You need to get them in the right place, hit the wing and it will bounce off the quills. Cromwell's 'Gentleman in a buff coat' took advantage of this by wearing a leather jacket stuffed with feathers, they would turn musket fire, though you would 'See the feathers fly'.
It's not actually quite that strict, people who are licenced can keep them at home in a secure firearms cabinet, but licences are not given easily. One of the accepted reasons for getting a shotgun licence is if you are a farmer, but we had a friend who was coach to the national pistol shooting team and held other weapons at home,
Pellet rifle is an air rifle not a firearm.
Are you serious? No way! you cannot arm yourself?
Absolutely serious, and a lot fewer people die. There are still murders of course, but they are mostly personal, and individuals, not random groups. Of course, nobody else is either, which reduces the 'need'. Police carry firearms more frequently nowadays, when I was a kid they only ever had an ebony truncheon. Now you get armed response units that carry guns in a sealed box in their vehicle.
Air rifles are allowed up to a degree, the powerful ones are restricted.
such a different world. not better or worse. just different
Times change, at one time there was actually a requirement for Englishmen to posses a suitable sword or large blade they could bring if summoned in time of war. More recently , when |I was a boy one of the reasons boys wanted to join the scouts was to get a sheath knife on their belt.
It's okay, wouldn't know, we don't get them, but there are now thousands of ring necked paraquets in London, a few pets escaped and found it suited them, and the flocks are spreading.
