Small mercies.

Scotland on the other hand - don't get me going about Scottish government and airguns....

Ulrich,

How about flying into Germany with a n air rifle with an F stamp? Any issues/paperwork when clearing the customs?

Ulrich Eichstädt wrote:It's indeed F for frei/free *) - applied by the manufacturer on each airgun under 7.5 Joule, but only after the PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig) has given the approval based on own test with 5 sample guns.

So in Germany we have (contrary to UK and maybe other countries) a type approval for each model, and the manufacturer is liable to build these guns according to the technical data stated in the PTB-test. A Tolerance is already included, average under 7.5 Joules and no single shot above 8.5 Joules.

For a moment I hoped that all these info could be found here:
https://www.ptb.de/cms/en/ptb/fachabtei ... eschg.html

but the important description of the test method is still in German only, sorry.
https://www.ptb.de/cms/fileadmin/intern ... oblatt.pdf


*) I have to add: for Germany that is: free to buy, if 18 years or older. Shooting is allowed for minors also, if surveillance by an adult is available (for 12-17 years).

SlartyBartFast wrote:It might be a Sisyphean task, but I'd like to start pushing for shooting associations in Canada to start pushing for realistic legislation concerning target airguns. As it is a pistol or rifle shooting at greater than 500fps _OR_ greater than 6 joules means you're in possession of a firearm. With all the restrictions on acquiring, storing, and use as any firearm. Which effectively means the pistols aren't legally available and anyone wanting a high powered air rifle for target competition ends up taking a safety course, that while practical in some aspects, focuses on hunting and includes history and other information about powder fired weapons.

Count yourself lucky in some respects. In Ireland the "is it a firearm?" limit is 1 joule. It's low enough to cause trouble for the airsoft folks.

TenMetrePeter wrote:Do gun laws ever get less strict anywhere?

From 1972-2004 it was impossible to license a handgun in Ireland. Even an air pistol was not licensable. Now air pistols are relatively simple to license. .22 pistols are mostly fine unless you're unlucky with your combination of local police and choice of pistol. There are also a few hundred centre fire pistols still licensed from the window (~2004-2009) when anything was licensable if you could persuade your local police to sign off on it.

Pre-2004 it was also much harder to get centre fire rifles for target shooting and before some time in the 1990s it was almost impossible to get anything bigger than a .22 (hence the reason lots of people had .22-250 for deer).

So in my lifetime gun laws in Ireland became substantially less strict.