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Getting a FAC is not as easy as just having an interview and waiting a few months.......... For starters you have to prove you have the land and need ie:pest control] and/or an official rifle qualified range to shoot at. The FO in charge of you application would need to visually inspect your land [same as when they confirm your storage is up to code]. This is actually in most cases the hardest part to qualify on. There are not that many official rifle ranges in the country, so unless you are lucky to live near one or have a requirement and space for one on your own land, you most likely you wont get one. Some people require one, such as gamekeepers, which would then mean inspecting your employers land etc. Then of course you need the interview, which is not only a psych eval, but a character eval. Then the usual referees, get your GP to sign off and to officially state you are in good health physically and mentally and so on. Getting a Shotgun certificate on the other hand is easier to get, but usually 1 because shotguns are not as "lethal" [legally] as rifles. EG: you cant use/qualify for a rifle on your own land if there is no where on your land that is more than 1500 feet away from a road, and its illegal to fire a rifle in the open towards a road that is less than 1.5km away. With a shotgun these ranges are much more reduced [for obvious reasons] and there are many more clay pigeon ranges than rifle ranges. On top of that the ammunition you can get for shotguns is significantly less lethal than even standard rifle ammunition for a .22 long, shotguns pellets are non lethal when ricocheting, coming back down to earth, and cant even penetrate a decent coat over 30 metres. So long story short, unless you own a substantial amount of land or become a member to one of the few rifle ranges, its very unlikely you would even get past that initial stage. As a side note, i was able to get a shotgun cert at the age of 14 with the sponsorship of my dad who was also shotgun certed. That's not allowed with FAC's under any circumstances. If one can pass the steps to get a FAC there is no logical reason they shouldn't be allowed a BB gun, other than due to specific wording on a law which from the sounds of it is kinda flawed/didnt put into consideration people who have a FAC and wanted to go airsofting!

You'll probably find if you end up causing enough of an issue that the police are involved (i.e you hold up the local Lidl) you'll get fucked with the full force of the Firearms act and they'll try and pin a section 5 offence on you (and rightly so) which doesn't really help my 'toy' case, but that's just due to the way that they look and the fear they'll cause your nan. Deal.

Getting an FAC can be just as much about the FOs attitude/charactor as your own.

The man has a problem. Not necessarily a bad one, but a problem nonetheless.

My springer collection.

Well, tbf, they could have a BB gun that fires 4.5mm steel BBs if they can prove they're over 18. They just can't have a BB gun that fires 6mm plastic BBs, that's a realistic imitation of a firearm - unless they have a defence as described in the addendum to the VCRA (or whichever bit of legal stuff is relevant). I don't think logic comes into it anywhere, unfortunately...

^FOIA to home office (though its a few years out of date - was 18 not 12 -my memory is failing me! Apologies for screenshot - best i can whilst having a vape break at work! Edit just noticed in my post i wrote s.37 not s.36 - do bear my many errors in mind should you consider any of my posts to be legal advice haha Cheers

We know, chap, the body of law on firearms and RIFs is a Frankenstein's monster patchwork that really could do with being repealed and replaced by one single statute covering the lot in a consistent fashion. But that isn't likely to work out in shooters' favour, whatever we're packing. Or the other 6 reasons, but point taken. I fully agree. Actually, as a private seller, I'd prefer that to a UKARA number which I can't even personally check is assigned to the buyer. On information, belief, or assumption? I'm not aware of any prosecutions under VCRA, let alone convictions. I'd love to see some case law.

Thanks but the police didn't issue me a FAC by mistake!! As for logic - we are talking about replica imitation firearms. Can something logically be both X and a replica of X?.. i dunno!? In anycase we aren't talking about what is logical, rather what is legal. Anyway - the law does consider people who have an FAC and want to sell/import/manufacture a RIF - it treats them exactly the same as anybody else. The question is: How does an FAC demonstrate that you will be using that RIF for skirmishing (at an insured event) with? It doesn't - that is that. Cheers

I get what you are saying - but that essientially comes down to a judge of character, not the FAC itself. We all know the only thing that matters is: Is it for use at an insured event? Anything else is irrelevent and is at best a judgement call. So all things being equal i'd rather sell to someone with about 100 posts on an airsoft forum over someone with an FAC. As ever - very academic as maybe about a dozen people have fallen foul of s.37. Im just trying to say that having an FAC does not make you king of guns and when it comes to airsoft means FA. And i used to have an FAC so im allowed to say that Fwiw: in many respects getting an FAC was easier then UKARA - yes i had to have an interview bla bla but took a lot less then 3 months and with a lot less driving! Cheers

All true, but there are airgun replicas of firearms than anyone over 18 (and not Scotch) can buy without a FAC or UKARA - and someone with a FAC will know this. Someone with a FAC who is showing an interest in an airsoft gun probably has good intent, and is very, very unlikely to cause a problem for the seller. They've got two referees, are cleared by their GP, have passed a criminal background check, convinced their Chief Constable of their need, passed a home inspection, have a gun safe, and have photo ID to demonstrate that. Contrast with a UKARA that may or may not indicate that someone who may or may not be the chap making a cash purchase has spent a few hours hanging around an airsoft site. I'm not encouraging any seller to commit an offence, just noting that it's worth asking them. I can (but won't) name one who will sell to folk without a UKARA as long as they're satisfied with the intent.

You don't need a UKARA to own replica imitation firearms. But most places in the UK won't sell you one unless you do. This to ensure that they can use the defense if charged with the offense. But this is academic - the point is the defence is for specific activities and a firearms license wouldn't satisfy anybody reasonable, let alone anyone cautious about being charged with a criminal offense under the VCRA, that you are purchasing the RIF for use in airsoft skirmishing. For all they know you might be merely a firearms enthuiast who wants a replica of a firearm he can't legally own.

Which is why I'd suggest popping down to your local airsoft shop with your FAC and seeing what they say. They want to sell RIFs, and while you don't have a defence yet, it's very, very unlikely that you're going to do anything which will mean that it's a problem for them. No harm in asking. Not unless you argue that's theatrical or reenactment use. The only retailer who accepts JustCos insurance is Airsoft World in Cowdenbeath, Fife. JustCos is a joke site which fails to give the bare minimum of contact details, but my belief is that it's also run from Cowdenbeath, Fife. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

It wasn’t overlooked There are many different kinds of ‘firearms’ under the legislation, some require licenses and some don’t. e.g. Low powered air weapons (air guns) are firearms, and (for most of the UK) don’t require a firearms certificate Airsoft would sit there as part of the firearms legislation but I have a quote below which removes airsoft from that legislation (provided it meets the criteria) The VCRA is a separate piece of legislation which covers Imitation Firearms Under the VCRA there are IFs and RIFs. RIFs require a Defence under the act We have a detailed discussion on legislation here, and one of my posts quotes section 57A: Exception for airsoft guns (1)An “airsoft gun” is not to be regarded as a firearm for the purposes of this Act.

I got a new toy

Well my cadpat patrol rig has arrived from Montréal, gets delivered tuesday. But £62 customs charge, jesus wept. Would have asked them to send a tube of Ky with it.

My Ranger Green GBBR loadout I used this Sunday at Battle Lakes. LBX Shirt Viper Bottoms (forgot to put my LBX in the wash haha) T3 Geronimo 2 Plate Carrier with Trident Gear training plates T3 Hans Pack FMA Maritime and a TNVC Mohawk MK2 Weapons: WE Scar L GBBR WE Glock 17

My Vietnam LRRP stuff

Sennybridge in Feb is going to be....interesting... sorry Wet!