UK LAW?

[Caveira]

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"...

No, the offence is:

36Manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms(1)A person is guilty of an offence if—
(a)he manufactures a realistic imitation firearm;
(b)he modifies an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm;
(c)he sells a realistic imitation firearm; or
(d)he brings a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain or causes one to be brought into Great Britain.

How players from overseas get round this I don't know, but the law says nothing about buying from overseas. It's possible that they are OK as they are travelling to the UK "for the purpose of airsoft skirmishing" as the defence says. In that case, the OP may be OK, but may not as he has moved here and is not travelling here for the purpose...

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

@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

In my mind that would be creating a RIF as you would have make a bunch of spare parts look like a gun.........

The VCRA is good idea not fully ironed out before being put in place.

[Caveira]

Re: UK LAW?

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.

In my mind that would be creating a RIF as you would have make a bunch of spare parts look like a gun.........

The VCRA is good idea not fully ironed out before being put in place.

The shell is the RIF, what is put in it or taken out of it doesn't change that in any way.

VCRA is about a LOT more than imitation guns; something that airsofters often forget.

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

If the OP stated he was going to continue airsofting in the UK, that should be sufficient defence as he already owns them, has a history of using them properly and has intent to continue using them correctly.

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

According to some biff at the Home Office it is all about air rifles!

[Caveira]

Re: UK LAW?

If the OP stated he was going to continue airsofting in the UK, that should be sufficient defence as he already owns them, has a history of using them properly and has intent to continue using them correctly.

Maybe, maybe not. For one thing how could he prove that as he doesn't have a track record of playing here, or membership at a UK site? Don't forget the defence relies on playing at a UK site with 3rd party insurance and there's no way the OP could prove that applies to him.

According to some biff at the Home Office it is all about air rifles!

I know that feeling. I had to explain the skirmishing defence to the firearms registration team of our local force after they told me I was in possession of illegal guns!

[madwelshman]

Re: UK LAW?

Sadly your quoting the original 2006 draft, not the 2007 edit, which has no mention of "Great Britain..."

Section 36, where you found that statement can be found here

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2.../contents/made

It's my job to know

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

Maybe, maybe not. For one thing how could he prove that as he doesn't have a track record of playing here, or membership at a UK site? Don't forget the defence relies on playing at a UK site with 3rd party insurance and there's no way the OP could prove that applies to him.

That is a massive misconception...

A defence is any legitimate reason to own a RIF.

For us who airsoft, that is an easy way to prove defence, however i can sell a RIF to any 18+ year old provided i am satisfied they have a legitimate reason for owning it.

An old boy wanting a .303 RIF can have one if he wishes to re-create his war load out purely to reminisce
Same old boy is close to pegging out and wants to be burried with his "rifle"
A collector with that "hole" on the wall

Clearly, wanting to deter next doors cat from pissing on your geraniums does not count as a legitimate reason.

[Hawke]

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

UKARA Licence???

UKARA do not issue licenses, or indeed anything else that has any legal standing like a license. UKARA is a voluntary industry run organisation that holds a database of registered players with sites or clubs that are part of UKARA, not a Government run ministry, agency, or even a quango.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act is a complicated beast on first reading, but it is fairly clear. It is also accesible via the internet. Google really is your friend.

[TOBI]

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!

A real torch fitted to a toy gun IIRC.

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

A real torch fitted to a toy gun IIRC.

A toy torch fitted to a toy gun also...

You can hold a torch in one hand and a gun in the other but the second they become one, either with a rail, tape or blue tac, it is illegal.

Stuff the UK is strict on, Germany is slack... one of my workers owns RS pistols and brings them into work when do a "show and tell" during lunch break. No problem. Our Olympic pistol shooting team can't even practice in the UK as their guns are illegal... you won't see any live pistol shooting at the 2012 Olympics.

The very notion of lamping rabbits has them looking at me like i have two heads... and to have suppressor on my air rifle is vodoo to them.

My air rifle has to stay in the armoury at work as it is 12ft lb (16 joules) German regulations are much lower... but you can buy a Desert Eagle!

They sell pepper and CS gas blank fire cartridges for 9mm blank pistols for home defence... the same cartridges in the UK are classed as Section 5 violation... 5 years on B wing.

Same with pepper spray and CS gas... about 8 Euros a can. They even sell the stuff in the quad bike shop i get my spares from!

[mr-numpty]

Re: UK LAW?

yeah, to be honest I am surprised they even got here, but we left so quickly I didn't even have time to sell them.

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

None of this will really become a problem until we get a test case in court... which we don't actually want.

** Your guns are fine to own. You did not import them in terms of tax avoidance or new purchase from abroad, you bought them over with your TV and winter jacket.
** If all your guns are semi-auto, you can have upto a maximum of 450fps with a 0.2 bb at most sites in the UK - but that is the site operators choice, find out before travelling.
** If you want your guns converted to full auto, the will need to be reduced to 350fps with a 0.2 bb. In my OPINION you are covered by a legitimate defence. Either do the work yourself if you have the know how, or get somebody else WITH A DEFENCE to do it for you.

Welcome to our nightmare and happy hunting!

[cracking day]

Re: UK LAW?

I'm not going to comment here, there are clearly too many lawyers on this thread already......................

[loki7491]

Re: UK LAW?

If you are a lawyer PLEASE comment!(for that matter, even if you are not a lawyer, please comment... fresh eyes and perspective all help to gain an over all picture)

You have to admit, the thing has more holes than a sieve and as it is open to interpritation it is all about how the reader interpets it.

UNTIL such time as somebody ends up in front of the beak, which we don't want as that would mean somebody has been very naughty, there is no precidence set.