Im unsure and new =(

[waffles]

Hey. i just got offered a blowback  KJ glock. it is full black so i accepted. and now im getting into airsoft. but im not sure if i take my gun down to the site if ill be allowed it or not.

Do i need to register for a UKARA? ( to apply for it i need a membership with a facility?)

Does it have to be 2 tone?

Do i need to get a member ship with a facility first? before using my own guns?

Sorry if i seem reallllllly dumb. just new and want to get all i can?

 

[Gtech]

Hey @waffles, welcome to the airsoft-forums.

If you're new to airsoft, do you mind if I ask how many times you've played, and check your age. That would help clarify some of the answers. I'll cover both but if you let us know it would be easier to put the situation together.

1. Provided you're over 18, the seller should be checking your defence, they're the ones breaking the law if you don't have a valid form of defence. The main form of defence we use is known as UKARA, essentially a database for retailers to check you're a regular airsofter.

To get a UKARA, you need to:

• Be Over 18
  
• Play at one site more than 3 times in MORE THAN 2 months. That's the important part. The law doesn't consider you a verified airsoft member unless you've played more than 56 days.
  
• The Site requires insurance, but that bit doesn't matter to you
  

Once you've played those games, a site normally has a form to fill in. Some charge you a fee, others don't. 

2. If you're over 18 and you don't have a defence, you can buy a Two-Tone.

3. If you're under 18, they shouldn't be selling it to you (not even two-tone), and both of you are breaking the law.

With all of this said, a site doesn't need to check a defence to play - regardless of who's equipment you're using. The law is about the manufacturing, selling and importing of Realistic Imitation Firearms, not owning them/using them.

I hope that helps, I'm happy to go into more if you still have questions.

Welcome once again!

 

[Prisce]

+1 to the above.

 

[waffles]

Hey @waffles, welcome to the airsoft-forums.

If you're new to airsoft, do you mind if I ask how many times you've played, and check your age. That would help clarify some of the answers. I'll cover both but if you let us know it would be easier to put the situation together.

1. Provided you're over 18, the seller should be checking your defence, they're the ones breaking the law if you don't have a valid form of defence. The main form of defence we use is known as UKARA, essentially a database for retailers to check you're a regular airsofter.

To get a UKARA, you need to:

• Be Over 18
  
• Play at one site more than 3 times in MORE THAN 2 months. That's the important part. The law doesn't consider you a verified airsoft member unless you've played more than 56 days.
  
• The Site requires insurance, but that bit doesn't matter to you
  

Once you've played those games, a site normally has a form to fill in. Some charge you a fee, others don't. 

2. If you're over 18 and you don't have a defence, you can buy a Two-Tone.

3. If you're under 18, they shouldn't be selling it to you (not even two-tone), and both of you are breaking the law.

With all of this said, a site doesn't need to check a defence to play - regardless of who's equipment you're using. The law is about the manufacturing, selling and importing of Realistic Imitation Firearms, not owning them/using them.

I hope that helps, I'm happy to go into more if you still have questions.

Welcome once again!

Im 21 and i never done airsoft before. iv had a friend who went with other friends. but i used to play paintball back in the day

So i can take a pistol that is full black without a UKARA to a field and play with it freely?

So i should buy a two-tone untill i get my UKARA/membership sorted out? and use my own equipment at the fields? even if there full black? 

i can use my own equipment before my membership?

 

[Gtech]

Im 21 and i never done airsoft before. iv had a friend who went with other friends. but i used to play paintball back in the day

So i can take a pistol that is full black without a UKARA to a field and play with it freely?

  

So i should buy a two-tone untill i get my UKARA/membership sorted out? and use my own equipment at the fields? even if there full black? 

i can use my own equipment before my membership?

You can use it before you gain a defence yes.

You can buy a two-tone and use it straight away or wait until you have the defence and buy a realistic one.

Two-Tones legally are defined as IF - Imitation Firearms

Black/Military based guns are called RIF - Realistic Imitation Firearms. 

What you can't do, is buy a Two-Tone, and spray paint it black without a defence. Doing this means you're manufacturing a RIF, which is illegal - and since you don't have a defence. You'd be in a bad place.

Spoiler

That all said, and not that I'm promoting it - no one would know any difference provided you don't do anything stupid (ie: walk it down the road in public). It's why I personally don't agree with the Home Office when they permitted the sale of IFs.

As far as I'm concerned, if you don't/can't wait to play 3 games in over 2 months, you're not an airsofter who needs an airsoft RIF.

I always recommend borrowing equipment or hiring it if you're a beginner. Get to the range and ask other players to feel and hold their rifle, perhaps the AK stock isn't comfortable but a MP5 fits perfectly? You won't know if you buy before you try. 

Finally, it's probably obvious but  worth saying that buying a two-tone will decrease it's sale potential in the future if you decide to sell it. You will notice that the paint always comes off eventually by scratches or wear and tear.

 

[waffles]

You can use it before you gain a defence yes.

You can buy a two-tone and use it straight away or wait until you have the defence and buy a realistic one.

Two-Tones legally are defined as IF - Imitation Firearms

Black/Military based guns are called RIF - Realistic Imitation Firearms. 

What you can't do, is buy a Two-Tone, and spray paint it black without a defence. Doing this means you're manufacturing a RIF, which is illegal - and since you don't have a defence. You'd be in a bad place.

Spoiler

That all said, and not that I'm promoting it - no one would know any difference provided you don't do anything stupid (ie: walk it down the road in public). It's why I personally don't agree with the Home Office when they permitted the sale of IFs.

As far as I'm concerned, if you don't/can't wait to play 3 games in over 2 months, you're not an airsofter who needs an airsoft RIF.

I always recommend borrowing equipment or hiring it if you're a beginner. Get to the range and ask other players to feel and hold their rifle, perhaps the AK stock isn't comfortable but a MP5 fits perfectly? You won't know if you buy before you try. 

Finally, it's probably obvious but  worth saying that buying a two-tone will decrease it's sale potential in the future if you decide to sell it. You will notice that the paint always comes off eventually by scratches or wear and tear.

Thanks alot man. this helped me a lot

Been testing guns with friends and  found my right gun and ready to buy. g36c gen 2 getting it two-tone ofc

a two-tone is no different to the RIF right? just color

 

[Tommikka]

.......

a two-tone is no different to the RIF right? just color

That’s a subjective question 

A two tone could be identical to a RIF other than colour, as it has been painted (or built with coloured plastic)

But a two tone AK47 could be very different to a RIF AK47 when they are made by different airsoft manufacturers and to different standards, such as a basic spring powered B.B. gun or a high quality airsoft gun

 

[Gtech]

Thanks alot man. this helped me a lot

Been testing guns with friends and  found my right gun and ready to buy. g36c gen 2 getting it two-tone ofc

 a two-tone is no different to the RIF right? just color

  

As long as you're buying from an airsoft shop, yes - it's just swapped or painted parts that meet a specific colour and cover 51% of the IF.

Normally it's Bright Green, Blue or Orange.

 

[waffles]

As long as you're buying from an airsoft shop, yes - it's just swapped or painted parts that meet a specific colour and cover 51% of the IF.

Normally it's Bright Green, Blue or Orange.

Do i need a UKARA if i someone gave me a RIF to fire it in my back garden at a dummy? also to have it onm y property do i need a membership or anything?

What would happen if im shooting in my garden and my neighbor reports me and police show up what would happen? and its a RIF and i got no membership/UKARA

 

[Tommikka]

Do i need a UKARA if i someone gave me a RIF to fire it in my back garden at a dummy? also to have it onm y property do i need a membership or anything?

What would happen if im shooting in my garden and my neighbor reports me and police show up what would happen? and its a RIF and i got no membership/UKARA

Shooting in your garden isn’t necessarily illegal

in itself, but could be depending on specifics of the location, as there may a firearms offence of firing an air weapon within x distance of a public highway, or the controll on the potential of a B.B. crossing boundaries

If there is no problem with the above then your neighbour complaining could turn it into an anti social / ASBO situation.  Which isn’t illegal, but if an ASBO is issued due to complaints then non compliance can become an offence

An additional concern would be how the neighbour reports it and a RIF could raise concerns by looking real - whether you get the bobbies just turning up to a neighbourly complaint or armed response kicking your door in

You don’t need a RIF to shoot in your garden and there isn’t a VCRA RIF defence for target shooting 

But possessing does not need you to have a defence or any membership

 

[waffles]

Shooting in your garden isn’t necessarily illegal

in itself, but could be depending on specifics of the location, as there may a firearms offence of firing an air weapon within x distance of a public highway, or the controll on the potential of a B.B. crossing boundaries

If there is no problem with the above then your neighbour complaining could turn it into an anti social / ASBO situation.  Which isn’t illegal, but if an ASBO is issued due to complaints then non compliance can become an offence

An additional concern would be how the neighbour reports it and a RIF could raise concerns by looking real - whether you get the bobbies just turning up to a neighbourly complaint or armed response kicking your door in

You don’t need a RIF to shoot in your garden and there isn’t a VCRA RIF defence for target shooting 

But possessing does not need you to have a defence or any membership

Ok so iv made a net/catcher for my BBs when they hit the target. the gun in a little noisey and full black. nowhere near a highway and noway for the BB to go into the other gardens ( unless i miss horribly ) i should be A OK! right? to do target practice

 

[Neilbarker]

As long as you’re sensible about it there shouldn’t be any issues. I regularly fire my guns in the back garden just to cycle them when they’ve sat for a while, or testing out mods/upgrades etc. My garden is a fair size though. I shoot into a plastic bucket that catches the bbs and it’s positioned so thst at no time am I aiming at the neighbours houses  

 

[Gtech]

If you're concerned, you could give your neighbours a heads up  

 

[waffles]

Thanks guys much appreciated. my neighbors are usually cool people so ill just give them a heads up i got a new hobby.