Legal fps limits?

[Caveira]

Please would someone post a link to an official site (government/police etc) that shows why an AEG firing on full auto at over 350ish fps suddenly becomes a section 5 firearm.

I've looked at so many sources on the net, including reading the current firearms and airgun laws cover to cover, and can't find anything.

There are limits for airguns, and at the end of the day airsoft guns (RIF or IF) are legally airguns, but there is no mention of full auto changing the limits in the airgun legislation.

Have I missed the obvious, or is this simply an urban myth, that nearly all airsofters and forums perpetuate.

I'm not interested in personal opinions, I want hard facts!

[Aeviv]

Re: Legal fps limits?

Ill try and find the site- i did have a link somewhere round here- but the laws dont directly relate to FPS, its all about energy- eg a .20g BB fired at X FPS will reach X Joules, which determines the legality of the velocity.

But there are rules regarding automatic fire. I believe that no one in the UK, with the exception of the army is allowed to have automatic guns, even the police have semi automatic weapons (or so i believe), and the rules relate to this. As i said, il try to dig up the links i have to the legal facts

[Teufelhunden]

Re: Legal fps limits?

after doing some hunting i foun the following and it was a few sites and one being the UK Airsoft Governing Body




Fps limits. AEGs / Sniper Rifles
The Firearms Act 1968 defines a firearm “a lethal barreled weapon of any
description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged”. In
this context, a “lethal weapon” means a weapon capable of firing a projectile with
sufficient force to inflict more than a trivial injury, i.e. with a force sufficient to
puncture the skin. The force with which a firearm is able to deliver a projectile is
normally expressed in terms of the kinetic energy it generates at its muzzle – the
“muzzle energy”. This force is normally expressed in units of foot pounds (ft/lb) or
joules (J).” Following the case of Moore v Gooderham the level at which lethality
is set is 1.35 joules and whilst the ammunition used was not airsoft ammunition
but airgun pellet the difference in relative penetration of ballistic gelatin by airgun
pellets and airsoft ball bullets is 0.01 joules.
On the basis of this information the following guidelines are provided:
1. All guns used in Airsoft games against another player must not exceed
328fps.
2. Sites may use a discretionary limit of +10% when chronographing guns.
3. It is advised that the discretionary upper limit is not publicised.
Exempt sites: Where a site has obtained specific and unambiguous written
confirmation from an insurer that the Public Liability cover provides for the use of
High powered, single action, sniper rifles then the Guideline limits will not apply.





Provided, therefore, your Airsoft model does not exceed the UK limits, as recommended by the majority of UK Airsoft Site Operators, and you do not brandish or display your Airsoft model in a "Public Place", you should have no problems regarding your Airsoft model. These limits stand at 328fps for any airsoft AEG capable of semi-automatic or automatic fire, and 500fps for any single action

hope this has helped

Kayle

[jagillham]

Re: Legal fps limits?

The problem is there is nothing clearly written down. Would help, if there was! :D

It would seem to be a mix of some laws regarding "wounding", and guidance only on what could potentially be the velocity to wound.

You'll need to see The Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons) Rules 1969

[Teufelhunden]

Re: Legal fps limits?

if you read my post i found info on the airsoft governing body wich states nothing above 328 = 10 % which is 360

EDIT and thats the law :P

[jagillham]

Re: Legal fps limits?

That is only guidance from a governing body. (No legal standing).

The OP is after actual statutes, or case law, which makes the point.

[Teufelhunden]

Re: Legal fps limits?

this is now LAW

http://www.ukasgb.org.uk/faqs.htm

[screwdriver]

Re: Legal fps limits?

read the home office guidlines on the practical airsoft site.
anything under 1ft pound / 1.35j is classed as incapable of puncturing skin under home office guidlines and therefore does not fall in the catagory of air weapon.
exceding this will place an aeg in airweapon classification.
full auto airweapons are illegal under section 5 classification ask any firearms dealer/ armourer.
theres alot of info on that site but due to copyright protection wont let me post a link

[shadowcaptain]

Re: Legal fps limits?

quote form home office - page 6

http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publ...df?view=Binary

"i) Air weapons and ammunition for air
and gas-operated weapons
Air guns, air rifles and air pistols are exempt
from the certification requirement if they are
not of a type declared specially dangerous
by the Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons)
Rules 1969 or the Firearms (Dangerous Air
Weapons) (Scotland) Rules 1969.
The Rules provide that any air weapon is
“specially dangerous” if it is capable of
discharging a missile so that the missile has,
on being discharged from the muzzle of the
weapon, kinetic energy in excess, in the case
of an air pistol, of 6 foot lbs or, in the case
of an air weapon other than an air pistol,
12 foot lbs."


EDIT : 1 foot pound = 1.3558179483314004 joules (exactly)

[bravotwozero]

Re: Legal fps limits?

And Airsoft sites have a 500fps single shot limit....

This is getting quite confusing...

[shadowcaptain]

Re: Legal fps limits?

the limit is a guidance - 500 fps i think is stated on one of the airsoft sites such as ukara or something as a guidance for airsoft guns

we dont really need 2000 fps or something - i dont want to make people bleed and imbed bbs in people skin

[screwdriver]

Re: Legal fps limits?

found a usefull link from my firearms forum
http://www.practicalairsoft.co.uk/uk-law.asp

[pmac(BT)]

Re: Legal fps limits?

tecnicaly 500fps snipers are in a grey area,they are low powered air rifles, and shooting someone with this is classed as assualt,if not more nowadays.

can i ask why you have brought htis up AGAIN
.its been done to death over the years(the 8 ive been playing its been brought up 2-3 times in a big way) and never gets anywhere,bar arguing and scaremongering.

most people just realise that were better being safe and sticking to the guide lines We/the government have set and have left it at that.
we want to keep our sport thats why.
but you always get the odd few that dont care and want to do what they want.

[screwdriver]

Re: Legal fps limits?

the most worrying point is that under the 2007 vcr bill any retailer that mail orders a weapon that strays into low power airweapon classification is seriously breaking the law as it now stands unless it is sent to a local rfd for collection by the customer.

[Barnsley Airsoft]

Re: Legal fps limits?

Hi all due to popular demand I am going to lower the limit at the site for all weapons. We will go to the max legal limit and trust players to be honest when shot. All weapons will be chrono'd before the day session is started.
Mark