UK LAW?

[mr-numpty]

Right so, I am a bit confused on what to do at the moment as I have recently returned to the UK from living in New Zealand, Whilst I was in NZ I accumulated a decent amount of airsoft kit (guns, accessories .etc) and was quite a frequent player. Now this is where the problem lies; NZ does not have a system such as our VCRA, the only restriction they have over there is that ALL guns are restricted to single or semi-auto only but are otherwise realistic imitation firearms. This shouldn't be a problem; just get registered on the UKARA database. Sadly that isn't an option either as I am only 16 and my dad has next to zero interest in the sport so won't be getting it either. Anyways, so I am back in the UK with all these RIFs that legally I should not own, or should I? as far as my research on the subject goes, the law seems mighty sketchy in relation to my circumstance. I was wondering if maybe someone could fill me in and maybe suggest where I should go from here?
Thanks.

[Jasont21]

Re: UK LAW?

Just own them on the basis they were gifted to you. You can still go to site with a rif gun without a ukara licence. I belive you only need to go with an adult under the age of 14. You would just have to wait 2 years before buying ur own gun with a ukara licence... well another one anyway

[Sir Stephen]

Re: UK LAW?

if you already have all of your gear then there is no problem.

UK law will only prevent you buying, or manufacturing a RIF.

with regards to the full auto, I'm pretty sure that there is nothing in lace preventing you from having this in the UK, but it may fall under manufacture/modification so somebody with more knowledge on the subject can clarify that for you.

but yeah, since you already own it all, have fun sooting here in the UK, just don't try and buy any more guns until your 18 [=

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

Grey area.

If HE does it under 18, he could be in trouble.
If SOMEBODY with a defence converts them, that is possibly a different situation.

But you can definitely keep what you already own.


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make no effort to illegally buy a RIF

[TOBI]

Re: UK LAW?

Grey area.

If HE does it under 18, he could be in trouble.
If SOMEBODY with a defence converts them, that is possibly a different situation.

But you can definitely keep what you already own.


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make no effort to illegally buy a RIF

Quick question I assume you live in Germany right? If so are all of your guns Semi auto only then?

[baddbaz]

Re: UK LAW?

Or sell them to us lot !!

[madwelshman]

Re: UK LAW?

converting a semi only into a full auto is not creating a rif... a rif is a rif, regardless of its ability to fire single or full auto.

He already owns them, there is no "ukara licence" ukara is simply one of numerous ways to prove you have a defence against the vcr bill when purchasing a rif, something the OP can not do until he is 18 regardless...

You can legally own them, you can't legally buy them, the law isn't interested in how you bought them legally, only if someone sells them to you illegally

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

Quick question I assume you live in Germany right? If so are all of your guns Semi auto only then?

Nope...

The nearest official place to me is MILES away so it was not worth the hassle to convert everything. I visit family every few months in the UK so i keep Sunday's free. I also get priority loading on the ferry as i am carrying "weapons".

I have a derelict building at work which we sometimes arse about in during lunch break... i have a small advantage over the German civvys who work for me as they have semi-auto guns!

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

converting a semi only into a full auto is not creating a rif... a rif is a rif, regardless of its ability to fire single or full auto.

He already owns them, there is no "ukara licence" ukara is simply one of numerous ways to prove you have a defence against the vcr bill when purchasing a rif, something the OP can not do until he is 18 regardless...

You can legally own them, you can't legally buy them, the law isn't interested in how you bought them legally, only if someone sells them to you illegally

What about the manufacture part of the VCRA?

There was a lot of debate about whether painting a two tone counted as manufacture... i would have thought internal modification was "worse" than painting a gun.

The whole thing is so full of holes it is unreal. I am currently in a conversation with some woman in the firearms department at the Home Office. She completely mis-quoted the VCRA / UKARA thing to me before talking about air rifles... If the Home Office firearms department don't understand it there is little hope for the rest of us!

Until somebody falls foul of the law and a test case goes through the courts, there will be many grey areas. I would rather deal with the grey areas than have the sport dragged through the media in a bad light though.

The whole thing is not very well thought out or explained... too much legal jargon and not enough "normal" speak

[Caveira]

Re: UK LAW?

The thing that you shouldn't have legally done is to bring them into the UK.

Your age doesn't make any difference to ownership, and the full auto issue doen't come into anything, but to import an imitation firearm into the UK you must be able to prove that one of the standing defences against VCRA apply to you. Unless you've already been playing in the UK they don't.

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

The thing that you shouldn't have legally done is to bring them into the UK.

Your age doesn't make any difference to ownership, and the full auto issue doen't come into anything, but to import an imitation firearm into the UK you must be able to prove that one of the standing defences against VCRA apply to you. Unless you've already been playing in the UK they don't.

Surely his defence would be:

"i have played airsoft in NZ for **insert years here**, my family moved to the UK, i intend to continue to play here"

A legal defence is a legitimate reason, which he has in my opinion and this is the problem. We are bound by laws that are largely open to opinion!

[TOBI]

Re: UK LAW?

Surely his defence would be:

"i have played airsoft in NZ for **insert years here**, my family moved to the UK, i intend to continue to play here"

A legal defence is a legitimate reason, which he has in my opinion and this is the problem. We are bound by laws that are largely open to opinion!

you just admitted you don't care much for your local law........

[Xxerox]

@loki, in terms of the definition of a RIF - it's to do with how it looks rather than what's in it. So say I have a lump of wood in the shape of a gun - if someone else could mistake it for a gun, it's a RIF (in very rough terms anyway). Further, cutting said lump of wood to make it gun shaped in the first place would constitute manufacture (which is illegal).
So if I could get an airsoft gun shell into my posesion legally, I could then slap a gearbox and barrel in it without doing anything wrong.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2

[madwelshman]

Re: UK LAW?

no... he's not purchasing, via import, he's bringing his own possessions to the uk.... the law relates to importing into (buying from abroard) or purchasing within the uk.

If that were the case, the foreign players that bring their guns over to play in the UK weekender's would also fall foul to "importing a rif"...

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

What, the Germany thing?

I'm not allowed to use them at airsoft sites, private / military property is not an airsoft site!

If i took them to a local site THEN i could be in lots of trouble, but doing what i do is okay. It also illegal in Germany to have a torch fitted to your gun!