Ball Bearing (BB) guns are weapons designed to look like handguns and which fire projectiles or BBs.

There are two main types.

1) Powered by air (so also an 'airgun') designed to fire spherical projectiles (BBs), usually from a .177 (4.45 mm) smooth bore barrel. Modern BBs are steel, plated with zinc or copper (cf airsoft BBs).  Some manufacturers make lead BBs, which are generally intended for use in rifled barrels.  Capable of causing harm to people or animals.

AND

2) Spring action guns designed to fire 6 mm spherical plastic projectiles (BBs). Capable of causing harm to people or animals.

BB GUN OFFENCES

It isn't always possible to categorise the type of weapon used in an offence.  Unless a weapon is either fired, or recovered after a crime there is no way of knowing if it was a real gun, a BB gun, an airgun or an imitation. 

In 2007/8 there were 2,124 bb gun/soft air weapon crimes recorded by police in England and Wales. A slight increase on the previous year.

Source: Home Office

BB Gun Injuries 

A pupil at Hutcheson's Grammar School in Glasgow suffered an injury close to his eye when a group of youngsters fired bb guns into the school playground at lunch time. 

Source: The Herald July 09

Eleven year old Connor Shears of Sarah Street, Darwen Lancashire  has suffered an eye injury which his family fear may result in permanent eye damage after being shot at point blank range with a ball bearing gun.  The gun had been bought by the father of the uninjured boy the previous day.

Source:  This is Lancashire 23rd June 2009

Criminal use of bb guns

Five people have been arrested by armed police after a spate of BB gun attacks which took place in Southend and Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.  A man was shot in the face in Leigh and two teenagers were robbed of their mobile phones after occupants of a car threatened them with a gun.  A cyclist was left unharmed after being threatened in Southend and another two teenagers were threatened with a handgun in Southend.  Those arrested include two teenage females and two teenage males.

Source: Southend Standard, 28 June 2009