Blackstone Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) Been reading up on the laws regarding airsoft pistols and I'm pretty confused. So airsoft pistols don't count as airguns, which means under the VCR Act, you have to be a member of UKARA if you want to buy a "realistic" looking airsoft gun? And membership of UKPSA isn't good enough either even though action air is just a legitimate a purpose as skirmishing? Not to mention I have an FAC so I can't be that dangerous. Talk about unhelpfully inflexible laws Edited September 9, 2012 by AngryHan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TbirdX Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Yes, but it stops the criminal element obtaining them doesn't it, which is, after all the whole point. (yes I know thats dangly bits, sarcasm doesn't work well on a forum huh ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikingRebel Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 The whole Violent Crime Reduction act that brought in these rules on imitation guns was a horrendously ill thought out and knee jerk pile of ****. There are ways around the legislation though. From what i understand, an airsoft pistol that has over 1 joule of energy, cannot not legally classed as an 'realisitic imitation firearm" and instead is classed as a 'lethal barrelled weapon' (air pistol if under 6ft lbs), thus they don't have to look unrealistic, can legally be sold as air pistols and are legal for anyone over 18 to buy without any of that UKARA nonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstone Posted September 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Exactly. It's easier to get a higher powered airgun than it is to get a 1J airsoft gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robl Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 (edited) I think the point is that airsoft pistols are normally designed to look as realistic as possible. It’s part of the re-enactment/roleplay aspects of the game. But, they want to keep these realistic looking guns out of the hands of people who can’t be trusted with them or who might cause unnecessary hassle for the police. For example. A drunk teenager with a real gun might decide to wave one at a policeman. A few mates planning a skirmish on a local public forest might scare the locals. Some idiot might decide to wave one from a car window when they get cut up at a junction. As I understand it, it’s not so much about keeping them from criminals. It’s keeping them from innocents (or idiots), so they don’t get confused with criminals. It’s fairly easy to get a permit for one if you have a reason to want one apart from just a personal whim. I know a lot of people who use replicas, deacs and repainted toys. Some of them have licences and memberships to legally own them, some don’t. But, all of them are sensible with how the use and transport them, so any lack of legal ownership doesn’t actually come to the attention of the police. I don’t particularly agree with any or all of the act, but I can see the sense in some of it. Bearing in mind you can buy exactly the same airsoft gun in gun-metal or bright orange it needs a decent argument to explain why you want a realistic looking gun when an orange one works exactly the same. Edited September 11, 2012 by Robl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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