UKARA renewal

[Rogerborg]

Mine was from UKARA in April 2024.

Ditto.

 

[Galvatron]

My latest ukara registration lapsed and I got an email, but didn't during COVID when it lapsed.

Looking through the privacy policy very quickly, it also doesn't state they will use the details given to them to contact players .

It does seem somewhat funny that whilst a ukara registration only lasts 1 year, the ukara website essentially says they will hold on to your data forever as point 9 of the privacy terms. 

From a privacy perspective seems overkill to hold data indefinitely.

When you consider the VCRA may have banned the sale and possibly ownership of RIFs, one can imagine that UKARA opted to keep a long record of its members to satisfy the government agreeing to the compromise, if any of those members (current or expired) were stupid enough to open-carry a RIF in public.

GDPR does permit the retention of personally-identifiable information for as long as it's deemed necessary or justifiable until you explicitly request your personal data be removed or be rendered anonymous.

Those of you who have had an expiry reminder - was it from the UKARA or from your member site ?  That could account for differing experiences 

In my case, it was from UKARA. May this year.

 

[Speedy Sloth]

 if any of those members (current or expired) were stupid enough to open-carry a RIF in public.

I do agree with UKARA existence if it's a way to keep the sport going (which it has done and hopefully will continue until the heat death of the universe.)

But being devils advocate the UKARA scheme only exists as a method to sell rifs from retailer's to the public. Once it's in the public's hands UKARA has nothing to do with it anymore.

You don't need a UKARA to have a rif. And nobody waving one around in public is being checked on the database. The police won't care where you got it from just why you wanted to get shot by armed response.

Having a UKARA simply justifies a retailer selling you something because someone was overzealous with the rules at one point in time. 

we make it easier to get an air gun than an Airsoft replica in this country, makes no sense.

 

[gavinkempsell]

we make it easier to get an air gun than an Airsoft replica in this country, makes no sense.

I seem to remember it being easier to buy a RS in USA or some parts of the US than it is to buy a RIF, dunno where I read it or if that's true or not.

 

[Galvatron]

I do agree with UKARA existence if it's a way to keep the sport going (which it has done and hopefully will continue until the heat death of the universe.)

But being devils advocate the UKARA scheme only exists as a method to sell rifs from retailer's to the public. Once it's in the public's hands UKARA has nothing to do with it anymore.

You don't need a UKARA to have a rif. And nobody waving one around in public is being checked on the database. The police won't care where you got it from just why you wanted to get shot by armed response.

Having a UKARA simply justifies a retailer selling you something because someone was overzealous with the rules at one point in time. 

we make it easier to get an air gun than an Airsoft replica in this country, makes no sense.

I don't recall claiming UKARA was required for possession. I do agree that there is excessive zeal with the rules though.

Who said the world has to make sense all the time? Laws aren't always reflective of trying to make sense, they are often reflective of the wealthy and the well-connected being able to sway government policy to suit their agendas.

Airguns are easier to acquire because there are shooting clubs with the power to lobby at a time when airsoft wasn't anywhere near as big as it is today.

 

[Cannonfodder]

People do seem to forget that getting an air gun isn't that easy, especially if the buyer wants it for nefarious reasons. You can't get one delivered to your door and all sales are logged (by serial number iirc). Also under 18s cannot be gifted an air gun, use one unsupervised or even buy pellets. It's even worse if you're in Jockland as over 18s need an FAC to buy anything with w muzzle energy over 1j

 

[JimFromHorsham]

People do seem to forget that getting an air gun isn't that easy, especially if the buyer wants it for nefarious reasons. You can't get one delivered to your door and all sales are logged (by serial number iirc). Also under 18s cannot be gifted an air gun, use one unsupervised or even buy pellets. It's even worse if you're in Jockland as over 18s need an FAC to buy anything with w muzzle energy over 1j

Over 18 for purchase and home delivery is available from many retailers ( the home delivery is by someone who is registered onto the retailers RFD license ) however private sales can be shipped using the appropriate courier service , but again you’d need to satisfy yourself the purchaser is over 18.

under 14’s need supervision at all times in all aspects of shooting , private land or written permissions included  .

between 14-17 you no longer need supervision as long as on private premises / land or land with written permission  .

scotland is subject to the AWC licensing .

Airgun guidance

 

[Cannonfodder]

Over 18 for purchase and home delivery is available from many retailers ( the home delivery is by someone who is registered onto the retailers RFD license ) however private sales can be shipped using the appropriate courier service , but again you’d need to satisfy yourself the purchaser is over 18.

Cheers, I thought that you could order online or over the phone, but it had to be shipped to a RFD where the buyer would collect it

But it's still not as easy to get as some seem to think

 

[JimFromHorsham]

Cheers, I thought that you could order online or over the phone, but it had to be shipped to a RFD where the buyer would collect it

But it's still not as easy to get as some seem to think

you can do that too , but a lot of RFD offer a home delivery on top . 

 

[Rogerborg]

Jockland as over 18s need an FAC to buy anything with w muzzle energy over 1j

Jockland? ? It's Jockshire.

1J is Norn Terror Isl- I mean, Northern Ireland.  Jockshire, as above, needs a specific airgun loicence for non-airsoft airgun firearm, which is different from both a FAC and a shotgun cert - although you can apply for one along with a shotgun cert, for reasons that escape me.

Where it gets interesting is that it's easy to accidentally turn a boltie into a >2.5J non-airsoft airgun.  I've done it myself using a "500fps" spring that resulted in an eye-watering (or eyeball bursting) 3.3J.  And remember that the airsoft power limit is with "any missile", so the State could drop in a 0.86g steel BB and watch it Joule creep to the moon.  So now I tune to under 2.2J even at sites with a 2.3J limit.

 

[Rory]

Although I agree that we need to have regulations and systems in place to protect the vulnerable from themselves (and stop the bampots holding up post offices [if there’s any left]) , I get frustrated when my 7 year old can buy this M16/203 style water gun for a tenner in a chain discount store. If I wanted , 5 mins with a screwdriver  removes the tank part and frame and some spray paint and I’d have created a RIF. I was pretty shocked at the detail, although it’s clearly plastic UP CLOSE. Pictured next to my 9” railed m4 for comparison 

( PS: it does scoot water really far and fairly accurately by pumping the 203 handgrip)

View attachment 133567

View attachment 133568

 

[gavinkempsell]

although it’s clearly plastic UP CLOSE

*cough*

I think you mean... 'POLYMER'

*cough*

 

[Cannonfodder]

*cough*

I think you mean... 'POLYMER'

*cough*

I prefer dinosaur juice

 

[Rogerborg]

 

[Mint]

UKARA is just a central register of site memberships.  So, yes, you have to play at the site which registered you.

Did you get an email about it expiring?  From what I've seen, it's been bumped to a 2 year duration now.  Oh, never mind, I think I'm seeing: played mid 2022 -> site renewed my membership early 2023 -> expired early 2024.

It's pretty much entirely up to the site how long the duration is. We can set it manually. If I remember rightly, the default is 2 years from first registration. When it comes to renewal, there's a +1 year button which is the easiest way to do it. Hence renewals typically being an extra year, though I'm not aware of any rules meaning that it has to be and a site could click it twice or manually set a date if they desired.

When we re-signed up as a site, we didn't receive any additional rules other than what is publicly available on the UKARA page, it's all up to sites being reasonable and acting in good faith.