Hard times for Spanish slingshot enthusiasts

378 Views 19 Replies 11 Participants Last post by skarrd, 5 h ago

Pebble Shooter

Discussion Starter · 2 d ago

I was looking up slingshot tournaments in Spain, and came across a site where they were discussing legal aspects regarding slingshots back in 2020.

The comment below in particular (scroll down about two thirds to the videos) seems both credible and rather worrying for slingshot enthusiasts in Spain, where so-called "perfected slingshots" (those with tubes, a wrist brace, and an ergonomic grip - a rather vague legal interpretation) are prohibited. high fines for those who do not comply.

I have heard that only competitions, where very basic natural forks are used, are barely tolerated by the authorities. I would assume that the old classic Spanish target slingshot is therefore meanwhile "prohibido" too? Quite incredible.

Here is the site concerned:

www.armas.es

Mi Tirachinas hecho en 3d, ¿Legal? - Página 2

Foro sobre armas, tiro, caza, defensa, policial y militar con sección de compra-venta de armas y accesorios. Foro de arma corta, arma larga y armas de fuego.

www.armas.es

Quote (translated by Deepl.com) "

"Unfortunately, slingshot championships are not yet legal. They are at risk of the authorities turning a blind eye and being charged from €601 to €30,000 for possession of illegal weapons.

This is the most absurd thing in the whole of the Weapons Regulation. Also homemade slingshots, which, if they are fitted with sanitary or latex rubber bands, are considered "perfected" and are treated as a prohibited weapon with the same consequences as a rapier baton, firearm silencer, concealed weapon such as a card-knife, etc.

Those who take the risk of organising a slingshot championship, put up the photo and category of a traditional slingshot, cross their fingers and beg for a change of regulations.

As if war had been declared on this traditional toy. For there is no information whatsoever on how to build a legal slingshot. Nor what kind of rubber or thickness of the fork handle so that it cannot be considered too anatomical and therefore "perfected".

Nor are they allowed to be sold, as they are confiscated as if they were heroin; (...).

A salute to the politicians guilty of this grotesque abuse." (end quote)

Pretty severe, wow. Tapas, but no slingshots...hmm.

Makes me appreciate my fully legal backyard slingshot shooting with state of the art gear even more. It would be great to hear from someone who lives in Spain to tell us more about this ludicrous situation.

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Mrln

· #2 · 2 d ago

I don't quite understand what's going on there seem to be a lot of oddly specific laws being introduced by what appear to be idiots who don't understand the world I think mostly to grab a headline that they are doing something against crime while just making criminals out of normal people.

The UK idiots in charge are suddenly now trying to make machete's and all large knifes with holes in illegal, well that means a bunch of my gardening/woodworking/forestry tools might be putting me in jail?

Both Australia and Canada have had a bunch of gun laws suddenly turn up that are doing nothing to fight crime just criminalise normal owners of hunting tools or competitive target shooters. In Australia you can't have anything that "looks too tactical" sounds a lot like the "perfected" here.

As has just been pointed out in the a YouTube video on the UK large knife ban, most knife crime is kitchen knives they aren't banning them. A target slingshot is a rubbish choice if your a bad guy trying to do some harm!

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Flatband

· #3 · 2 d ago

Jeez,the disease is spreading. I thought we were making progress based on the Tournaments and increased interest around the world. Guess we still have a way to go. Soon it'll be easier to shoot an assault rifle before being able to buy and shoot a slingshot.

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Ibojoe

· #4 · 2 d ago

It’s spreading into the states also. They are illegal in New Jersey. Amazon won’t even ship slingshot related items there. I believe “Tag” lives in Illinois. He did a post last year and said they were illegal there also.

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Rallan

· #5 · 2 d ago

I don't ever recall being even remotely concerned about whether or not my slingshot was legal, even when I was a little kid.

Ain't about to start now.

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Mrln

· #6 · 2 d ago

Tournaments and clubs for shooting sports are the most useful things you can have as provided they are doing it right, the very first things that the youth get taught is safety.
A bow I consider much more dangerous to human life are they blanket banning archery?
So much of these rules make no sense it's suspiciously like they know someone who wants to shoot tournaments and are banning their sport from a spite or a grudge.

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Torn2bits

· #7 · 2 d ago

I know this is a simple post, however it's 100% foolish this is even discussed in a legal way, in terms of fines,jailing etc.
Wouldn't one think Spain had at least ehhh 3000 other important things to cover as their stance on legal or illegal rather than slingshots?

Like all things, often laws are made they force enthusiast to become underground activist, this is when laws backfire and there are social uprising. One would like to think a "law maker status person" would have this much available common sense to acknowledge this being historically EXACTLY what happens.
A country says slingshots are illegal, a group figures out basic explosives to combat unfair laws.
See ,is that all truly worth it thats my point?

If there's reason for concern allow tournaments as an outlet to the citizens and understand comprise is worth doing often.

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Squid

· #8 · 2 d ago

From what I can tell, this is one of those laws that is put in place for the authorities to implement as and when they see fit, rather than an attempt to punitively outlaw legitimate usage. So the person on the way to a political protest with a slingshot in their pocket can be separated from the person on their way to a competition; yes this distinction could be better made in law, however it sounds like Spain would rather leave the distinction to be made by a police officer or judge.

Either way, the law seems not to have had an impact on legitimate usage since its inception, it's easy to find recent competitions that use what could be described as "improved slingshots" such as:

However it would be great to hear from a shooter in Spain as to what the situation is like there since the new law came in.

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Karloshi

· #9 · 2 d ago

All over the EU freedoms are gradually getting eroded, however, Gaspar Arcon was on the Sling Den podcast a few weeks back and there was no mention of any problems from what i recall.

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Torn2bits

· #10 · 2 d ago

Karloshi said:
All over the EU freedoms are gradually getting eroded, however, Gaspar Arcon was on the Sling Den podcast a few weeks back and there was no mention of any problems from what i recall.

A world with enough rules means someone's breaking a rule about something.

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treefork

· #11 · 2 d ago

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Flatband

· #12 · 1 d ago

Joe is right on about New Jersey. I'm born and raised Jersey. I can't even shoot a slingshot in my own backyard for fear of some one diming me in. Gives you some idea how inventive I had to be to aquire all the Slingshots I had in my collection. It wasn't easy!

Ibojoe said:
It’s spreading into the states also. They are illegal in New Jersey. Amazon won’t even ship slingshot related items there. I believe “Tag” lives in Illinois. He did a post last year and said they were illegal there also.

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Rallan

· #13 · 1 d ago

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Pebble Shooter

Discussion Starter · #14 · 24 h ago

New Jersey with regard to slingshots:

.

(Quote) "Under current law, a “slingshot” is defined as a weapon. Additionally, two sections of law provide that possession of a slingshot is a crime of the fourth degree, unless the person has an explainable, lawful purpose for carrying the weapon. Another section of law provides that manufacture of a slingshot can be a fourth degree crime. Fourth degree crimes are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

Ouch!

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Karloshi

· #15 · 23 h ago

You would think the government and police would have better things to worry about.

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SlingScott

· #16 · 10 h ago

Screw this.

It is unlawful to carry a slingshot within corporate area distance in Illinois. It’s because most of us don’t have any training in using slingshots. That’s why, unlike bow and arrow, if you have a training license you can carry archery within a city but you can’t carry slingshots in every area in the city.

So, whoever asks the question are slingshots illegal in Illinois? Nope, it’s not legal in Illinois.

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Pebble Shooter

Discussion Starter · #17 · 10 h ago

So, if I get that right, this is essentially legal in Illinois (err...not the explosive, of course!), but not a humble slingshot?

Somewhat illogical. Time for some legislators to be replaced there, hmm.

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SlingScott

· #18 · 9 h ago

Pebble Shooter said:
So, if I get that right, this is essentially legal in Illinois (err...not the explosive, of course!), but not a humble slingshot?

Somewhat illogical. Time for some legislators to be replaced there, hmm.

Our last governor made it legal to carry a “switchblade” as long as you have a FOID (firearms) card. Maybe we can get this one to do that for slingshots.

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treefork

· #19 · 8 h ago

Slingshots are legal to own in Illinois . They're on the shelves of big box stores . It is illegal to hunt with a slingshot .

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skarrd

· #20 · 5 h ago

Pebble Shooter said:
So, if I get that right, this is essentially legal in Illinois (err...not the explosive, of course!), but not a humble slingshot?

Somewhat illogical. Time for some legislators to be replaced there, hmm.

way past replacement time,,,,,,,,,,

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