Tommikka

The guidance notes via the link below would generally cover airsoft users as a team (under incorporated association of people with a common interest) or an individual. An individual won’t have much use of a radio channel. But under either you can have handsets configured to an appropriate channel and let some extra people use the same channel to talk to them for the day under your licence (you could hand them a handset from your collection, let them Programme in your frequency, or as there are common frequencies which others may be licenced to use just agree on the one to use today - and conversely to use different ones so you are separate) Incorporated Association Is a group of people who share a common interest. Individual or Sole Trader Any person may apply for a licence in his or her own name. If the person runs a business solely in his or her own name then that person is known as the sole proprietor of that business. Legally that person is wholly liable for all aspects of that business and all its obligations. Thus the person will need a WT Act Licence in their name to operate a radio system which states the applicant/ licensee’s name. If the person holds a trading name, then this may also be stated on the licence but it is important that this is not substituted in the place of the individual’s name. Off topic as the OP already has a licence but PMR is the easy solution with free to use unlicenced channels, and again can be used together or seperately among groups (I used to set PMR ranges between factions and let them pick particular channels ….. and I could then be nosy and listen in with the very old fashioned cheap handsets that could pick up all the subfrequencies)

I’ve seen prices as cheap as £15 (a few years ago) but would expect £30 to £40 A test centre can slim down the price when you’re bringing it in and collecting later, so £22 is a fair price The principle remains the same for larger cylinders and one of the IDEST centres will be able to do it. There are different regimes for diving cylinders that are used to dive, with some references below about hydro and visual inspection cycles for diving and just hydro testing for surface cylinders (random test centre from Google) http://teigndivingcentre.co.uk/prices/cylinder-testing-prices

Yes/maybe - that can be unlimited due to the ISO standard Scan around for anything else, you have the born date of 2016/11, and as long as they have not sneaked in a death date then you do have an unlimited cylinder. You can get tests done by either a test centre or a middle man. The preferred test centre is Armourlite/HPAC as they are the lead air providers to paintball (and where applicable airsoft) sites http://hpac-armourlite.co.uk Any IDEST approved centre can run tests (dive shops often take in testing, either as a test centre in their own right or they pass them through a test centre) https://www.sita.org.uk/idest/idest_members.php (But as you’ve found not every dive shop is friendly - I used a dive place in Salisbury once with a friendly guy, they didn’t do testing but held on to it and sent it as part of a few bottles in a batch. (I was in no hurry) But when I went back with others a different guy didn’t like paintballers and according to him they never test out bottles (So I hung onto them and dropped them off with HPAC at an event to pick up at another)

Yes - a 5 year cycle is correct If it’s Pi marked then look for the summary markings (example below) But there could be a variation on total life. The default has always been 15 year maximum, but a new ISO design could have an unlimited lifetime. However many manufacturers are producing ISO cylinders with a 15 year life marked, so don’t have unlimited life (I will turn a blind eye to a good condition Pi aluminum that has 5 years printed rather than 10 which will run off, but won’t be turning a blind eye to fibre markings) There should be another set of markings, like on here: Note on the top dial that this still has air in it, but it is currently out of test and cannot be refilled. Near the middle is the Pi gate symbol, so it’s UK & European legal To the right of that is ‘2010/01’ (manufactured January 2010, and was therefore due for testing in 2015) Left and down a bit is the final date of 2025/01 (therefore it becomes a paperweight from February 2025) The big yellow sticker shows testing at July 2016 (which means it could not be used for all of 2015 and half of 2016, and also that the test expired in July 2021) I can technically use the air that is in there, but cannot fill it as the test has expired. When I get around to testing I will not get a further 5 years as it’s final date is 2025 I’m going to say that they are wrong Under 48ci and I agree with them The other point they might have meant could be that with the cost of new vs testing that it’s not worth testing a 48ci aluminum The guru is Trevor of HPAC (There is a technical element on the legal status ….. TPED compliance affects the filling and transporting) If you’re not commercial (and do not have a company car) then you can wiggle your way out of transporting If you manage to self fill then that’s down to you, but a site cannot (should not) permit you to fill an out of date cylinder Back in the day some paintball sites turned a blind eye to scuba self fills in the car park of US specification fibre cylinders - they would refuse it at the site fill station but ignore use on the field

That’s aluminium not steel (Actusl steel bottles were a thing) Yours is therefore valid for 10 years from July 2016 (2016/07) But the printing may still show a contradictory 5 year due date

‘Under 1 litre’ is wrong A 48ci cylinder is subject to testing, which is about 0.78litres What cylinder type/size do you have? What a site will accept may vary, but in the UK: an aluminium 3000psi cylinder has a test cycle of 10 years, but have generally been marked as 5 years. A ‘standard’ aluminum 3000psi is sized at 0.48ci A 13ci aluminum 3000psi cylinder is test exempt and has an unlimited life, subject to visual checks TPED regulations cover the EU & UK legal requirements and cylinders under these have the Pi mark Trevor of Armoulite/HPAC is an authoritative contact, can confirm status and do the testing as an IDEST centre

I was considering responding with the one liner you do have too much time on your hands (Unless readers got the context then the one liner response might have liked slightly odd!!!!)

I know a man who is quite adept at designing ISO conversions, we’ve spent/invested a good sum of taxpayers money getting some produced for various solutions Very strong point there - store appropriately, safely & securely. Then add those in context when travelling and 99% of issues that come up are solved Hiding and stored ‘out of obvious sight’ can be two very different things Personal circumstances will vary, but I’m assuming the OP wants a good ‘out of obvious sight’ solution rather than surreptitious hiding The local Bobby is aware that I’ve a good stash of various guns that could look attractive to ‘illegal doers’ and could spark off an armed response if seen out where they shouldn’t

This is how to do it

Regarding the hydro test lifecycle: The norm that you will mostly see is that aluminum 3000psis have been marked with a 5 year cycle, and unlimited lifetime if they are tested. (due to the cost of testing vs buying new it’s not necessarily worth doing) But in the UK their legal requirement is a 10 year cycle, and I’ve noticed that retailers are now mentioning this on listings For compact aluminum’s such as 13ci there is an exemption, they do not need to be tested as long as they are visually good When 13cis first came to the UK the printed markings have shown a 5 year due date, but a recent purchase does not If you turn up to an event and I’m the air checker then I would permit use of a 48ci 3000 for 10 years after its stamped manufacture date, and a 13ci of any age (as long as they have UK/EU markings) For fibre wraps the general standard has been a 5 year test cycle and maximum 15 year life, and due to their cost it is worth hydro testing There is a newer ISO type which can have an unlimited lifetime, but still a 5 year test cycle - but most seen in life are showing a 15 year maximum printed by the manufacturer

Shots will vary depending on efficiency, but in airsoft you should get ‘plenty’ per fill As mentioned, o rings are the main cause or cure to air problems. Look after them as in the manuals and use the same types as the manufacturer when replacing. The most common is basic black, which just need very light grease and cost Pennie’s when bought in bulk on the common sizes But as long as you have a basic spares set with your kit then that will do you until you learn your systems particular needs For air cylinders the best value for money is the standard 48ci aluminium 3000psi cylinder …. Expect to pay £30 to £40 A 13ci is more compact, but costs about the same A fibre 4500psi costs more and comes in wide ranges of size and shape. Expect to pay £150 These have the benefit of taking 4500psi fills of available (about 50% more shots … but are not essential if you can get fills on site)

…….. mumble, mumble ….. my dark woodland Dye baseball cap, my multicam baseball cap ….. First person I shot in game was a Marshall …… shouldn’t have been walking out of a bush

Like me Backwards baseball caps protect necks

I have done this on both sides of the camera. I have the perfect face for modelling work with a mask on The ideal location is on a site, but even that can get people calling in about suspicious activity when the site is normally closed. A remote location always becomes the most occupied public area as soon as you begin to do anything. It won’t hurt to let the local police know what you are doing, and to put up some signs. If you really are satisfied that it’s out of the way enough, that you will be quick and unobtrusive then you can just go ahead. But I guarantee that ramblers, dogger, bird watchers and a music festival will all suddenly arrive as you pull out the pistol

VCRA Section 38 does state ‘real firearm’, but does not exclude unreal / sci fi firearms etc. With 38.7a covering an actual real firearm, but 38.7b the ‘appearance of a category of firearms’ If someone sees it and thinks it is real then it meets the VCRA definition of a RIF unless it gets covered as an IF by the design age, colour or size (Star Wars wasn’t the best example as their blasters are real firearms with extra things - Sterling SMG, Mauser, MG34 etc, but others could be those from Aliens etc which are ‘unique’ sci fi guns but still tend to have a basis on real designs … the pulse rifle being part Spas shotgun in a shroud) The underlying solution is of course to bag them in public and never find out what the law thinks it is Meaning of “realistic imitation firearm” 38 (1)In sections 36 and 37 “realistic imitation firearm” means an imitation firearm which— (a)has an appearance that is so realistic as to make it indistinguishable, for all practical purposes, from a real firearm; and (b)is neither a de-activated firearm nor itself an antique. (2)For the purposes of this section, an imitation firearm is not (except by virtue of subsection (3)(b)) to be regarded as distinguishable from a real firearm for any practical purpose if it could be so distinguished only— (a)by an expert; (b)on a close examination; or (c)as a result of an attempt to load or to fire it. (3)In determining for the purposes of this section whether an imitation firearm is distinguishable from a real firearm— (a)the matters that must be taken into account include any differences between the size, shape and principal colour of the imitation firearm and the size, shape and colour in which the real firearm is manufactured; and (b)the imitation is to be regarded as distinguishable if its size, shape or principal colour is unrealistic for a real firearm. 38.7 In this section— “colour” is to be construed in accordance with subsection (9); “de-activated firearm” means an imitation firearm that consists in something which— (a) was a firearm; but (b) has been so rendered incapable of discharging a shot, bullet or other missile as no longer to be a firearm; “real firearm” means— (a) a firearm of an actual make or model of modern firearm (whether existing or discontinued); or (b) something falling within a description which could be used for identifying, by reference to their appearance, the firearms falling within a category of actual modern firearms which, even though they include firearms of different makes or models (whether existing or discontinued) or both, all have the same or a similar appearance.

We agree to disagree on a few of the fine points, and ideally we can continue on that basis as it would ultimately be a court case that answers the question of interpreting legislation on those points. For ‘frangibility’ there is no reference in the legislation, but it is on that point that the home office have corresponded with the UKPSF referencing ‘frangibility’ of a paintball in line with ‘lethal barrelled weapons in legislation. On that basis Gel blasters would sit in with frangibilty, but as you say they would need to be a firearm ‘Firearm’ and ‘gun’ are thought to be dirty words, but they do carry the ‘protection’ of being defined in legislation and don’t require licences/certificates …. (Except of course NI & Scotland with other categories & requirements) ’Marker’ is a term I dislike, it was ‘popularised’ by Americans on a PC basis and has an incorrect urban history that it was the original name in paintball (As soon as we went away from actual oil based paint they ceased to have their ‘marking’ function and had always been ‘paint marking guns’ / ‘paint marking pistols’ etc Its either pointless if people I know what it is or a secret code to hide from the scary word ‘gun’, and if you’re using that secret code then it can backfire because the other party then sees a gun You have a good argument that a firearm could be a realistic imitation of another firearm, but I’ll still argue against it … and of course, have done on the basis that a firearm is a firearm and not an imitation of a firearm which might look like another firearm ‘Realistic’ of course being in the definition that someone might think it is real, which brings in fictional guns as opposed to looking the same as a real one

….. and on their information / FAQ page they refer to frangibility plus that they are not replicas …. Frangibility has been paintballs get out clause for many years on the basis that they are air weapons / firearms and therefore not replicas, but a recent review by a barrister on behalf of the UKPSF recommended no longer relying on that one. The are selling realistic colours and with orange tips, which does not exempt from RIF definition. Unless they are sufficiently under sized then they have made a rod for their own back by claiming not to be RIFs, but have also slipped in the word ‘skirmishing’ Australia and parts of the US have problems with gel blasters, so there’s an industry here that’s potentially going to grow and be used by people/children who get themselves into areas that could cause issues

…. Major tangent ….. I used to work with someone who’s ‘hobbies’ included deer management and being the police POC to finish off deer on the side of the road. Most of his shooting was by camera, but he always had a rifle & ammunition locked in the appropriate safes in the back of his pickup When he discovered that I made trips out to the regional offices and would sometimes be passing a specialist gun shop he would get his orders in and either try to come with me for items that had to be purchased in person or sent me with his certificate or just his ID when it could be picked up by anyone Funnily his preferred hunting and target grade ammunition’s were classified the other way around, and needed extra documentation to purchase hunting grade that he would just use for target practice and less documentation to purchase target grade which he would use for hunting kills (Because he considered that grade more finely accurate and gained cleaner/more humane kills)

Under the GDPR, personal data is that which identifies/links to you as a living individual, which includes your name, DOB, address/postcode, email, telephone number, memberships number etc Sensitive personal data covers areas such as: race ethnic background political opinions religious beliefs trade union membership genetics biometrics (where used for identification) health sex life or orientation https://www.gov.uk/data-protection Trade unions are listed, which can be particularly sensitive when considering employment, protest groups are not listed but are a fair call with regards to the potential links to beliefs / politics and sensitivities on differing opinions and the influence it could have on someone’s opinion of you in unrelated areas. Membership of a group does not fall into the same level, unless there would be factors relating to the type of group. Airsoft could be something you feel touchey about publicising it. However, you are attempting to buy an Airsoft gun from someone which implies you play Airsoft and they are also legally liable if they sell to you without a valid purpose. You have given them the elements of personal data, and there would be no GDPR breach in confirming status under the UKARA. The entire purpose of the UKARA player database is to validate an individuals status, and the GDPR declaration states that information will be shared among parties - and they are not restricted to retailers only (it does state that they are the primary purpose). The specifics on the wording from the UKARA may vary over time and also with a site specific form as you sign up as a member of a site which is then added to the central UKARA player database. Note that a seller does not get provided with the members details. The UKARA or a site confirm or deny that the records match

I could show you photos of me with Airsoft RIFs, at Airsoft sites & I also own Airsoft RIFs (subject to a case in court …. I own many Paintball RIFs) … and I had successfully imported Airsoft RIFs circa 2007/2008 However I do not play Airsoft, do not intend to play Airsoft and if I intended to purchase an Airsoft RIF could do so under other justifications I have run Airsoft events, and could justify a valid purpose if I were to run another - but I have no ‘need’ to self purchase Airsoft RIFs for any such event ….. back to your question …. On the face of it I could produce photos that would appear to show me skirmishing, I would be defrauding you but you could probably ‘reasonably’ claim that you had done sufficient due diligence … unless your due diligence included looking at my post history …. (if anyone actually went to the effort of tracking down a sale, as I won’t be bringing myself to the wrong kind of attention with the police)

Note - for the ‘lawful basis’ context, the OP would be the law checking up on someone. As opposed to using the UKARA as a source to confirm the information provided. Anyone who would be committing a GDPR offence with UKARA data would be the data holders. Either the central UKARA register, or the sites register. The data is collected for specified purposes, which include checking a registered players details are valid. The data should not be held longer than required ….. so in theory expired memberships could be deleted and validation would come back as failed But legacy data can be retained for a reasonable period to protect sellers if they needed to legally justify a past sale. The guy is being a dick, but they are also correct that UKARA details are not required and the seller could ‘legally’ sell based on other ‘evidence’ such as photos of playing (But it is up to the seller what they accept as it is the seller who is legally responsible for any UKARA offence) (((PPS as a former ‘former police officer’, what would be their opinion of gov.uk websites & the motor insurance industry providing open access to whether or not a vehicles registration has valid MOT, road duty & insurance, including a full MOT history of failures ? That can tell you a fair bit of ‘personal’ information about the owners

The UKARAs GDPR policy does not say that data is collected/held solely for retail sales. https://ukara.org.uk Paragraphs 5,6&7 cover access to data. 5 covers the primary use for retailers to validate a sale 6 covers the Border Agency etc for validating imports 7 can cover validation of private sales 5.The system is designed to allow retailer members of UKARA to verify the legal status of purchasers, to comply with the relevant section of the Violent Crime Reduction Act as related to Realistic Imitation Firearms. 6.The system can also be accessed on an individual look up basis by the UK Boarder Agency to allow player imports of RiFs & 24/7 Intelligence department, Hampshire Police also in reference to imports. All retained data is accessible to the administrator and programming technical staff. 7.Any other third-party access to data would only be permitted when the terms of the Data-Protection act have been for-filled for legal access requirements. For GDPR data must be held and used for valid purposes, in the case of UKARA data it must be shared in an appropriate manner to validate sales. Arguably a UKARA registered member could complain that confirm/deny is not made for a private sale - eg I get registered, I try to buy a RIF in classifieds and give my number & postcode to the seller. If the UKARA or site refused to acknowledge then I could complain under the GDPR that they are holding my details but not using it to validate my status

I used to review Amazon items a lot via a ‘reviews’ site. Sellers would advertise a ‘deal’ in exchange for reviews. Many were overpriced items ‘reduced’ to the standard price, so people thought they were getting a deal In general buyers only review when the item/experience was bad or a percentage of those prompted by Amazon after delivery Good sellers wanted believable feedback that had opinions, photos etc and the system rated reviewers. If you gave 5 star reviews all of the time then you were no good to them, but if your review history was fair and objective then you would get good offers from genuine retailers who wanted to get word out on their products Under Amazon’s rules you were required declare that you had an offer price or free item etc The rules were revised and the sellers are not permitted to use any ratings of reviewers which means it has basically become ‘dodgy discounts’ The rule change stops retailers from being allowed to pick for good reviewers, and has perhaps dropped down to just people with an extreme like/dislike

Definately a point there about reviews …. They are not everyone’s feedback but are likely to be subsets of certain cohorts: I had a bad time, or I was shouted at and am upset I had the most awesome time of my life and cannot keep it to myself I was told to do a review by my boss Most people don’t review everything they do. You get a bias, and particularly that if you’re happy then you’re happy but if you’re angry then you tell the world that you’re angry.