Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

[rambosheen]

Right .Players have no real trouble with Ukara, they can still purchase Rif's etc.
But what i don't understand why it was airsoft that was pressed under VCRA 2007 not others.

Type Cybergun .177 ak47in to google right now,done that? good, now does it look EXACTLY like the real steel, and the same price as a Marui airsoft replica? but there'sthe one difference.
now lets run some logic through this

cybergun .177 CO2 semi-automatic air rifle, which Does have the ability to cause major bodily harm with correct shot placement, £250.00 without licence

Marui AEG, stock internals, worst that could happen is a lost eye. £250 with ukara or painted half green

Go into ANY air rifle store and im sure you'll find a potentially lethal air rifle, you could buy it there on the spot as long as your above the legal age and have the cash

There really isn't a problem with ukara, we can still purchase RIF's, but why is our sport beaten?

I'm not sure if this is just a rant, or the airsoft community will uproar and send a flurry of emails. Its up to you.

[jssmitty96]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

ive always thought this was rediculous same for realistic paintball guns

[The General]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

Because the politicians pushing the legislation were really concerned about realistic looking £10 and £15 springer pistols being sold down the market.

No one was committing crimes with £250-£300 TM rifles.

In the same way that no knife crime has ever been recorded with a custom knife costing hundreds of Pounds in the UK. It's £5 specials down the market and kitchen knives.

Unfortunately you cannot pass a law and then state "does not apply to items costing XYZ" as that would be elitist. So we all suffer.

There was also legislation regarding "Samurai swords" where something a bit similar actually happened. They brought in a ban regarding single edged curved swords of a certain length and there was such an outcry an amendment was made allowing such blades as long as they were made according to traditional methods. So basically cheap nasty crap was banned and hand made swords were not.

Let me guess, you are under 18?

[rambosheen]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

Nope, i was just curious, i've purchase rif's and have not argument with the law or trouble with it, im just curious as to why airsoft is pressed more than other sports.

[The General]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

Nope, i was just curious, i've purchase rif's and have not argument with the law or trouble with it, im just curious as to why airsoft is pressed more than other sports.

Because kids and adults were carrying £15 airsoft guns in public, so that is what got noticed.

[HullAL09]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

realistic paintball guns

Funniest thing ive heard all day!

[RiflemanJerry]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

It doesn't really make sense, I'll give you that. Lets face it though, in a way UKARA in airsoft terms hasn't really been unsuccessful, we still have access to RIF's. After all, it isn't that hard to get a UKARA licence in the first place. Most idiots who want an RIF just to commit crimes with probably wouldn't go through all the trouble to obtain one. As for that AK in .177, I think it's pretty stupid you can purchase that without a licence, since from a distance you'd have no idea it was an air rifle. Most air rifles are quite easy to distinguish from live firearms if you know your stuff. However, not every random person on the street can spot the external features which differ it from a real firearm.

[rambosheen]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

taking into acount if someone does wish to commit a crime with an airsoft gun whats to stop them from spraying an orange springer from a toy shop?

[The General]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

taking into acount if someone does wish to commit a crime with an airsoft gun whats to stop them from spraying an orange springer from a toy shop?

Nothing, which is why 2 tones ought to be banned in my opinion.

[RiflemanJerry]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

That's also a point. Anyone over 18 can buy a 2-tone gun, anyone over 18 can buy a can of black spray paint, so what's to stop them. Although of course, it's illegal to spray a 2-Tone gun if you aren't covered by UKARA, but then again they aren't going to care.

[magslap]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

it was a step, a show of power to quieten down the large anti-gun groups.
cheaper airsofts were easily obtainable and being treat with no respect.
just before the vcra came into force, a potograph in the papers of a young chav sat on a train station with a cyma ak47 folding stock.big story about how the police wouldnt even respond as they werent happy about going against what was potentially a fully automatic manstopper which may have been firing 7.62 rounds capable of entering body armour.(cyma ak's were around £60 for a metal full auto airsoft then).
so because of proper gun crime and storys like this the government (under pressure from anitgun groups) placed a massive ban covering all different items resembling or being firearms. (helps keep the votes coming in).

[The General]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

it was a step, a show of power to quieten down the large anti-gun groups.
cheaper airsofts were easily obtainable and being treat with no respect.
just before the vcra came into force, a potograph in the papers of a young chav sat on a train station with a cyma ak47 folding stock.big story about how the police wouldnt even respond as they werent happy about going against what was potentially a fully automatic manstopper which may have been firing 7.62 rounds capable of entering body armour.(cyma ak's were around £60 for a metal full auto airsoft then).
so because of proper gun crime and storys like this the government (under pressure from anitgun groups) placed a massive ban covering all different items resembling or being firearms. (helps keep the votes coming in).

I remember seeing headlines in the newspapers where they said "experts have examined the CCTV footage and are convinced this is a real gun" I did not know it was subsequently a RIF.

I actually own the same model of Cyma (CM 0.28) I can see how on grainy CCTV this could be easily mistaken.

[magslap]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

I remember seeing headlines in the newspapers where they said "experts have examined the CCTV footage and are convinced this is a real gun" I did not know it was subsequently a RIF.

I actually own the same model of Cyma (CM 0.28) I can see how on grainy CCTV this could be easily mistaken.

very easily,but you know the little black sticker with the red bar on the new cyma guns,i could make that out in the picture in the paper,and since cyma were the easiest to obtain cheaply, i assumed it was a cyma (couldve been wrong....which unfortunatly would only strengthen the story)

id bought the cyma full stock,thats how i knew about the sticker,his was a folding stock version

[cannon_fodder]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

The VCRA was never aimed at "whipping" airsoft. When this law was proposed the ministers had no idea that airsoft even existed.

Don't forget that the VCRA impacted film-making and historical re-creationists as well ... It causes them as much paperwork as us airsofters. Its much harder for a low budget film maker to source a RIF now than it is for us UKARA registered players.
UKARA is probably the easiest defense to earn and prove.

It is all perception after all. You care about airsoft and think we have it hard. Its like all the people on the forum that think that the Madbull XM203 is a RIF because ALL airsofters know its a 'nade launcher. 99% of the non-airsofting community including the police would find it hard to guess its purpose if you showed it to them, on its own with no 'nade, its just a pipe with a button...could be anything.
Just being a passionate airsofter may cloud your perception.

[magslap]

Re: Why is Airsoft whipped more than others?

The VCRA was never aimed at "whipping" airsoft. When this law was proposed the ministers had no idea that airsoft even existed.

Don't forget that the VCRA impacted film-making and historical re-creationists as well ... It causes them as much paperwork as us airsofters. Its much harder for a low budget film maker to source a RIF now than it is for us UKARA registered players.
UKARA is probably the easiest defense to earn and prove.

It is all perception after all. You care about airsoft and think we have it hard. Its like all the people on the forum that think that the Madbull XM203 is a RIF because ALL airsofters know its a 'nade launcher. 99% of the non-airsofting community including the police would find it hard to guess its purpose if you showed it to them, on its own with no 'nade, its just a pipe with a button...could be anything.
Just being a passionate airsofter may cloud your perception.

exactly..its more of a blanket law,to try to cover everything in one swoop,even the things they werent sure even existed,so they are now covered.i know many people,when i explain airsofting,they havent a clue,there first reaction is "ahh paintball"........................so if people try to exploit or bend the laws,the government wont just go for "airsoft" they will ammend them to cover everything that falls under the vcra.