Tommikka

Dropped somewhere in the Brecon Beacons

According to parliamentary questions, they have: 125 thousand L85A2s, 40 thousand L85A3s, 1620 L403A1s on order …. And a handful of Ares under tender https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/mod-discloses-uk-military-rifle-numbers/

Avoiding a lifestyle that attracts a police raid helps too I had a lot of mine at a mates for sometime (locked up), and the local bobby was warned off to be aware in case an AK47 hit the streets as a result of a burglary I have once had a police stop and opened with telling them what was in my car boot - which turned into an interested positive chat

I have the HDR50 (and HDR68) It is (they are) fun - I do like revolvers and due to there having been only a couple of old school retail and custom revolvers so when a 3D printed kit came out I converted an airgun to paintball. Then an original old school paintball revolver became available so I bought that too ….. and then Umarex brought out the HDR50 - a non standards paintball calibre and I’d have preferred a 68 version but as there wasn’t I had to have it ….. and then they brought out the HDR68 ….. I do like revolvers and I’ve got quite a few The Umarexs are not adjustable, and as originally produced for ‘Home defence’ they pretty much run as the CO2 12 gram will let them. Two (or three) editions are available in most of the Umarex HDR ranges - the mid or lower power rated ones are the maximum for the UK If used as paintball pistols with frangible paintballs then (under current Home Office guidelines) then they are UK legal up to 12ft lbs If used as air pistols with any other projectiles (rubber balls etc) then they need to be within 6ft lbs My HDR 68 shoots hot on a fresh 12 gram (330fps - which could be within the legal energy limit depending on paintball weight, but well in excess of playable velocity, and dropped to 115fps before drastically falling as it empties) Its not trustworthy enough to be playable (280fps or 280fps would be playable velocity limits), and if loaded with rubber balls etc well exceeds the airpistol limit of 6ft lbs) The HDR50 would be paintball playable depending on site rules, (the lower mass meaning less energy per FPS, but rules are likely to still be 250-280fps) I haven’t noted down my test velocities to be able to say where it would be as an airpistol (Note that the full design standard for paintball goggles not only covers lens impact but also sets that any part of the goggle/any direction of impact is up to 300fps - site insurance will require adhesion to standards, therefore a site that allows lower calibres to use a higher velocity may not be paying attention) @TackleI know that you won’t need to be told, but for the record and any others who read this …… Never have a paintball type gun in an accessible manner with solid projectiles and/or CO2, and especially not in bedside drawers. The police get excited when they find those

https://www.findforcesjobs.mod.gov.uk/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-ext/brand-4/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/3/adv/#

Unless of course some clever dick sells them GBBRs with chargers pending a contract amendment uplift for green gas to make the GBBRs work

There won’t be GBBRs, and no sudden surge of new releases to the airsoft market. (and the L85A3 remains the standard infantry weapon, not the L40A3 which is the ‘alternative infantry weapon’ in use for two units, one of which isn’t in the Army - the replacement of the L85 will be identified by Project Grayburn with at least a year to go for contract award) Its a 3 year contract tender to supply complete firing range and targeting systems - similar to that already in use by “Engagement to recruit” thus is likely to include a number of sets for recruiting teams Project Title 714083450 - Provision of Airsoft Engagement Systems Project Description Airsoft systems have been used throughout Engage to Recruit and have proved highly effective at attracting the Main Target Audience (MTA) and has a strong positive affect on Army image and recruiting. The current Airsoft system is one of the most effective engagement assets being used to support EtR. This capability needs to be expanded and grown. The AIRSOFT systems comprise multiple, interdependent, components as follows: Electronic Target systems. Airsoft L85 A3 systems. Airsoft ancillaries – loader, pellets, secure cases, sights, grips, chargers, batteries. Display equipment – 24’ monitor. Safety equipment – backstop, netting, eye protection, barriers.

That certainly appears to be the opinion of some sites. But there is a duty of care with the site - the disclaimers do not remove any duty of care. This channel has a good series of site safety / insurance videos. Its from the land of litigation and focuses on paintball (and flags implications of multi activities) but covers the issue of waivers being worthless if you don’t think ahead and assess/mitigate/minimise risks It could be taken as implied - but ‘buyer beware’ is a valid legal argument, headline titles may or may not be taken as a safety claim Not to mention overseas goods not falling within domestic legislation - and the importer being responsible for imports Not much help when you don’t have an eye (Back in the days of a long gone US forum there was a member who went by the name OneEye - his story was pinned to the safety section)

The thing is though - the post stated that they are not marked, and having found it on Temu, they are not sold as PPE Only the spammed listing title mentions paintball, the activities don’t have any impact related activities, the product details call them ‘decorative glasses’ and the safety statement has no safety claims They aren’t sold as PPE - buyer beware …… and the buyer should certainly have ‘bewared’

Which annoys me too There’s no official standard for airsoft face protection other than impact, whereas the paintball goggle standard goes into the various components / parts of the facemask including up/down via vents etc

Another set of non compliant goggles / eye protection identified by site staff I know that I’m preaching to the converted, but keep your eyes out for new players with their ‘nice cheap’ Temu/AliExpress/eBay goggles Observant site staff noted these ones https://www.facebook.com/share/12CBYwpEZa8/?mibextid=WC7FNe

@The_Lord_Poncho Note @Rogerborgincluded a health warning about eyesight Making your own mesh eye protection will not result in meeting safety standards. Sites should not be letting players use home made / modified eye protection In addition, if making mesh lens inserts they aren’t necessarily going to remain in situ when hit

I’m not the right person to help with glasses type such as the Blocs as I hate them as a protection - impact is fine with glasses, (as long as they are designed for inpact). But they have to fit, be worn properly and securely (I’ve seen so many BBs get in via the side etc - which seems OK when the energy is lost on the way, but that’s a failure) Glasses types should not be fogging internally (If it was just with that type I’d be suggesting to consider also whether it is external - try them then do a finger wipe) The cause will be air flow due to all the additional factors of mesh guards etc Try wearing your different options in different conditions. Eg if you just sit down inside in ambient conditions, not being active - you should have zero fogging with glasses alone as you aren’t generating extra & trapping your breath Then move on to moving around and heavier breathing. If you have fogging without excess breathing then you’re either a very heavy breather or a heat source Once you’ve ideally cracked getting fog free glasses try again with your mesh - again with no activity, moving to mild and stronger activity - the difference would be the extra air flow problems / air being forced into the glasses/goggles

That’s a fair assumption, but I less inclined to say it’s morons Morons will always be morons I’m more inclined to say that it’s irrelevant as to whether a sites underlying membership is free or paid - I am of course reading between the lines as @veylo has opted to message the site asking about renewing three seperate times - either they are impatient or it implies to me that they might not use the site, because otherwise they could ask when there They of course might be playing the site but don’t play enough in relation to the newer paid membership. In this case it’s the sights policy now to have paid membership, and UKARA is a central registry of site memberships Even when sites process membership and UKARA validation for free, it’s not just their admin time but they have to maintain site membership themselves at a cost The UKARA was born out of a need to cover the retail industry under the VCRA, but also to hopefully give the participating sites a regular customer base - if that worked for the site then it’s probably worth a free membership scheme, if it’s no longer working then they can choose other options such as paid membership

Ventilation is usually the main issue. Dye goggles are typically good for ventilation. Are your Wileyx just the goggle element ? In which case ventilation shouldn’t be an issue because your nose and mouth wouldn’t be exhaling into an area trapping your breath So what else are you doing? Wearing a scarf, snood etc and trapping the hot/moist air? Using a seperate face guard ? Are you restricting the air flow? Wearing a helmet ? Is it close to the top of your goggles and restricting flow from top vents? Another cause is your hot head - making a heat source inside the goggle, sweating etc After market coatings should not be used as a first choice - any manufacturer coating can lose its effectiveness Fans etc can aid moving the air, but if it’s trapped and not flowing then you’re just moving hot air

I like the way that you think, using the depth rather than laying things flat with miles of foam deep below

All (legitimate) paintball goggles are suitable as full face airsoft goggles. As mentioned an alternative for airsoft is a combination of eye protection plus face shield Dye became the go to goggles in airsoft, perhaps partly due to looks & speedsofters, but perhaps also because their designs tend to be compact Thet work better with small heads, eg I had i3s but the i4 left out my chin, and pretty much the bottom of my mouth Some features loved by airsofters and attributed to Dye are the equivalents that are found in all premium paintball goggles - better air flow, soft rubber bodies (aids getting your chin into your stock for sights), and dual pane lenses took some time to come as default with the budget/rental grades My personal favourite (that can be bought) are GI/VForce Grills - these also have handy slots in the foam for glasses users Number one is eye protection - I will always point away from glasses types of eye protection and try to direct to a goggle style even when not full face (eg snowboard / ski style goggles) Number two is your head - what fits comfortably and works for air flow with one head doesn’t with another If you can then try goggles on. If you’re lucky enjoy then go to a bricks & mortar shop where you can ask and try some on, failing that ask other players about theirs - everyone loves to talk about their gear, most will let you try on their goggles Spares are less of an issue - the main brands usually have a range of lenses so you can choose clear for common use, a tint for open sunlight etc. But when it comes to the lenses getting old the goggles are probably getting a bit tired so you may want a fresh strap - add those together and you’re usually pretty close to the price of replacing them Main brands do however usually provide other spares right down to replacement foam and clips The grills were popular and didn’t change their core design for many years, opting to bring out colour variations - I therefore often bought a new set every year at discounted prices as the new seasons pretty colour mix came out This means I change goggles rather than changing lens for a sunny / dull / indoor / outdoor game - or my bright marshalling set

As @Austeyrhas advised - always assume there will be an import cost First make a valuation based on the item cost plus the postage cost. This gives you a guide to the valuation, particularly as customs can include postage - this does not always happen, but plan for the worst case and also they may reject the declared/invoice valuation and estimate a market value Start with VAT - assume you will be charged 20% But that means there is admin at customs, and the carrier at the port of entry handles that - so you get a handling fee on top. This varies and may be a fixed amount or a percentage of the valuation It is very unlikely, but overseas retailers can now register with national tax offices to handle domestic VAT. If they did then your checking out on the transaction would include VAT and they detail that on the declaration with their HMRC registration - if this occurred then you would not get a charge on import and therefore no carrier handling fee However, NI sits in an exclusive position following Brexit. You continue to have a land border with Europe and a complex agreement in place to minimise trade friction across Ireland If you import from Hong Kong etc then charges will be due, but if you import from an EU airsoft retailer it could get interesting and you could benefit from the Brexit mess

Absolutely I’m very fond of sneaky players (as opposed to cheating players) The ones who will walk around ‘non aggressively’ until the perfect moment to get the ideal kill or grab a hard to get objective. This is bad enough when players get butt hurt that one of the opposition got in and shot them first, after the sad player assumed and didn’t challenge It does of course mean an eliminated player may get shot walking through so obey the rules and put your hand up/call out (or even better adopt the rarely seen airsoft dead rag rule). Stupid rules make more problems, and advertise that the sites/organisers are likely to have more problems We play games that involve shooting people, and in playing them (plus running them) we accept that we will be shot too (but there are far too many who don’t understand that) Laser tag and nerf exist for them

🤦 Somebodies had a ‘clever’ idea about dealing with minimum engagement distances. Its supposed to be quite simple, and they are clearly aware of the MED workaround of snipers having a secondary. My rule would be they can use their secondary, stay hidden or run away - and if you’re running away you can be shot. If you don’t like that then stick your hand up and walk to respawn.

It would depend on the site Semi is not one ball in flight at a time but one per pull, as opposed to full auto A quick enough finger can replicate full auto, but doesn’t have the danger issue of full auto from snagging on a bush A multi shot shotgun shell sits somewhere between semi single shot and burst fire Burst fire is a set number of shots one after another, eg one pull of burst giving three BBs in a row whereas the shotgun shell launches three at once Assuming their semi rule is a combination of safety and minimising dick players then multi shot shotguns would be acceptable - but up to the site

What @Rogerborgsaid Those specific top venting blank firers are illegal due to non compliance with UK legislation, not due to any change but they were not compliant with UK standards. They have been identified and an amnesty put into place.

Perhaps he took JustCos on their word: covering CosPlayers with Public Liability insurance in their right as a re-enactor to wear and carry costume articles that may prove alarming or ‘scary’ to third parties who may not understand ourpurpose. This policy particularly covers the right to carry imitation weaponry that could otherwise be mistaken asreal or mistakenly reported as an offensive weapon. He’s certainly proved to be alarming and scary to third parties who did not understand the purpose.

What is accepted as a proof valid defence is dependant on the seller The legislation is the VCRA. (To be pedantic airsoft is actually not in the core legislation but by statutory instrument) The seller is liable to ensure that they are content that the buyers purpose for a RIF is covered by one of the VCRA defences The relevant airsoft defence is for the playing of / participation in “airsoft skirmishing” at an insured site The most commonly recognised scheme is the UKARA - this requires players to attend a participating site on multiple occasions, the multiple game requirement means that it also complies with suggested guidelines at the time, which are not explicit in the legislation / statutory instrument The UKAPU may be accepted by a retailer but the UKAPU website explicitly states that it is not a defence https://www.ukapu.org.uk/join/ ….. If you are after a blank firer then the Airsoft defence does not apply. There is no need for a blank firer to be black/realistic when used for many purposes such as starting pistols The only need that I would see for a blank firing RIF would be for theatrical / film making use etc - which have their own defence requirements - and also have many reasons to not use blank firers

We don’t know what we don’t know, and the wise man knows that he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know You’ve started well having identified a potential flaw and then thinking about how that is resolved The first time we ran an airsoft game I knew nothing about how airsoft actually runs. I was sat at the safe zone entry waiting for all players to return before resetting props & pyro for the next mission. The players didn’t know why I was there, the first player through showed me his empty magwell - then everyone in turn showed they were safe & clear or stopped to remove magazine and fire off the last BB in the chamber - and then due to my presence a few remembered they had a holstered pistol to clear as well In just a few minutes I learned the airsoft method for clearing before exit, and some of the peculiarities of different RIF types * we always run events in in collaboration with sites so did have real marshals to do that side - not only because we have a paintball background vs airsoft specifics, but I prefer a clear distinction on the primary roles - everyone should be looking out for safety but I feel that the game marshal should be focused safety first that rather than us who are running the flow of an event and hopefully spotting safety issues