After we chatted a while back, I took out SA membership, so one of the airsoft replicas will be happening in the new year I reckon
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the Daily hi thread
Which replica rifle
- Thread starter P8X
- Start date
GridNorth
Super member
Yes but that's what I meant you can't just go out and buy an airsoft gun
nikvanorton
Member Extraordinaire
OK, you need to spend 5 minutes at your computer filling in a small form first. Not a terrible inconvenience?
rocketdogbert
Busy member
Interestingly, you are not committing an offence if you buy one without a defence, the onus is on the seller.
VCRA section 36(2) says
“ it an offence to manufacture, import or sell realistic imitation firearms. It also makes it an offence to modify an imitation firearm to make it realistic “
Says nothing about buying
nikvanorton
Member Extraordinaire
But dealers won't sell you one without a defence so if you want a new gun it's abit academic.
rocketdogbert
Busy member
True
Gunman1964
Super member
If you are including SA membership and Airsoft then i recommend the Northeast STEN
Its full steel and is an amazingly realistic replica
Its full steel and is an amazingly realistic replica
Very cool indeed.
Gunman1964
Super member
Another option from Co2 or green gas is spring powered
as per the Springfield M1903 (3rd one down in pic), i believe that a Lee Enfield is also available
but the one in the pic is my modified 4.5mm Co2
Airsoft bring much more options to the decision .....
as per the Springfield M1903 (3rd one down in pic), i believe that a Lee Enfield is also available
but the one in the pic is my modified 4.5mm Co2
Airsoft bring much more options to the decision .....
Bigalishus
Active member
Hopefully stating the obvious here but if your going down this route make sure neighbours know what your doing. Even more than a regular airgun these will attract a visit from an ARV if someone sees it.
Do you not have to actively attend airsoft fields a certain number of times a year to qualify (as well as membership of an authorized group) to justify legal ownership/purchase in the UK (As in you can't have one and do nothing more than back garden plinking)? I could be wrong, and I'm not an airsoft expert, but I remember looking into Airsoft out of interest a while back
rocketdogbert
Busy member
No, the legal onus with regard to ownership is on the seller. However, if you take them out of the house without good reason, you’re potentially in bother. Even in a bag
nikvanorton
Member Extraordinaire
You need a defence to buy a RIF, one of which is UKARA. Membership of Military Vehicle Trust or Sportsman's association (which involves no physical participation) is also accepted by the vast majority of airsoft retailers. You don't need a defence to own them, just at the point of buying.
Bigalishus
Active member
To get UKARA registered you need to be an active skirmisher. this means you need to be a member of an Airsoft Site with Public liability Insurance. To gain membership you will have to play three games in not less than three months. It is the site membership number that is your defence. UKARA ( United kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association ) will record it on there database which is a convenient way for retailers and UKBF to check you defence.
However UKARA and site memberships are just one way to prove an airsoft defence. I used to skirmish with Stirling Airsoft who hire military establishments and do not have a membership scheme. They do of coarse have liability insurance and keep records. So I used to quote them as my defence and UKBF or shops could phone up or write to them and they would confirm I was a player. Another suggested way is you could keep a skirmish diary of when or where you play, this is useful if you skirmish at different site instead of staying with one.
The MiIitary Vehicle Trust defence is dodgy as you are not a skirmisher, if you also never take part in reenactments then if you ever end up in court you could be in trouble. The Sportsman Association Membership is not a valid defence, despite some shops who may take it. They after all want your money and may be willing to risk prosecution.
Non of this has yet ended up being tested in court so lets try to keep it that way. Remember one think it is illegal even with a defence, you are being excused from prosecution. This means if anything draws attention like these idiot cosplayer waving guns around in public the government can refute the defence and outright ban airsoft WITHOUT and act of parliament.
Remember the UK gun laws are a ridiculous mess, but they are still the law.
However UKARA and site memberships are just one way to prove an airsoft defence. I used to skirmish with Stirling Airsoft who hire military establishments and do not have a membership scheme. They do of coarse have liability insurance and keep records. So I used to quote them as my defence and UKBF or shops could phone up or write to them and they would confirm I was a player. Another suggested way is you could keep a skirmish diary of when or where you play, this is useful if you skirmish at different site instead of staying with one.
The MiIitary Vehicle Trust defence is dodgy as you are not a skirmisher, if you also never take part in reenactments then if you ever end up in court you could be in trouble. The Sportsman Association Membership is not a valid defence, despite some shops who may take it. They after all want your money and may be willing to risk prosecution.
Non of this has yet ended up being tested in court so lets try to keep it that way. Remember one think it is illegal even with a defence, you are being excused from prosecution. This means if anything draws attention like these idiot cosplayer waving guns around in public the government can refute the defence and outright ban airsoft WITHOUT and act of parliament.
Remember the UK gun laws are a ridiculous mess, but they are still the law.
SabreTroop
Busy member
As Bigalishus says above. SA Membership does not give you a defence to purchase a RIF. However, I've seen retailers accept photos on phones of people at airsoft sites as a valid defence. Like mentioned above, they want your money so will take the risk.
UKARA is the way to go and it's 3 games in no less than 56 days at the same site. But again, I know of many skirmish sites that will add you to the UKARA database if you sign up for site membership, hence skipping the 3 in 56 days rule.
The reason being is that realistically, a valid defence is proving you have a valid reason to own a RIF. Being a member of a site is a valid defence.
Me personally when I'm ordering and selling rifs, I check UKARA. That in itself is a mammoth task as 9 times out of 10, the database is down. Believe me, it's far easier to purchase something 100 times more lethal than a Realistic looking BB gun!!!!!
UKARA is the way to go and it's 3 games in no less than 56 days at the same site. But again, I know of many skirmish sites that will add you to the UKARA database if you sign up for site membership, hence skipping the 3 in 56 days rule.
The reason being is that realistically, a valid defence is proving you have a valid reason to own a RIF. Being a member of a site is a valid defence.
Me personally when I'm ordering and selling rifs, I check UKARA. That in itself is a mammoth task as 9 times out of 10, the database is down. Believe me, it's far easier to purchase something 100 times more lethal than a Realistic looking BB gun!!!!!
That's what I remember seeing/reading.
nikvanorton
Member Extraordinaire
The legal responsibility lies with the seller to establish a satisfactory defence, there’s no legal requirement to demonstrate a defence once you own a RiF.
As a side issue, there’s also no legal definition of ‘re-enactment’ so even if you were challenged (without any right to do so) it might be pretty difficult for someone to prove that you are not doing something that can’t be defined by law.
Interestingly, Fire Support, who co-created and administer the UKARA scheme accept Sportmans and MVT.
It’s quite common (and understandable in some ways) for seasoned skirmishers to feel aggrieved by alternative defences, but the fact is, it’s up to the seller to decide the validity (and suffer the consequences if they are wrong).
Sandancer 500
Keen member
The newish reximex Lieva seems to be making a bit of an impact good looking cowboy lever action in black or steel finish
Bigalishus
Active member
Never said it was’t seller who needs to establish the buyers defence. With regards your second comment I did say it hadn’t ben tested in court yet. Until then its a lottery as to how any of it would pan out.
Being into airsoft for about thirty years I am one of the aggravated. Hence why I never bothered with UKARA Registration, I skirmished with Stirling Airsoft anyway who do not own a site. I simply quoted them as defence and HM Customs would phone or write to them whenever I was importing. For uK sales a mate had an airsoft business so he new I was a skirmisher and I bought through him.
It really is a load of old tosh. All because chavs used to buy cheapo springers and carry them in public.
That is very very nice.